AI Assistant for Pilots and Camper Van Interior Design: Travel Startup Funding Roundup

Mid September to early October was the most active time period for travel funding of the year: 13 startups raised $600 million, and then another six startups raised $500 million.

The past two weeks have been a bit quieter. Eight travel startups announced fundraises totaling nearly $40 million.

Beacon AI: $15 Million 

Beacon AI, which is developing AI systems meant to boost the performance airline pilots, has raised $15 million in series A funding.

Costanoa Ventures led the round, with backing from Scout Ventures, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and JetBlue Ventures. 

The company has now raised a total of $20 million.

The Silicon Valley-based company is developing AI-powered tools for commercial and defense pilots. The tools are Murdock, an AI-powered pilot assistant meant to help pilots with flight safety, operational efficiency, and live flight support. Its other product in development is Lighthouse, a data platform and flight management system. 

“From our start, we’ve had the goal of augmenting pilots with advanced technology that helps them perform their jobs more efficiently and safely,” said Matt Cox, CEO of Beacon AI, in a statement. “Everyone in aviation is under pressure to improve safety, and planes’ flight decks and pilots remain underserved. We are building something I wish I had in my decade as a naval aviator and 20 years as a pilot.”

The company has a full roster of beta clients in 2024 and is opening sign-ups for additional clients in 2025. 

The funding will go toward hiring, gaining new clients, and delivering the tech to commercial and defense clients.

Grounded: $3.5 Million

Grounded, which outfits camper van interiors with customizable layouts, has raised $3.5 million in pre-seed funding.

The 81 Collection and Also Capital co-led the round, with support from Side Door Ventures, Tony Lyscio (SpaceX Starlink development manager), and Tristan Walker of Walker & Company.

The Detroit-based company was founded by Sam Shapiro, a former SpaceX engineer.

Grounded has developed a manufacturing system that allows it to quickly outfit the interior of vans and commercial vehicles for dozens of uses. The system includes a growing library of “Lego-like” modules for features like beds, gear storage boxes, indoor showers, smart electronics, and Starlink internet dishes. The company says it reduces outfit times by 90%. 

The company has already generated $3 million in vehicle sales. It has initially focused in the camper van market with the G2, its flagship electric RV with a range of more than 270 miles. It plans to expand into mobile medical, mobile dental, pet grooming, logistics, and mobile refrigeration.

The funding will go toward expanding production capabilities, hiring, and entering new markets.

AviLabs: $8.7 Million

AviLabs, which helps airlines manage flight disruptions, has raised $8.7 million (€8 million). 

Frumtak Ventures led the round, with support from Brunnur Ventures.

The tech by Reykjavik-based AviLabs is meant to help airlines minimize the impact of flight delays and cancellations on travelers. The tech automates guest communication and tasks like rebooking, hotel bookings, and meal vouchers.

GlobalTix: $5 Million

GlobalTix, which offers ticketing and distribution tech for the tours and activities sector, has raised $5 million (6.5 million Singaporean dollars) in series B funding. 

Tin Men Capital led the round, with support from Seeds Capital and Orzon Ventures.

Singapore-based says its tech allows clients in the Asia-Pacific region to digitize ticketing and reservation operations. It also connects clients with travel agents worldwide, who can then sell tickets to travelers.

Clients include Mount Faber Leisure Group, Taman Safari Indonesia, Mandai Wildlife Group, and National Gallery Singapore. Partners include Singapore Airlines and many online travel agencies.

The company says it sells 12 million tickets annually. 

The funding will go toward business expansion and integrating AI into the product. 

Vouch: $2.5 Million

Vouch, a hotel tech startup, has raised $2.5 million.

Singapore-based Vouch sells software to help hotels streamline operations and customer service, including personalized upselling based on guest behavior and a multi-language AI chatbot for guests. 

The startup’s tech is used in hotels that collectively operate more than 35,000 rooms.

The funds will go toward further integrating AI into the products and expanding business. 

Jet.AI: $2.4 Million 

Jet.AI, which makes software meant to streamline bookings and operations for private jets,, has raised $2.4 million in a securities purchase agreement. 

The direct offering accounts for 26.6 million shares of common stock sold at $0.09 per share. 

Las Vegas-based Jet.AI has an app, CharterGPT, meant to allow consumers to search for private jet availability using natural language before completing the booking. The company also sells a platform to help operators with tasks including fleet logistics. 

The company went public in 2023 through a merger with a special-purpose acquisition company. 

The funds will go toward bolstering its software services. 

A.M.A Selections: $1.6 Million

A.M.A Selections, a luxury vacation rental startup, has raised $1.6 million (€1.5 million)  in seed funding. 

The funds come from Tandem Venture Capital, Sherif Invest, individual investor Nevzat Aydin, and a group of angel investors and family offices. 

The France-based startup plans to release an app next week for booking luxury vacation rentals and ticketed experiences. 

The funding will go toward expanding the portfolio and strengthening the tech product. 

Jaras Hospitality: $666,000

Jaras Hospitality, a hotel tech startup, has raised $666,000 in pre-seed funding.

Saudi Arabia-based Jaras sells software to help hotels streamline bookings, share room availability and prices with third-party booking sites, and property operations. 

The funding will go toward business growth and strengthening the product. 

Company	Stage	Lead	Raise
Beacon AI	Series A	Costanoa Ventures	$15 million
Grounded	Pre-Seed	The 81 Collection and Also Capital	$3.5 million
AviLabs	Series A	Frumtak Ventures	$8.7 million
GlobalTix	Series B	Tin Men Capital	$5 million
Vouch	Seed	Unspecified	$2.5 million
Jet.AI	Unspecified	Unspecified	$2.4 million
A.M.A Selections	Seed	Tandem Venture Capital	$1.6 million
Jaras Hospitality	Pre-Seed	Unspecified	$666,000

Skift Cheat Sheet

Seed capital is money used to start a business, often led by angel investors and friends or family.

Series A financing is typically drawn from venture capitalists. The round aims to help a startup’s founders make sure that their product is something that customers truly want to buy.

Series B financing is mainly about venture capitalist firms helping a company grow faster. These fundraising rounds can assist in recruiting skilled workers and developing cost-effective marketing.

Series C financing is ordinarily about helping a company expand, such as through acquisitions. In addition to VCs, hedge funds, investment banks, and private equity firms often participate.

Series D, E, and, beyond These mainly mature businesses and the funding round may help a company prepare to go public or be acquired. A variety of types of private investors might participate.