Cardiff-based travel tech startup Lovetovisit has secured £3.2m in VC funding to scale its platform for discovering and booking activities across the UK.
Since its launch in 2021, the startup has generated £7.4m in revenue, according to its twin sister co-founders Georgia and Alice Aubrey.
From theatre trips and city attractions to local events and festivals, Lovetovisit’s proprietary application programming interface (API) allows users to buy tickets in real-time at what the startup claims is the “guaranteed lowest price.”
Instead of redeeming tickets through a separate retailer or voucher, tickets are sent instantly to users over text and email.
The mobile-optimised platform uses AI to send personalised recommendations to users, helping them discover their next trip and offering interactive maps to find out what else is happening nearby.
With more than 2,700 products currently listed on the platform, the startup says that 85% of its attractions are outside London, with days out in Devon attracting more than 25,000 visitors since the start of 2024.
The investment – led by Venrex and Redrice Ventures with participation from Active Partners, Velocity Partners, and angel investors – will be used by Lovetovisit to scale operations in the UK.
Andrew Sutcliffe, partner at Redrice Ventures, highlighted that consumers are looking at ways to connect in the UK with “in-person experiences” in a post-pandemic world.
“Until now, there have been few ways for consumers to easily find such experiences,” Sutcliffe said. “Lovetovisit’s industry experience has enabled them to build a platform with an exceptional depth of supplier inventory and we are excited to support them on their journey to become the next-gen platform for things-to-do.”
The funding will also support the startup’s goal of doubling growth and inventory year-on-year for the next three years, along with developing its AI capabilities for recommendations.
Co-founder Alice Aubrey said: “Building the business and hitting these milestones alongside my sister is a dream. We each bring unique strengths to the team, but we share a passion for supporting the many amazing events, attractions and experiences in the UK to digitise and scale.
“There are so many weird, wonderful and iconic things to do in this country, we just need to make it easier for people to find, explore and book them. Our goal is to be the go-to platform for booking memorable things to do and this raise is a big step towards achieving that mission.”
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