Skift Take
Another two AI-powered trip planners have raised money this month, plus a startup that detects bed bugs and a new eSIM app.
Travel Startup Funding This Week
Each week we round up travel startups that have recently received or announced funding. Please email Travel Tech Reporter Justin Dawes at [email protected] if you have funding news.
Four travel tech startups announced fundraises over the past two weeks totaling more than $15 million.
Steller, an AI-powered trip planner and social media app, has raised $5 million from Pioneer Venture Partners and other investors.
It is part of a series B funding round of $22 million that has been raised over the past couple of years. Washington-based Steller has raised $42 million to date, according to an email from Annette Eyraud, the startup’s chief operations officer and chief financial officer.
The latest funding is going toward product development that includes the recent upgrades. The updated app is a trip planning tool that integrates social media videos about destinations, which is a primary way that younger generations use to plan travel.
Steller allows users to search for travel options by destination and then explore options for activities, lodging, and more. There’s also a social media aspect, allowing users to post videos to their profiles and follow others. Users can also create guides and itineraries, such as a weekend getaway in Austin, Texas, to share with others.
“By uniting this engaging content with destination details, curated trips from experts, interactive maps, an AI-enhan