How TravelJoy Thrived Post-Pandemic and Secured $10M in Funding

From Pandemic Challenges to $1B in Travel Bookings

In an industry hit hard by COVID-19, travel startup TravelJoy not only survived but flourished. The company, which provides specialized tools for travel entrepreneurs, now facilitates over $1 billion in annual bookings as travel demand surges post-pandemic. With fresh $10M Series A funding, TravelJoy is poised to transform the industry through AI innovation.

The Founders’ Vision: Solving Real Pain Points

Co-founders Dayo Esho (CEO) and Chris Kline (CTO) drew inspiration from Esho’s childhood experiences helping his mother’s travel agency:

• Witnessed industry inefficiencies first-hand
• Conducted 50+ travel agent interviews before development
• Identified critical pain points:
  • Over-reliance on spreadsheets
  • Outdated processes (faxing, emailing sensitive data)
  • Excessive overtime for agents

The duo previously collaborated at LiveRamp (acquired for $310M) and product discovery startup Shelf before launching TravelJoy in 2018 through NFX’s accelerator program.

TravelJoy’s Comprehensive Solution

The platform empowers travel professionals to compete with giants like Expedia by offering:

All-in-One Dashboard Features:

• CRM & messaging tools
• Integrated payment processing (via Stripe)
• Trip management system
• Proposal and itinerary creation
• Group trip coordination

Recent Strategic Integrations:

• Faye (travel insurance)
• Viator (experience marketplace)

Priced at $30/month ($25 with annual billing), the SaaS platform generates additional revenue through payment processing and future booking commissions.

Surviving the COVID Crisis

When the pandemic devastated travel in 2020, TravelJoy:

• Provided two-month credits to struggling clients
• Maintained full staff without layoffs
• Developed new tools for:
  • Trip rescheduling
  • Gift card programs to support local businesses

“We took the long view,” Esho recalls. “When GMV dropped 90%, we doubled down on serving our community.”

$10M Series A Funding and Future Plans

The recently closed funding round was led by Theresia Gouw (Acrew Capital), with participation from:

• NFX
• Founder Collective
• Forerunner
• Concrete Rose

Growth Initiatives:

• Expanding team (30 current employees, hiring across multiple departments)
• AI-powered features to enhance travel planning (details coming soon)
• Market expansion targeting 200,000+ US travel advisors

The AI-Powered Future of Travel

Esho envisions a hybrid future combining human expertise with cutting-edge technology:

“We’re helping professionals excel through curated, white-glove service enhanced by AI. It’s not about replacing humans—it’s about giving them an Iron Man suit to outperform the competition.”

As travel continues its strong rebound, TravelJoy stands at the forefront of modernizing an industry ripe for innovation.

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