Kima Ventures is one of the world's most active early-stage investors, investing in 2 to 3 startups per week all over the world; providing founders with funding, network, and support for them to reach the next steps of their journey. The firm invests from seed to Series A, mostly as lead investor but also working alongside other investors; backing ambitious founders who work hard to build awesome things that more and more people use everyday. The company helps them to build a great team, to learn very quickly, to keep the right focus and execute towards growth. Kima takes pride of itself in working side-by-side with entrepreneurs. They claim to understand that fundraising is only one step in the company’s journey, that’s why they take quick decisions and make the fundraising process as smooth as possible so the founders can get back to the work of building their business. Kima considers itself not only an investor, but a network of founders and experts sharing a pay it forward mindset. Headquartered in Paris with an office in London, the company was founded and backed by Xavier Niel, founder of Iliad and supporter of entrepreneurs through such projects as 42, Station F and 101projets. Over the last 5 years Kima has invested in over 400 startups in 24 different countries.

Kima Ventures

Balderton Capital is a Venture Capital Investor that supports technology businesses. They support Founders at every stage of their journey. They provide advice, introduce portfolio leaders to professional service providers, and invite portfolio leaders to workshops and community events where they can meet one another.

Balderton Capital

AA Sons focuses on raising venture capital for ambitious, fast-growing companies with a desire to 'make the world a better place' in retail, mobility, healthcare, care, fintech and broader tech sectors.

AA Sons

Iris Capital is a European VC specialized in digital, fueling entrepreneurs from early stage to growth since 1986.  From Paris, Berlin, San Francisco, Tel Aviv, Tokyo and Dubai, Iris Capital supports start-ups and scale-ups in their global expansion with the unique support on its multi corporate partners, including Orange, Publicis, Valeo and BRED. Iris Capital invests in various industries, from platforms to Saas, AdTech, IT infrastructure, cybersecurity, IoT, robotics and mobile services, and is always looking for ambitious industry disrupters led by unique entrepreneurs across the world.

IRIS

Raise Ventures is a Venture Capital structure dedicated to innovative startups in France and Europe.

Raise Ventures

AXA Venture Partners (AVP) is a venture capital fund investing in high-growth, technology-enabled companies. AVP has built a unique investment platform specialized in tech investments with $600 million of assets under management through three pillars of investment expertise: Early Stage Fund, Growth Stage Fund and Fund of Funds. To date, AVP has invested in 40 Early and Growth equity deals and 6 Fund investments. AVP team operates globally backed by offices in San Francisco, New York, London, Paris and Hong Kong. Beyond investments, AVP provides access to business development opportunities helping portfolio companies to scale globally and accelerate their growth.

AXA Venture Partners

Bpifrance provides financial solutions for companies that are booting up the listing on the stock exchange and credit equity. It includes OSEO, CDC Entreprises, FSI, and FSI Regions to offer in your area of financial solutions at every stage of the life of your business.

Bpifrance

H14 is an Italian family office and a qualified shareholder of Fininvest SpA that invests across several asset classes including Direct Investments in Venture and Growth Capital, Private Equity Funds, Hedge Funds, and broad Capital Markets. Its geographical scope is global, mainly focused on North America and Europe and opportunistically on Emerging Markets.

Alpha Intelligence Capital (AIC) is an entrepreneurs-led, entrepreneurs-invested, global closed-end private venture capital fund. It invests in deep Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) technology-based companies. (AI is the science of self-learning software algorithms that execute tasks otherwise typically performed by humans.) We believe that AI is the Future. Our core focus lies in companies in the early stages (Seed to Series B), with deep expertise in the algorithmic sciences and their application to developing breakthrough products and to solving real business problems. Our investment committee and advisory team come from executive level positions at Fortune 500 companies and successful startups, universities, private equity firms, ventures and funds. With a long history and strong background in a variety of industries, we use our expert experience to promote both long and short-term wealth generation.

Alpha Intelligence Capital

Virtuo

Virtuo is a digital car rental app Designed for city dwellers that provides a range of cars on demand, that can be unlocked all with their phone.

Paris-based Virtuo is a car rental company that specializes in providing premium car brands such as Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and BMW in seven European markets. The company entered the German and Portuguese markets in July 2022 and the Italian market in May 2021. Virtuo offers a variety of car options, including electric vehicles (such as Tesla, introduced in June 2021), seven-seaters, SUVs, and compact cars. In June 2021, the company outlined plans to make 50% of its vehicle fleet electric by 2025, and 100% electric by 2030. As of February 2023, per-day pricing ranged from ~USD 30 to USD 602, based on car type.

