TravelTech startup Triptease has closed a $9m Series B round led by BGF Ventures.
Existing investors Notion Capital and Episode 1 Ventures also participated in the round, which comes after the startup closed a $7m Series A last year.
The money will be used to further product development and to expand into Asia by opening a new office in Singapore.
Triptease will also seek to double its headcount in their London and New York offices.
Charlie Osmond, the founder, spoke about the company’s overall mission: “We want to shift the world to direct bookings. A direct relationship with customers reduces a hotel’s spend on middleman commissions whilst allowing them to offer cutting-edge services like mobile check-in alongside ancillary upsells.
“Savvy consumers have also started to realise hotels prefer guests who book direct. Room upgrades and special incentives have become commonplace benefits for booking direct,” he added.
The startup provides a SaaS platform to help hoteliers increase their online conversion rate and get more direct bookings by working with a hotel’s current website and booking page.
Triptease claims to be working with over 17,000 hotels, including major groups and independent hoteliers across Europe, the US and Asia Pacific.
Rory Stirling, partner at BGF Ventures, said: “We are very excited to be joining Triptease as a new investor at a time when the company is showing great growth in the markets where it has established a presence.
“Now it’s time to expand the software to Asian hotels, to make this a truly global product. With consolidation amongst online travel agencies, hotels are increasingly looking for options to help them mobilise people to their own websites and Triptease is the best in its sector,” he concluded.