Startup Trends: 4 travel tech companies that could benefit from summer demand

A survey commissioned through the financial advisory firm Deloitte found that 53% of American consumers plan to take a leisure vacation this summer. That’s an increase from 48% in 2024, which places this summer as one of the highest for travel since the pandemic. What’s more, consumers claim they expected to spend nearly 13% more on their vacations even amid potential economic uncertainty.¹

Those stats could bode well for the travel-tech industry, which has experienced increased consumer travel year-over-year since 2020. Four private companies listed on Forge Global could be well-positioned to benefit from this demand. These four companies have not only attracted prominent investors but are innovating in different ways to serve the travel-inclined consumer.

Hopper, scaling predictive travel tech

Montreal-based Hopper is a travel app designed to help travelers locate and compare pricing across different options for airlines, hotels, homes and car rentals. Founded in 2007, the private company has emerged as one of the most prominent mobile-first travel platforms in North America. Hopper uses pricing and other algorithms to help travelers make smarter bookings.

In April, Hopper announced a recent partnership with Frontier Airlines, which applies Hopper’s New Distribution Capability (NDC). Now live, the integration will allow the travel app’s users and business partners exclusive access to the best available fares and price bundling opportunities for Frontier.²

The Frontier partnership is just one of many in recent years for Hopper. Some of these partnerships have integrated its B2B product, Hopper Technology Solutions (HTS). Announced in 2023, the private company has been aiming to move into the corporate travel sector, providing employers with money-saving opportunities on their enterprise-related travel.³

Hopper’s last known valuation was at $5 billion as of April 28, 2025. The firm’s notable investors include Capital One, Drive Capital, The Goldman Sachs Group and Westcap.

Breeze Airways, building a profitable low-cost carrier

Founded by airline veteran David Neeleman, Breeze Airways is betting on underserved routes and operational efficiency to build a new kind of low-cost airline. Headquartered in Cottonwood Heights, Utah, the airline has rapidly grown its fleet to over 50 aircraft, largely comprised of Airbus A220s. Breeze recently announced its first-ever profitable quarter in Q4 2024, reporting more than $200 million in revenue—a milestone that underscores its disciplined growth model.⁴

The addition of new cities served by the airline has been frequent. In the last 6 months, the airline has announced over a dozen new arrival and departure locations including Key West, Fort Lauderdale, FL, Salisbury, MD, Akron-Canton, OH, Rochester, NY and Memphis, TN according to the firm’s website.⁵

Founded in 2017, the airline startup’s price per share is $540.11, which places it at a post-money valuation of $1.19 billion during its last Series B funding haul in August of 2021. The private company’s notable investors include Blackrock, Sandlot Partners, Knighthead Capital Management, and Peterson Partners.

Outdoorsy, simplifying outdoor travel

Founded in 2014, Austin-based Outdoorsy is a marketplace that provides on-demand RV rentals by connecting RV owners with consumers. The aim of Outdoorsy is to help people experience the outdoors by offering campers a selection of “stylish” Airstreams, toy haulers, fifth wheelers, Class A, B and C RVs as well as classic trailers and motorhomes. The private company also provides services to professional RV rental companies called “Wheelbase,” which provides inventory management, utilization rates and insurance.⁶

In September of 2024, the company announced a major milestone as it surpassed $3 billion in revenue from total transactions in the lifetime of the firm. At the same time, the startup announced plans to expand into the European market which the firm estimates will bring in $8 billion in total transactions by 2029.⁷

Outdoorsy’s latest price per share is $8.14 as of its latest funding round in June of 2021. This places the firm’s post-money valuation at $1.84 billion. Investors in the startup include Greenspring Associates, Altos Ventures, Monashee Investment Management and Moore Strategic Ventures.

Away, a DTC brand expanding its footprint

New York-based Away is a travel and lifestyle company that designs suitcases, bags and other travel necessities. Using polycarbonate and premium materials, Away has a goal to create products that comply with airline standards and provide travelers with durable products that are lightweight and easy to transport.

Founded in 2015, the retailer initially started out as a direct-to-consumer brand with products available for purchase online. Since that time, it has expanded its reach to include physical retail stores across 17 major cities and has broadened its product range to include pet carriers, package cubes, and travel bags according to its website.⁸ In May, the firm announced its new luggage line just for kids.⁹

The travel accessory company’s latest price per share was $11.80 as of its last funding round in May of 2019. Its post-money valuation stands at $1.41 billion. Away’s notable investors include Battery Ventures, Global Founders Capital, Wellington Management and Comcast Ventures.