Travel Tech

Homeownership concierge app Virtuo lands C$3.5m in seed deal

Paris-based Virtuo is a car rental company that specializes in providing premium car brands such as Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and BMW in seven European markets. The company entered the German and Portuguese markets in July 2022 and the Italian market in May 2021. Virtuo offers a variety of car options, including electric vehicles (such as Tesla, introduced in June 2021), seven-seaters, SUVs, and compact cars. In June 2021, the company outlined plans to make 50% of its vehicle fleet electric by 2025, and 100% electric by 2030. As of February 2023, per-day pricing ranged from ~USD 30 to USD 602, based on car type.Users are able to access their car via a digital key and can choose to pick the car up from one of their stations or have it delivered to their location via Virtuo Delivered (a contactless delivery solution launched in September 2020). The app also allows users to add extras like baby seats and extra mileage and includes an AI-powered damage report system (launched in November 2019). Furthermore, Virtuo offers insurance options to reduce the amount payable per claim, with users being able to book a car for a period of one to 90 days, with free cancellation.Virtuo also provides B2B car rental services through Virtuo for Business, which includes discounts, a higher mileage package, and fixed prices throughout the year. Further, Virtuo for Business offers tools to manage and access the company's bookings, with flexible payment options (either centralized monthly payments or for employees to manage their own payments).Key customers and partnershipsAs of September 2024, the company served more than 3,000 businesses, notably Relais Colis, Cazoo, Swile, and Egis.

Sonder is a short-term rental startup that acquires and refurbishes apartments in popular urban areas and offers them for rent through various channels, including Airbnb, Expedia, and its own website. The company typically enters into three- to five-year leases (including fixed leases and mixed leases) or revenue-sharing agreements with landlords to occupy entire floors of buildings. Sonder’s contracts include provisions that reduce rates during economic downturns, such as a clause that decreased rents by 8% during the pandemic. Unlike other home-sharing firms that have faced difficulties with local lodging regulations, Sonder either holds hotel licenses or operates in buildings that permit short-term rentals.Its apartments offer hotel amenities, such as professional cleaning services, fresh designs, and a concierge service accessible through an app. With the help of its app and digital door locks, guests can check-in to their rooms without any face-to-face interactions. As a result, Sonder's offering was well-suited for maintaining social distance during the pandemic. Sonder aims to extend its reach by expanding to other regions, including Asia. Sonder is also planning to broaden its offerings to include properties such as resorts, villas, and residences. Moreover, Sonder aims to establish a franchise model and sell its software solutions to outside operators. In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/20463">July 2023 </a>, Sonder launched its first hotel collection, ‘Powered by Sonder’, a collection of boutique hotels, each with its own distinctive design aesthetic, utilizing Sonder's technology and operated by the company.As of January 2023, Sonder served more than one million guests in more than 9,000 live units, across more than 40 cities and 10 countries. It expected to grow its portfolio to 56,000 units by 2024.In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/27990">March 2024 </a>, Sonder lost some properties to competing companies such as Kasa Living, Placemakr, AvantStay, and Blueground. The shift in property management occurred after Sonder attempted to renegotiate lease terms or exit from master leases.Key customers and partnerships<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/32761">In August 2024</a>, Sonder signed a licensing agreement to sell 9,000+ of its units to Marriott International with plans to integrate 1,500 units more into the Marriott system in the future. Previously,In September 2022, Sonder partnered with RateGain Travel technologies to strengthen its presence on the GDS by introducing its own dedicated chain code titled SS. The company also partnered with Hotel Engine, a lodging performance network, to offer its services to its network of over 550,000 business travelers (October 2021).

Sonder

Ukio is a Barcelona-based company that provides short-term rental apartments directed at remote workers and other professionals on the move. Ukio offers rental apartments for stays ranging 1–11 months, with an average stay of four to five months. Guests can book for a set period and have the option to extend their stay through the company's online platform. Ukio signs 7- to 10-year leases for its apartments with individual property owners, real estate developers, and family offices.Ukio’s rentals range from EUR 1,750–5,000 (~USD 1,900–5,400) per month. The monthly payment covers utilities, maintenance, taxes, and all the standard amenities included in a hotel stay. Each apartment includes a concierge and reception area, with some having additional services, such as weekly-cleaning facilities. As of August 2024, Ukio operated in Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon, Berlin and Paris with Ukio planning to expand to other cities such as London, and Dublin.

