Greek startup Welcome Pickups has raised a fresh €5.3 million to fuel global expansion plans. The traveltech team offers a platform that enables users to create personalized and wholesome travel experiences.
As the travel industry has well and truly bounced back following the pandemic, there are some things that have changed for good. Now, travel companies are increasingly taking tech-based approaches to travel, leveraging technology to create hyper-personalized experiences and trips. Since the pandemic, consumers have developed a taste for more tailored experiences, and now, when planning travel, we are increasingly demanding holistic, personalised experiences that have additional inbuilt value and luxury.
From the rise of personalisation across sectors to the ever-prevalent influence of social media, travel providers now have to stay ahead of the game to give consumers what they want, and cater to new demands and expectations.
Welcome Pickups, which was founded pre-pandemic in 2015, is one of the travel providers that was able to survive these challenging times and has pioneered the personalized travel experience. Now, it has secured fresh funding to expand.
Funding details
- €5.3 million raised
- Existing investors Market One Capital, Flashpoint, and Venture Friends have all participated
- This follows a year which saw a growth rate of 50%
Redefining how travellers discover new places
Born in Athens, Welcome Pickups aims to offer a holistic in-destination travel experience. Via the platform, Welcome Pickups addresses the full spectrum of traveller needs – from transfers, travel products, itineraries, things to and useful information.
It was founded with the aim to redefine travel, making it more personalized. The personalisation of travel is one of the most influential market trends, and so, it’s fair to say this company has been ahead of the curve in this aspect, operating since 2015.
Jacek Lubinski, Partner at Market One Capital: “The Welcome Pickups team went through a very difficult time during COVID, when their business came to a halt at one point. They used this time to significantly improve product performance, resulting in 2022 revenue being higher than in 2019 with a smaller team. Alex, Savvas and the entire Welcome team have shown once again the importance of determination and perseverance in building a business.”
Closing off the year with this funding, the startup can reflect upon a healthy year of growth – including a 50% growth rate and the launch of over 30 new destinations, which brings the platform’s total locations to 100 worldwide, whilst also serving over 1 million travellers.
The startup focuses on using tech to streamline and enhance processes, increasing product-led automation throughout operations. This has led to a reported 8x drop in human touch per booking.
This new funding will be used to supercharge international growth. As explained by the CEO Alex Trimis: “The additional funding will be used to accelerate the company’s geographical reach with a goal to double its destination network, focusing strongly on launching new destinations in North and South America. A portion of the funds will also go to further improving customer experience and developing new products to support the company’s mission of creating a complete, personalised, and inclusive in-destination travel experience for all.”
