Venture Capital Investment in Online Travel Startups

Mobissimo has raised funds from

Cambrian Ventures
Cambrian is out in Mountain View CA.

Investment Focus

Our focus is software. We are interested in both enabling technologies like database or storage software, as also applications like consumer apps, enterprise apps, wireless, EDA, etc. Very simply if you have software where you believe there is substantial technology IP, we are interested. Alternatively if you have an application where you believe there is substantial network-effects we are interested (if you can get to critical mass!)

Index Ventures
Based in Geneva, they prefer European investments, unless working with a trusted US VC firm, like in the Mobissimo deal. They prefer Series A & B rounds in IT and biotech companies. Typical investment size is $3-10M.

Bernard Dallé was the lead investor for index on Mobissimo.

Benhamou Global Venture

Eric Benhamou, former CEO of 3Com and Palm runs his own investment fund.

Sidestep

SideStep has raised $17M in funding from Trident Capital and private investors.

Trident has offices in Palo Alto and Westport, CT.

Source

Woody Marshall, Managing Director for Trident Capital, noted, "We've been scouting for the next big winner in online travel for some time now and believe that SideStep is it.

Qixo,

The East Gate Group, and one other VC firm put about $1million into Qixo back in 99 or 2000.

East Gate is an early stage VC firm that

has a liquidity horizon for investments of 1-4 years. Total fund size is $70m and average investment per deal is $2m.

Kayak has gotten backing from General Catalyst Partners

FareChase had raised around $9.5 million in total VC funding, with investors including Boston Capital Ventures and DB Capital Partners Australia.

BCV

To invest in early stage, growth oriented companies which have or expect to generate revenues in the near term.

Focus on companies which provide software and communications products, as well as service-based companies which differentiate their offerings through the use of technology.

Investment liquidity to be realized within 3 to 7 years.

The companies BCV generally invests in require between $1 to $10 million in capital, already have a product or service that is being used or beta tested by at least one customer and are seeking experienced, professional strategic guidance on how to grow their business.

Ecommerce times had an article in 2001 on venture investment in online travel. The following come from this article.

Viajo.com, a travel site, en espanol, raised in the neighborhood of $7-$10M in a Series C round in July 2004. Dios Mio!

Investors in Viajo.com include JP Morgan Partners and GP Investimentos

France's Egencia said that it has raised 6.6 million euros (approximately US$5.6 million) in a second round of funding.

In June, Cruise411.com, an online cruise marketplace, received $7 million in Series B equity financing from TL Ventures.