HomeAustria-StartupsThe hottest European travel startups in 2015

The hottest European travel startups in 2015

The number of online travel bookings has been growing steadily from year to year pretty much since the invention of the internet. The disruption of the traditional travel industry and the shift from local travel agencies to online bookings is still a big trend, but far away from being a secret.

Over the years, countless numbers of startups around the world have tried to take advantage of this trend, and pursued new and exciting business models for the future of the travel market. In the last two decades, there were also a bunch of really successful travel-related startups that were founded in Europe. Companies like Booking.com, Travelbird, GetyourGuide and Housetrip (to name just a few).

July and August are the months people travel the most, and the summer heat is on, so let’s take a look at Europe’s hottest travel-related startups in 2015. In order to introduce you to the next wave of European disruptors in online travel, we scanned the market for the most promising startups that are not older than 2-3 years.

So here is our list of the hottest European travel startups of the year:

Boaterfly-logoBoaterfly: Founded in 2013, Boaterfly is a peer-to-peer rental website for all kinds of nautical vehicles. Sailboats, powerboats, zodiacs, windsurfs, light sailboats, kayaks, jetskis, river boats – you name it. Boaterfly, which is headquartered in a suburb of Paris, opens the door to temporary ocean and sea travelling off the beaten track. Owners can make their watercrafts profitable, while tenants enjoy fair prices and a warm welcom. Last month, Boaterfly secured a seed investment of $500K.

CreateTrips-logoCreateTrips: This social trip planner offers travellers and locals travel guides, maps, reviews, photos, and more. CreateTrips, which was founded in 2013 in Helsinki, is a mobile application for iOs devices (Android version follows soon) that helps and inspires travellers around the globe. So far, the Finnish startup has raised about $2.2 million in venture capital (Update – August 2023: The startup seems to be no longer in business under this website, and we therefore deactivated the original link).

eWings-logoeWings.com: This Berlin-based startup offers a software for booking and managing flights. Founded in 2013, the mission of eWings.com is “to make it as easy as possible to find, book and manage flights via web and mobile. The ideal travel companion for the professional frequent flyer.” Flight routes are sorted by stress, weighted by cheapest price, duration and stop-overs. Last month, eWings.com secured €1.1 million in a second round of financing (Update – August 2023: The startup seems to be no longer in business under this website, and we therefore deactivated the original link).

Holidu-2015Holidu: Founded in 2014, Holidu helps you to easily find the best holiday accommodation from all the leading websites. You just tell them where you’d like to go and they will search far and wide so you can compare prices, user reviews and the largest selection of places from all over the world. In this way, booking your holiday rental is as easy as booking a hotel. Holidu is headquartered in Munich and has so far raised about $900K in venture capital.

Snaptrip-logoSnaptrip: Headquartered in London, the team behind Snaptrip aims to make it as easy as possible to find the right holiday at the right price. To be more specific, this means they always try to offer you the best range of UK and Ireland-based cottages at the best guaranteed price. Snaptrip was founded in 2014 and aims to become the UK’s leading site for last-minute breaks in self-catered holiday properties. So far, the young company has raised a total of roughly $1.4 million across two financing rounds.

Startuptravels-logoStartuptravels: Launched in October 2014 and headquartered in Copenhagen, Startuptravels is a new travel platform allowing users to connect with local entrepreneurs and professionals while travelling. A user can find a place to stay, a desk to work at or even just arrange a meetup for coffee. Just 9 months after its launch, Startup travels already has several thousand active users from more than 150 countries. So far, the Danish startup seems to have raised no seed investment yet (Update – August 2023: The startup seems to be no longer in business under this website, and we therefore deactivated the original link).

Triptease-logoTriptease: This SaaS travel company builds digital tools for better experiences and relationships between hotels and guests. These products include Triptease Magazine, a travel reviews app, Digital Postcards, an in-stay social media referrals tool and Price Check, a widget for hoteliers to encourage travellers to book directly. Triptease is headquartered in London and was founded in 2013. In total, the young company has raised about $4.3 million in venture capital.