Ukio

NUMA (formerly known as Cosi) is a German provider of alternative accommodation that offers short-term rental units in over 3,000 locations in cities like Berlin, Munich, Rome, and Vienna. The company signs long-term leases with property owners and remodels the apartments by furnishing and designing the interiors, before renting them out as a hotel alternative. NUMA uses automation and smart pricing to increase occupancy rates and provides a comprehensive digital service for the entire guest experience by reducing booking and check-in/checkout timing to less than 60 seconds. NUMA differentiates itself from similar companies like Sonder by targeting a broader demographic and offering a “tech franchise” solution called “NUMA Go,” where third-party hoteliers can use NUMA's technology for a share of their revenue. NUMA also offers B2B travel solutions through its dedicated corporate booking team and its offering of corporate travel rates.In June 2021, NUMA expanded its services to Spain, Italy, Austria, and the Czech Republic by acquiring local short-term rental provider, Friendly Rentals. NUMA planned to further expand its operations in existing and new markets, such as France, the UK, Ireland, and the Nordic region. Additionally, NUMA made plans to enter the Portuguese market with the opening of a 77-unit hotel in Lisbon in Q2 2024.

numa

TravelPerk offers business travel options for customers. TravelPerk is headquartered in Barcelona and has additional offices in London, Berlin, Chicago, and Miami. The platform uses proprietary technology to provide booking, management, and reporting for business trips. It allows travellers to compare and book various modes of transportation, such as trains, cars, flights, hotels and apartments from various providers including KAYAK, Skyscanner, Expedia, Booking.com, and Airbnb. The company aims to provide flexibility to travellers while giving companies control over travel expenses.In November 2021, TravelPerk launched “TravelPerk Events” to bring dispersed teams together for face-to-face meetings. To make in-person meetings more sustainable, TravelPerk also provides customers with the option to estimate their carbon footprint and neutralize their emissions, achieving this through the acquisition of Susterra (September 2021). This also includes GreenPerk, a sustainability tool that directly reduces carbon emissions through initiatives run by its partner, Atmosfair. Other notable acquisitions included that of AmTrav (<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates?industryIds=101">June 2024</a>), UK-based rival, Click Travel (July 2021) and US-based rival, NexTravel (January 2021).TravelPerk uses a subscription- and commission-based business model that includes a freemium plan, with paid plans starting at USD 99 per month and commission fees starting at 3% per booking.Key customers and partnershipsTravelPerk struck a partnership with Southwest Airlines in January 2021 to broaden its US-based inventory, becoming one of the first non-US travel management companies to enter a partnership with the airline company. Other partners include Lufthansa Group Airlines, Midnight Trains, Divvy, and Skyscanner.TravelPerk doubled its customer acquisition rate in 2020 and catered to more than 6,000 businesses, including brands like Wise, Farfetch, GetYourGuide, and Monzo, as of September 2024

TravelPerk

Omio is a Berlin-based travel platform that allows users to search, compare and book transportation options across Europe, the US, and Canada. Founded in 2013 as GoEuro, the company rebranded to Omio in 2019 to reflect its expanded global presence. Omio's platform aggregates and displays train, bus, flight, ferry and car rental options from over 1,000 transportation providers across 37 countries. Users can compare routes, prices, and travel times across different modes of transport in a single search.The company's technology integrates directly with transportation providers to offer real-time pricing and availability. Omio generates revenue through commissions on bookings as well as service fees. As of 2022, Omio's platform facilitated enough ticket sales to fill 30 trains and 300 buses daily. The company has seen significant growth, with ticket bookings in 2022 reaching 140% above pre-pandemic levels. Omio has also observed a shift toward mobile bookings, with 80% of tickets now purchased via its mobile app.Key customers and partnershipsOmio has partnerships with hundreds of transportation companies across Europe and North America, including major providers like Renfe, Deutsche Bahn, SNCF, Flixbus, and Amtrak. In 2022, Omio partnered with Uber to integrate its inventory into the Uber app in the UK, allowing Uber users to book train and coach tickets. In 2023, Omio collaborated with Ecosia to launch a "tree-planting rail travel search tool" that promotes train travel as a more sustainable transport option. Omio has also integrated its booking capabilities into platforms like Kayak and Huawei devices.&nbsp;In August 2024, Omio announced a partnership with Ryanair to sell the airline's tickets as an approved online travel agent.

Omio

Platforms to search, compare, plan, and/or book flights, hotels, buses, trains and travel packages.

Platforms to search, compare, plan, and book alternative lodging in privately owned properties, including apartments and homes

Platforms to search, compare, plan, and book tours, events, and other travel-related recreational activities

Providers of corporate travel management solutions that help businesses with planning, controlling, tracking, and reporting on business travel activities, as well as distribution solutions and B2B booking engines

Car rental and ride-sharing solutions for long-distance travel

Providers of battery-powered luggage products equipped with technologies such as USB charging, built-in scales, TSA-approved locks, and real-time location tracking via GPS and cellular networks

Providers of technology-enabled solutions to enhance the guest experience, such as contactless and automated check-in services.

Providers of technology-based solutions for accommodation providers, tour/experience operators to optimize revenue and operations.

Some solutions under the B2B travel solutions segment operate under a B2B SaaS model

Some online search/booking and revenue management solutions use AI/ML for product development

Virtuo

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