A lot about the travel experience has changed in the last 10 years. Uber and Lyft changed how we get around. Airbnb changed where we stay. Hotel Tonight changed the way you find a cheap hotel.
But a lot about travel hasn't changed---specifically, how you plan a trip, and how you get inspiration for your next vacation. Google is still the first stop for travel ideas, but where you'll end up down the trip-search rabbit hole is anyone's guess. Instagram can spark an idea, but it lacks the context needed to really plan your trip.
Enter TripScout, a Chicago-based app founded by Konrad Waliszewski and Andy Acs that acts as a centralized place for travel information and inspiration. The TripScout app pulls articles and videos from top publishers, along with content from local Instagram influencers, to provide travel insights on more than 100 destinations across the world. In Chicago, for example, users can read the "21 Best Things to Do in Chicago" from Condé Nast Traveler, "18 of Chicago's Most Instagram-Worthy Locales" by PureWow, or the New York Times feature on "36 Hours in Chicago," all within the TripScout app.
Users can save any restaurant, tourist attraction or other point of interest with one tap, allowing trip planners to easily create a personalized itinerary.
The startup has also caught the eye of investors. It announced Wednesday that it has raised a $2.1 million seed round led by Sam Yagan's Corazon Capital. Other backers include New Stack Ventures, Village Global, 500 Startups, MATH Ventures, M25 Ventures, Sandalphon Capital, Connetic Ventures and Miles Partnership.
The app is designed for those planning a trip, but Waliszewski said users are opening the app every day to consume its aggregated travel content, making TripScout a destination for travel junkies year-round.
"You might only travel a coupe weeks out of the year, but if you love travel you’re thinking about travel pretty much every single day," Waliszewski said.
Other travel apps have launched to make the trip-planning experience more efficient, reducing the time you spend searching for and booking travel activities. But Waliszewski said TripScout has taken the opposite approach---people enjoy consuming travel content, and they want a better place find articles and devour as much travel information as they can.
"The anticipation of your trip is just as much fun---sometimes more fun---than the actual trip itself," he said.
In a sense, TripScout is like the Hulu or Netflix for travel, Waliszewski explained. It's a place for entertainment and information.
TripScout has grown its user base roughly 100 percent month-over-month since its current version launched last October, though Waliszewski declined to say how many people have downloaded the app. It's currently only available on iOS, but the startup is planning an Android app and a web version soon.
“The anticipation of your trip is just as much fun—sometimes more fun—than the actual trip itself”
TripScout is currently pre-revenue, but Waliszewski said it will soon offer users the ability to book travel accommodations and other trip experiences within the app.
Ultimately, TripScout wants to be the go-to destination for anyone interested in travel.
"We realized there really was no central place for entertainment for people who love to travel," Waliszewski said. "We saw an opportunity to be with travelers throughout their entire journey."
