11 Travel Tech Acquisitions in 3 Months – See the List

There have already been dozens of acquisitions in the travel tech industry this year. That includes at least 11 deals in the past three months, followed by at least 15 deals earlier this year.

It’s all part of what industry leaders have said will be an active time for mergers and acquisitions. And more is coming.

Private equity firms have about $300 billion at stake, according to a report from investment bank AGC Partners earlier this year. As many tech startups grapple with a tougher financing environment, that’s a recipe for more M&A activity.

This means that these companies, and the companies supported by these companies, are looking for good deals on technology or employees.

In the deals described below, almost none of the sale price was disclosed. That often — but not always — means it was a small deal, especially when a startup is buying another company.

Juniper Group, Blackstone Growth, and Duetto (backed by GrowthCurve Capital) — all involved in the activity described below — are among the firms that have recently announced they are looking at the market for more deals.

Duetto acquired by GrowthCurve Capital

Duetto, a revenue management technology company for hotels, was acquired by private equity firm GrowthCurve Capital in late June.

San Francisco-based Duetto provides hotel companies with a software platform designed to streamline revenue management, online marketing, merchandising and data-driven analytics. Hotels can use room rate products that automatically adjust to market changes.

With the funds from the new owners, Duetto plans to accelerate its AI strategy, launch new business lines and enter new markets.

In an interview with Skift, Duetto CEO David Woolenberg said the company could grow through acquisitions if it makes sense. (See Skift’s article.)

Acquisitions of Yatra, Blackstone, TravelPerk and others

• Yatra Online, India’s largest corporate travel services provider, said in September it plans to acquire Globe All India Services for $15.3 million, a deal that will add 360 corporate clients to Yatra’s portfolio. (See Skifta article.)
• World2Meet, a unit of Spanish travel company Iberostar Group, bought a business unit from online travel agency Despegar in August. The company, called BDExperience, helps travelers organize group and private tours, airport transfers and more. Almost 600 Despegar employees, or about 13% of its workforce, joined World2Meet as part of the deal. (See Skift’s story.)
• Blackstone in August said it plans to acquire a majority stake in hotel accounting technology company M3. The company has more than 1,000 hotel operators and management companies as clients, representing more than 8,000 properties in North America. The deal is being made through Blackstone Growth, the company’s strategic equity business. (See the Skift story.)
• TravelPerk acquired Chicago-based AmTrav in June, making the U.S. the largest region by revenue for the enterprise travel tech startup. Barcelona-based TravelPerk said the deal added 1,000 new small and medium-sized business customers and doubled revenue in the U.S. The U.S. was previously TravelPerk’s second-largest market after the U.K. (See Skift’s story.)
• Lighthouse, a company that helps hotels and short-term rental companies analyze market demand, rates and SEO, bought competitor HQ Revenue in June. (See the Skift article.)

Travalyst acquires sustainability technology from Shuttered Weeva

Travalyst, the sustainable tourism nonprofit founded by Prince Harry, said Tuesday it has acquired the technology from the former Weeva.

Julie Cheetham, founder and former CEO of Weeva, joins Travalyst as COO.

The company only acquired the technology. The former Weeva employees will not join Travalyst, according to a spokesman.

London-based Travalyst is a coalition of travel companies, including Google, Booking.com, Expedia, Skyscanner and others. The organization’s model for calculating aviation emissions is the basis for estimates that its members publish online for consumers.

Weeva offered similar services to travel companies before it closed in July. The organization was funded by Oppenheimer Generations, an investment fund run by the Oppenheimer family.

Travalyst is currently working to improve its model for estimating greenhouse gas emissions from flights and plans to implement a similar model for hotels, all with the aim of informing travelers about the environmental impact of their travel.

Juniper Group Expands Travel Technology Business with Acquisition of Llee

In July, Juniper Group acquired Lleego, a software company specializing in flight management and booking.

Juniper Group, headquartered in Spain, is an operating portfolio of Vela Software, one of six divisions of Constellation Software. Juniper Group also owns software companies Juniper Travel, TPF Software, T4W, Airport Information Systems and IST Cruise Technology. In 2023, it also acquired Peakwork and Vervotech.

Juniper Group says it “continuously acquires, manages and builds” companies in industries such as travel and aviation.

Spanish company Lleego says its platform allows travel sellers to search, buy tickets, make changes and refunds.

Following the deal, the company is creating a new division called Juniper Flights by Lleego. This is a merger of Lleego’s technology with the Juniper reservation system, which the company says creates a more comprehensive flight distribution technology platform aimed at travel agencies, tour operators and other travel businesses.

Juniper said the current plan is to expand globally.

SITA acquires Asistm to expand airline operations

SITA, an airline-owned technology provider for much of the air travel industry, acquired Asistm in June to expand its operations-as-a-service business.

Danish company Asistm offers services that enable airlines to outsource their operations control centres (OCCs) that oversee air traffic, ground handling, security and facility management.

Switzerland-based SITA provides technology solutions for passenger management, baggage handling, airport technologies and more.

With access to its own OCC, SITA can now closely monitor customer interactions with the other technologies it sells, so it can use this data to better optimize its products.

“By centralizing OCC services, we help airlines manage their day-to-day or peak operations more efficiently, providing a scalable solution for all sizes,” SITA CEO David Lavorel said in a statement.

Earlier this year, SITA acquired Materna IPS, a software solution for passenger check-in at airports and airlines.

Satisfi Labs Acquires Factoreal to Power AI Chatbot

Satisfi Labs, an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot-based customer service tool, says the acquisition of Factoreal will take its product to the next level.

Florida-based Satisfi Labs offers an AI-powered chatbot to destination marketing organizations, ski resorts, ticketed event and attraction companies, entertainment venues and more.

San Francisco-based Factoreal is a marketing technology platform focused on the sports and entertainment sectors. Clients include the United Soccer League, Gwinnett Stripers, Chattanooga FC, Las Vegas Aviators, Mumbai City FC and others.

By leveraging marketing technology, Satisfi Labs can deploy personalized marketing campaigns via its chat tool, extending existing capabilities to answer questions and conduct transactions.

As announced by Satisfi Labs, the integration of Factoreal will take place within the next year.

Smartvel acquires Avuxi to enhance targeted content technology

Smartvel, a company that provides travel content products, acquired Avuxi in September to enhance its existing technology.

Madrid-based Smartvel provides travel businesses with a range of technology products they can integrate into their sites and offerings. Products include an entry document filler, destination-specific content including travel guides and trip planners, and an AI-powered tool for sharing information about events and experiences.

London-based Avuxi analyzes geotagging data from multiple online sources to discover top attractions in cities and towns, including popular attractions, restaurants and transport links. Travel retailers can integrate the product to give consumers better insights when shopping for reservations. Customers include Kayak, eDreams, Flight Centre, Priceline, Super.com, Sonder, TravelPerk and others.

In 2023, Smartvel acquired ArrivalGuides, whose previous owners included Lonely Planet.