A Chicago travel startup led by the founder of Orbitz has raised more capital as it gears up for the summer travel season.
Journera announced Wednesday that it raised $10 million in a Series B-1 round. The funding was led by B Capital. Other investors include Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), BCG and PAR Capital. The startup last raised a Series B in 2020, when it landed $11.6 million from a16z, B Capital, Pritzker Group Venture Capital and others.
Founded in 2016, Journera's software allows travel companies to communicate with each other and provide a more seamless end-to-end travel experience for their customers. Journera can automatically rebook a rental car reservation when a traveler's flight is canceled, for example, or make sure a hotel room is ready early when guests arrive to their destination in the morning. Its data also helps companies anticipate the needs of travelers and present them with deals for a rental car or hotel stay after booking a flight.
The startup has developed a real-time data exchange platform for the travel industry, working with brands like United Airlines, American Airlines, Hilton, InterContinental, Marriott and Hyatt.
Journera is led by CEO Jeffrey Katz, the founder of Orbitz Worldwide. Katz launched Chicago-based Orbitz in 2000. The company was eventually bought by Expedia in 2015 for $1.3 billion.
Journera's funding comes as the travel industry prepares for a bounce back from Covid. The global tourism industry is expected to return to pre-pandemic levels by 2023 and continue growing as people increasingly feel comfortable restarting travel plans.
