Duffel raises $30 million

Duffel, the UK-based emerging travel tech startup on a mission to help others start and grow a travel business, has raised $30 million in a Series B round from Index Ventures, Benchmark Capital and Blossom Capital, bringing its total funding to date to ~$56 million.

Founded in 2017, Duffel enables travel agencies to plug in directly to airlines’ reservation systems via API so they can pull real-time flight offers, make bookings, access live seat availability and buy extra services. The startup offers an alternative to dealing with legacy airline systems by offering one universal API that connects with more than 18 airlines.

“A new breed of online agencies want to access reservation systems quickly and seamlessly. By reinventing the underwiring between online agents and airlines we can transform the world of travel booking and reduce barriers to entry for innovative new companies that are offering travelers a whole new way of creating a holiday or trip.” – Steve Domin, cofounder and CEO of Duffel.

“We are incredibly impressed by the Duffel team, who we have supported since the days of their seed funding. There is an opportunity here to transform the booking experience for travelers and ease many of the pain points in the industry. From the launch of budget airlines to sharing economy businesses like Airbnb, travel has changed and Duffel will provide the tools, built from the ground up, that make the next wave of innovation possible.” – Jan Hammer, partner at Index Ventures.

Bottom Line: Your next travel insurance partner.