September starts here (and so does the news)

^{FUNDING SPOTLIGHT}

This week’s spotlight goes to Holiwise not only for raising €1.45 million pre-seed, but because they less than a year ago they were pitching it on stage at the FutureTravel Summit. Always fun to see past pitch finalists raising and building :)

Holiwise is working on an AI-powered premium travel agent: a platform that books flights, hotels, and curated experiences in one go.

💬 “Premium travellers are underserved, often forced to choose between impersonal, self-serve booking platforms or expensive concierge services that are slow to access. Holiwise is building an AI travel agent that combines the convenience of technology with the quality of a tailored luxury experience.” said Albin Eriksson Lippe, Co-Founder and CEO.

This was an oversubscribed round, which kind of fits with their other early signals: partnerships with HBX Group and Amadeus, a user base in the tens of thousands, retention higher than 80%, and average savings of around £250 a trip. Nice traction.

But this also puts the spotlight on a bigger question we see ~everywhere~ these days: can AI really deliver the kind of trust and personalization that premium travel has always depended on humans for? 👀

OTHER DEALS 💸

🇸🇬 ZUZU Hospitality secured $5.9M in a Series B extension to expand its AI-powered RevMate platform for independent hotels. Read more

🇳🇱 Toppi landed around €1M seed funding to scale its AI tools that boost visibility for restaurants, cafés, and hotels. Read more

🇬🇧 Embargo raised $3.5M to grow its omnichannel CRM and loyalty platform, already used by 3,000 venues across Europe. Read more

🇩🇰 GRAND picked up €1.5M pre-seed to launch a new AI-powered property management system. Read more

🇬🇧 RYE closed a €1M pre-seed round to help hospitality and retail chains cut energy costs with AI forecasting and smart billing. Read more

🇦🇪 Seraya raised $1.8M to expand its design-led serviced apartments, and reach 50 properties in Dubai by year-end. Read more

🇬🇧 UnderTheDoormat secured £7M to scale its short-term rental business and tech platform. Read more