Traveltech startup Travello bags $5m from ex-Tourism Australia head, others

Travello has raised A$6.5 million (US$5 million) in its series A funding round from Flight Centre co-founder Jim Goldburg as well as Andrew McEvoy, former managing director of government agency Tourism Australia, and Phil Gunter, ex-general manager of Virgin Australia’s Velocity Frequent Flyer program.

Travello founders Mark Cantoni (left) and Ryan Hanly / Photo credit: Travello

The new funding will be used to fuel Travello’s growth by capturing pent-up millennial demand for travel experiences as the world recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Founded in 2016, the travel tech startup connects travelers from across the world, recommends experiences, and enables users to book over 40,000 tours, attractions, and activities. The company said it engages over 1.2 million users across 180 countries.

“The opportunity was clear for the company,” said McEvoy, referring to the recovering demand as the pandemic has seen the “end of some iconic travel companies.”

Travello said it is also “aggressively” expanding the online travel agent (OTA) side of its business, gaining market share in the growing experiences vertical as it is one of the sector’s fastest-growing verticals.

Its acquisition of Backpacker Deals in 2020 boosted its online sales capability. Former TripAdvisor executive Jeff Lewis has also joined Travello, which has a tie-up with Australia Stock Exchange-listed travel group Flight Centre.