The travel sector features a wide range of high-growth companies, from space exploration ventures to local transportation services.
The field is led by companies like SpaceX, with its $400B valuation, and South Korea's leisure platform Yanolja, valued at $9B. Other notable companies include the Chinese bike-sharing service Hello TransTech at a $6B valuation and the Canadian travel app Hopper at $5B.
Below is the full list of 33 Travel unicorn startups at this time.
Top 10 Most Valuable Travel Unicorns
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Get the Sheet for $50SpaceX builds and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft with the goal of making humanity multiplanetary. They are also creating the Starlink constellation to deliver high-speed internet to locations where access has been unreliable or completely unavailable.
| Valuation | $400B (Joined December 2012) |
| Headquarters | Hawthorne, California, United States |
| Year Founded | 2002 |
| Founders | Elon Musk |
| Funding Amount | $11.8B |
| Company Size | Enterprise Organization (5,001+) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | Sequoia Capital, Founders Fund, Craft Ventures, Valor Equity Partners, Andreessen Horowitz |
Yanolja operates a travel super app for booking accommodations, leisure activities, and transportation. They also provide a suite of cloud-based software to help hospitality businesses digitize their operations.
| Valuation | $9B |
| Headquarters | Seoul, Seoul-t'ukpyolsi, South Korea |
| Year Founded | 2005 |
| Founders | Lee Sujin |
| Funding Amount | $2B |
| Company Size | Major Organization (1,001-5,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | Booking Holdings, Partners Investment, GIC, SoftBank Vision Fund, SL Investment |
Hello TransTech created one of China's leading mobility platforms, which started with its popular shared bike service. They now provide a range of transportation options, from e-bikes and carpooling to battery swapping for e-scooters.
| Valuation | $6B |
| Headquarters | Shanghai, Shanghai, China |
| Year Founded | 2016 |
| Founders | Han Mei, Jiang Wei, Li Kaizhu, Yang Lei |
| Funding Amount | $2B |
| Company Size | Enterprise Organization (5,001+) |
| Last Funding Status | Corporate Round |
| Top Investors | Fosun International, WM Motor, Alibaba Group, Ant Group, Primavera Capital Group |
Hopper offers a travel booking app that analyzes billions of data points to predict future flight and hotel prices. Their platform helps travelers save money by notifying them of the ideal time to buy.
| Valuation | $5B (Joined March 2021) |
| Headquarters | Montréal, Quebec, Canada |
| Year Founded | 2007 |
| Founders | Frederic Lalonde, Joost Ouwerkerk |
| Funding Amount | $729.7M |
| Company Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | La Caisse, Brookfield Asset Management, Citi, Goldman Sachs, Inovia Capital |
Sierra Space builds the commercial platform for the future of low-Earth orbit, including space transportation systems and in-space destinations. They are developing the Dream Chaser, a reusable spaceplane, and large inflatable LIFE habitats to enable a new space economy.
| Valuation | $5B |
| Headquarters | Louisville, Colorado, United States |
| Year Founded | 2021 |
| Founders | Eren Ozmen, Fatih Ozmen |
| Funding Amount | $1.7B |
| Company Size | Major Organization (1,001-5,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series B |
| Top Investors | Coatue, General Atlantic, MUFG Bank, BlackRock Private Equity Partners, AE Industrial Partners |
OYO operates a large network of budget-friendly hotels and homes, making standardized accommodations accessible to travelers globally. They partner with property owners, providing them with a full-stack technology platform to increase revenue and simplify their operations.
| Valuation | $4B |
| Headquarters | Gurgaon, Haryana, India |
| Year Founded | 2012 |
| Founders | Ritesh Agarwal |
| Funding Amount | $3.6B |
| Company Size | Enterprise Organization (5,001+) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | Microsoft, JP Morgan Chase, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Peak XV Partners, Lightspeed India Partners |
VistaJet runs the first and only global business aviation company, offering private jet flights to corporations, governments, and private clients. They provide access to a fleet of over 300 aircraft through flexible membership programs and on-demand charters.
| Valuation | $3B |
| Headquarters | Valletta, NA - Malta, Malta |
| Year Founded | 2004 |
| Founders | Lori Hanlon, Thomas Flohr |
| Funding Amount | $750M |
| Company Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Private Equity |
| Top Investors | Rhône Group, Credit Suisse |
FlixBus operates a vast network for affordable intercity bus travel across Europe, North America, and beyond. They are known for their tech-first approach, which combines an easy-to-use booking platform with a network of regional bus partners who handle the transportation.
| Valuation | $3B |
| Headquarters | Munich, Bayern, Germany |
| Year Founded | 2011 |
| Founders | Andre Schwammlein, Daniel Krauss, Jochen Engert |
| Funding Amount | $1.2B |
| Company Size | Major Organization (1,001-5,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Private Equity |
| Top Investors | TCV, BlackRock, General Atlantic, Cherry Ventures, European Investment Bank |
TravelPerk built a business travel platform that gives companies a central hub for booking and managing trips. Their software simplifies the entire process, from making reservations to controlling expenses.
| Valuation | $3B (Joined January 2022) |
| Headquarters | Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain |
| Year Founded | 2015 |
| Founders | Avi Meir, Javier Suarez, Ron Levin |
| Funding Amount | $864.7M |
| Company Size | Major Organization (1,001-5,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series E |
| Top Investors | EQT, LocalGlobe, Sequoia Capital, Blue Owl, General Catalyst |
LY.com has built a leading online travel platform in China, offering a one-stop shop for users' travel needs. The service allows travelers to book everything from flights and hotels to train tickets and vacation packages.
| Valuation | $3B |
| Headquarters | Suzhou, Jiangsu, China |
| Year Founded | 2004 |
| Founders | Zhixiang Wu |
| Funding Amount | $1.7B |
| Company Size | Enterprise Organization (5,001+) |
| Last Funding Status | Corporate Round |
| Top Investors | CITIC Capital Holdings, Boyu Capital, Oriza Holdings, Tencent, Trip.com |
The Remaining 23 Travel Unicorns
The biggest names in travel tech are only part of the picture. Founders across the globe are building billion-dollar companies, especially in the United States and China.
They range from new space exploration ventures to established booking platforms. Here’s a look at the other unicorns shaping the future of travel.