Zizoo, one of the world’s leading boat rental platforms, closed a €1.7 million investment round with participation from Mairdumont Ventures, aws Founder Fund, Russmedia, Axel Springer Digital Ventures, Axel Springer Plug and Play accelerator as well as a mix of European and US superangel investors active in the travel industry. The Berlin-based startup has received €2.5 million in total funding so far.
CEO Anna Banicevic comments: “Zizoo is proud to have been backed by top European travel and digital players, such as Mairdumont Ventures and aws Founder Fund. We are also thrilled to welcome our newly joined US investors, including Sam Shank, founder and CEO of travel startup success story Hoteltonight. This is an important step for us in terms of our expansion plans in the USA.”
Following Zizoo’s sterling performance in 2015 with a 35% average monthly growth in bookings, the round was significantly oversubscribed. Anna Banicevic further explains: “It’s great to be in a position where we can scale the current operations and create a strong barrier for anyone thinking of taking a slice of Zizoo’s core markets. Our focus is now on the future and reaching even more firsttime and experienced boaters worldwide.”
Zizzo was founded in 2013 in Vienna, Austria by CEO Anna Banicevic and cofounders Sinan Masovic, Ivan Miletic and Benito Gonzalez del Valle. Today, the promising startup is based in Berlin, with offices in Vienna, Austria and Zagreb, Croatia. The company’s goal is to lead the way in making boat holidays mainstream and open to a mass audience of travellers. With Zizzo, 8,000 boats in 25 countries can be instantly booked in a few simple steps, with or without crew.
Zizoo makes boat holidays easy and affordable for everyone by offering boat operators direct access to the global market via its charter management platform. This gives Zizoo unique positioning in scaling and the full guarantee of a verified experience for its clients, who are predominately from Germany, Austria, UK and USA. Funds from the current round will be used to scale ongoing growth, focusing on Zizoo’s core markets and acquiring new talent. Zizoo’s management is selective in its hiring process, with a focus on candidates with digital background.
Last year we featured the startup as one of “5 Austrian startups to look out for in 2015” and as one of “The hottest European travel startups in 2015“.
