Otto, an AI-powered travel agent designed to revolutionize business travel has raised a $6 million in seed funding round led by Madrona Ventures, with participation from Direct Travel and angel investors from across the business travel industry, including Erik Blachford, former CEO of Expedia, IAC Travel and Couchsurfing; Barney Harford, former CEO of Orbitz and COO of Uber; and Hugh Crean, CEO of Operix and former CEO of Farecast (acquired by Microsoft).
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The goal of Otto is to provide a travel companion that organises, schedules, and helps you while you’re away. Otto is an intelligent agent that learns from a business traveler’s likes and preferences, from their favourite airline, particular flights, and preferred hotels to other travel data, using the newest AI models and technologies.
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Additionally, Otto will offer on-the-ground assistance in the event that plans or flights alter while travelling. Otto will interface with important service providers in the business travel sector, such as Spotnana and Direct Travel, with a focus on unmanaged business travellers—those who do not have a contracted corporate travel partner.
“The advent of AI is going to bring massive changes to the travel industry. We are excited to apply our deep understanding of the infrastructure of the travel industry to help build an AI agent for frequent business and leisure travelers who today are either scheduling their own trips or working with a trusted human executive assistant to do so,” said Steve Singh.
“We are thrilled to partner with Madrona and Steve, who bring deep expertise and experience in the travel industry and enterprise software. With a Spotnana integration and a partnership with Direct Travel, Otto is set to transform the way business travelers plan and book their trips. By providing a personalized, convenient, and smart travel assistant that understands their needs and preferences, Otto is ushering in a new era of travel,” said Gulmann.
About Otto
Otto is your AI agent for business travel. Once Otto get to know each other, I proactively plan, book, and ensure you have the perfect trip.