Trampolinn-logoTrampolinn: Founded in 2014, Trampolinn describes itself as “a revolutionary home swapping community” that works through an innovative points system. Its members earn points when they receive other users at their homes, which they can exchange for free nights of accommodation wherever and whenever they want. Each accommodation has a nightly value in points, depending on what’s available. Headquartered in Paris, Trampolinn seems to not have raised any seed investment at this time (Update – August 2023: The startup seems to be no longer in business under this website, and we therefore deactivated the original link).

trip4real-logoTrip4real: This trusted community platform connects locals with travellers from all over the world. Trip4real’s simple design enables local city-dwellers to offer tours and activities in whatever they are interested in, with the click of a button. The platform then connects them with thousands of travellers in search of more authentic travel experiences. The Barcelona-based company started at the beginning of 2013, and in total, the ambitious team has already raised about $3.1 million in venture capital (Update – August 2023: The startup seems to be no longer in business under this website, and we therefore deactivated the original link).

tripme-logotrip.me: This Berlin-based startup offers an easy way to connect directly with local tour providers in any country you wish to visit. Trip.me’s goal is to bring the best from every country together in one place so you can quickly and easily organise your trip. Trip.me was founded in 2013 by a handful of web-savvy world travellers; they had the idea that you should be able to buy a personalised tour directly from the person organising it. In August 2014, they successfully closed a Series A funding round (an undisclosed amount) (Update – August 2023: The startup seems to be no longer in business under this website, and we therefore deactivated the original link).

TripnDrive-logoTripndrive: Founded in 2013 and based in Paris, Tripndrive enables car sharing for travellers. The departing traveller gets the use of a free parking space by renting their car at a low cost for another traveller. Supported by the ISAI investment fund (an early backer of Blablacar), the ambition of the Tripndrive team is to offer more people a new way to travel in Europe – a new way that’s simpler, cheaper and smarter. So far, the young company has secured about €800K in seed funding.

Travador-logoTravador.com: This Munich-based startup is focusing on the rapidly growing opportunity for the travel event sector. Travador.com, which was founded in 2013, offers its clients unique experiences, at unbeatable prices. Whether they are looking for wellness, music, sports or the arts – Travador always tries to offer its customers something special that turns their short trip into a unique experience. In total, Travador.com has already raised about $10.5 million in venture capital.

tiqetsTiqets.com: This Amsterdam-based startup was founded in 2013 with the mission to offer a great entertainment experiences to travellers around the globe. Tiqets.com enables travel companies to offer their customers tickets for tours, theater shows, attractions, sporting events, concerts and museums across multiple touchpoints. Distribution partners like airlines, hotel chains and OTA’s integrate the direct bookable content by means of an API, emails, co-branded website or widgets. The startup also offers these tickets directly to consumers through its website. So far, Tiqets has secured venture capital in the amount of roughly $1.5 million.

Wanderio-logoWanderio: Launched in 2013, Wanderio is a web application that aims to enhance the travel experience by taking care of the user from the doorstep to the final destination. Wanderio, which is based in Rome, compares flights, trains, ferries and ground transportation services, to let the user choose and book the solution that suits them best, sorting alternatives by price, travel time, and CO2 emissions. The young company has secured about $275K in seed funding.

Withlocals-logoWithlocals: This Eindhoven-based startup connects travellers with locals through food and experiences. The marketplace for unique travel experiences with real locals was founded in 2013, and offers travellers new opportunities for unique travel experiences. Local hosts can offer their services directly to travellers and give them positive experiences they’ll never forget. So far, the Dutch startup has received roughly $500K in seed funding.

Zizoo-logoZizoo: Founded in the fourth quarter of 2013, Zizooboats is digitalising the boat rental industry. Coming from Vienna, they are building a global digital booking platform and community, a little bit like a ‘Booking.com for Boats’ combined with an Airbnb-like community model (reviews, communication, location based apps / services). Zizoo aims to make boat holidays affordable and accessible to everyone (bookings start from €45 a day). The young platform also provides charter companies with a photo and an editorial service, as well as a powerful inventory management tool. In total, the Austrian startup has secured about $450K in seed financing.

By the way: If you’re a corporate or investor looking for exciting startups in a specific market for a potential investment or acquisition, check out our Startup Sourcing Service!

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Thomas Ohr
Thomas Ohr
Thomas Ohr is the "Editor in Chief" of EU-Startups.com and started the blog in October 2010. He is excited about Europe's future, passionate about new business ideas and lives in Barcelona (Spain).
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5 COMMENTS

  1. Great list, Thomas! However, you’ve missed out on the most recent news – a P2P platform, 100% based on sharing-economy principles has made yacht holidays affordable, accessible and genuine by connecting you directly to the private boat owner (no charter agencies). Have a look and add Antlos!

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