Y Combinator is a startup accelerator that invests in a large number of startups twice a year. It created a new model for funding startups. Twice a year, the company invests a small amount of money ($150k) in a large number of startups. The startup accelerator works intensively with the companies for three months, to get them into the best possible shape and refine their pitch to investors. Each cycle culminates in Demo Day when the startups present their companies to a carefully selected, invite-only audience.

Y Combinator

Pioneer Fund is a fund of 420+ Y Combinator alumni, investing in the top Y Combinator startups.

Pioneer Fund

Oyster Ventures is a venture capital firm investing in exceptional new-frontier technology companies. They target companies that bring liquidity and efficiency to antiquated industries, companies that enable globalization, with leverage to massively scale. It also specializes in early-stage investments in startups in fintech, with a focus on blockchain, crypto, E-commerce, market place, artificial intelligence, fintech, media tech, and SaaS companies.  Oyster Ventures was founded in 2016 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California, United States.

Oyster Ventures

F-Prime's roots are in one of America’s great entrepreneurial success stories. Fidelity Investments was founded in 1946 and grew from a single mutual fund into one of the largest asset management firms in the world, with over $2 trillion in assets under management. For the last forty years, this venture capital group has had the privilege of backing other great entrepreneurs as they built ground-breaking companies in technology and life sciences, including Atari, MCI, ROLM Corp., Alibaba, Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, and Ultragenyx.  Today, F-Prime's funds are larger and more global, but its teams are still small and local. F-Prime stays true to its entrepreneurial roots. In the US and Europe, F-Prime Capital Partners is investing in healthcare (formerly Fidelity Biosciences) and in technology (formerly part of Devonshire Investors). In other geographies, its sister fund is called Eight Roads (formerly Fidelity Growth Partners), with investment teams in London, Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Mumbai.   Together F-Prime brings a world of insight, domain expertise and relationships to support entrepreneurs. Without the pressure of fundraising from outside investors, F-Prime Capital Partners focuses all of its time finding and helping great entrepreneurs build important companies.

F-Prime Capital

Thayer Ventures (Thayer) invests in technology companies with a focus on the travel industry. This industry represent more than $10 trillion in annual global economic activity, is thriving with entrepreneurial activity due to disruptive changes within the sector that began more than a decade ago. Recent consumer trends have accelerated this disruption for operators across the travel world, creating unprecedented opportunities for technology providers to make significant inroads into what was previously a closed market. Additionally, travel industry suppliers are dealing with massive shifts in travel planning, organizing and booking driven by the Internet and social media platforms. As a result, the travel industry is being forced to rapidly deploy new technologies in order to exploit the opportunities created by this shifting consumer behavior. The combination of these factors has created a unique environment for innovative technology providers to make significant inroads into this massive, growing, and evolving marketplace.

Thayer Ventures

At Commerce Ventures, they are building a new and different type of venture capital firm. Their investors are a unique and strategic blend of leading entrepreneurs, senior executives, and corporates from their focus sectors (mobile, retail/e-commerce, payments, fin-tech, insurance). In addition to providing capital, they are committed to helping their portfolio companies succeed in scaling their commerce-related innovations.

Commerce Ventures

Acronym Venture Capital invests into unconventional funding rounds in NYC and Rising Markets with a preference for first time and diverse founders. We are an opportunistic fund investing into Late Seed and Series A rounds of Enterprise SaaS and Omni-channel consumer brands that have achieved at least $1m in ARR. We are a value-add fund and invest only when we can leverage our network to assist with revenue generating relationships, recruiting talent, partnership introductions, follow on capital etc. for our portfolio companies. Please note that we do not invest in companies that touch MUSH = Municipality, Utilities, Schools or Hospitals.

Acronym Venture Capital

Insight Partners is a global software investor that partners with growth-stage technology and software companies. Insight has a deep focus in Fintech, Cybersecurity, AI/ML, DevOps, and Healthcare sectors. Across their people and their portfolio, they encourage a culture around a core belief growth equals opportunity. As of December 31, 2022, the firm has over $75B in regulatory assets under management. Insight Partners has invested in more than 750 companies worldwide and has seen over 55 portfolio companies achieve an IPO.

Insight Partners

Canary Technologies

Canary Technologies is an enterprise hospitality technology company that provides hotels with innovative solutions to drive efficiency and enhance the guest experience. The company's core solutions get rid of antiquated technology in hotels. With backing from some of the top investors in Silicon Valley, Canary Technologies is trusted by thousands worldwide and serves some of the world’s largest and most iconic hotel brands.

Canary Technologies (Canary) offers an integrated guest management system that includes tools for contactless check-in and checkouts, guest upgrades and add-on amenities, a paperless authorization that prevents chargebacks and fraud, and guest messaging to communicate with hotel guests at scale through automated, broadcast, and direct messages. It also launched a Digital Tipping feature (May 2022) in response to the staffing crisis in the hospitality industry, which allowed hotel guests to tip employees at any time during the guest journey from check-in to checkout. Canary generates revenue through subscriptions and a one-off implementation fee.

Travel Tech

Canary Technologies Enhances Guest Management System with Next-Generation Digital Compendium

Canary Technologies (Canary) offers an integrated guest management system that includes tools for contactless check-in and checkouts, guest upgrades and add-on amenities, a paperless authorization that prevents chargebacks and fraud, and guest messaging to communicate with hotel guests at scale through automated, broadcast, and direct messages. It also launched a Digital Tipping feature (May 2022) in response to the staffing crisis in the hospitality industry, which allowed hotel guests to tip employees at any time during the guest journey from check-in to checkout. Canary generates revenue through subscriptions and a one-off implementation fee.Key customers and partnershipsAs of October 2022, Canary Technologies served more than 20,000 customers across more than 70 countries. Its customer base included well-known global hotel brands, including Four Seasons, Best Western, Rosewood Hotels, and Radisson Hotels.Funding and financialsIn <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/30426">June 2024</a>, Canary Technologies raised USD 50 million in a Series C funding round led by Insight Partners, with contributions from F-Prime Capital, Thayer Ventures, Y-Combinator, and Commerce Ventures. The funds were allocated to strengthen its AI capabilities for guest management and expand its team.

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.&nbsp;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,&nbsp; 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.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;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 an additional 1,500 units 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).&nbsp;

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 and planned 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

<div>
 Canary Technologies, a firm offering guest management solutions for the hospitality sector, has secured USD 50 million from a Series C funding round. The round was led by Insight Partners and saw contributions from F-Prime Capital, Thayer Ventures, Y-Combinator, and Commerce Ventures.
 The raised funds will be used by Canary Technologies to intensify its AI capabilities in guest management and to increase the size of its team.
</div>

Canary Technologies

About EDGE

Contact Us

Resources

Area of Focus

Technology Research Made Effortless