ZeroAvia, a startup developing hydrogen-electric jet engines, recently raised $34 million in funding. The company has garnered support from American Airlines, Airbus, and Alaska Airlines. Their focus is on creating engines that can support a range of 300 miles in aircraft with nine to 19 seats by the end of 2025, and up to 700 miles in aircraft with 40-80 seats by 2027. ZeroAvia has received nearly 2,000 pre-orders for engines and components from various airlines, operators, and manufacturers. They have been testing a prototype engine on a Dornier 228 aircraft in the UK and are looking to establish a manufacturing facility in the UK as well.
Reiwa Travel, a Japanese startup that sells travel packages to outbound Japanese travelers, raised $34.1 million with lead investor SMBC Group. The company aims to create travel packages based on the individual needs of customers, with plans to expand globally and add a domestic travel business. Reiwa Travel is also exploring AI-powered tools for travel search, concierge, and dynamic pricing. The company has already booked 45,000 tours in under two years and is looking to enhance its offerings in the travel industry.
Host & Stay Group, a vacation rental management platform in the UK, raised $13.8 million for their growth strategy. The company manages over 1,200 properties and recently acquired Norfolk Holiday Properties and Airhost For You. Host & Stay Group also offers a booking tool on its website and connects local businesses with inbound tourists. The funding will go towards further acquisitions and expansion of the company’s services in the vacation rental management sector.
Userguest, a company that makes booking offers to guests on behalf of hotels, secured $2.4 million in seed funding. The Amsterdam-based startup focuses on creating automated personalized offers during the booking process on a hotel’s website to increase direct bookings. Userguest has generated over $100 million in direct revenue for hotels since 2019 and plans to use the funding for business expansion, product development, and hiring sales staff.
Tour Amigo, an Australian startup that sells software for tour operators, raised $2 million. The company offers a booking platform and reservation system for multi-day tour and cruise operators, as well as products for distribution and managing commercial agreements. The funding will be used for product development, hiring, expanding in North America, and gaining more business-to-business clients.
Ediphi, a Texas-based startup offering virtual reality training for the hospitality industry, raised $1.5 million. The company provides training courses for hospitality students and employees to complete on VR headsets, focusing on real-world experiences like emergency preparedness and first aid response. Ediphi counts hotels from JW Marriott and Hyatt Regency among its clients and plans to enhance its training modules and AI avatar with the funding.
