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§ Private Profile · Seattle, WA, USA
Utrip is a technology company.
Utrip provides a data-driven personalization platform and AI recommendation engine for the travel industry. This technology combines artificial intelligence with human insights to generate customized travel itineraries. The platform builds user plans, offering curated suggestions for activities and attractions tailored to individual preferences within various destinations.
The company was founded on July 15, 2012, by Gilad Berenstein, his engineer-father Yair Berenstein, and Edan Shahar. Their insight focused on improving trip planning by leveraging intelligent systems to deliver personalized recommendations, moving beyond conventional guides to cater to each traveler's unique desires.
Utrip primarily serves individual travelers seeking efficient, personalized trip organization. Its product empowers users to complete travel planning, from destination selection to daily activity scheduling. The company’s vision is to redefine how individuals explore the world, making personalized planning accessible and intuitive for a broader audience.
Utrip has raised $5.6M across 3 funding rounds.
Utrip has raised $5.6M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Utrip is a travel technology company that develops platforms to automate travel-related tasks and create personalized itineraries using AI and integrations with global systems.[1] Originally launched as a consumer-facing AI travel planning app in 2012, it shut down around 2016 due to high costs and lack of traction; a newer entity founded in 2022 in Seoul, South Korea, focuses on B2B automation for travel agencies, including airline reservations and Global Distribution System (GDS) integrations, and has raised seed funding from Korea Investment Accelerator.[1][2]
The original Utrip served travelers by generating customized itineraries based on AI recommendations and user input, targeting individuals planning trips but struggling with limited client budgets and competition from giants like Expedia.[2] The current iteration targets travel businesses, streamlining operations to boost productivity, and operates in the growing Travel Tech sector with early momentum from seed funding amid digital transformation trends.[1]
The first Utrip emerged in 2012, founded by Gilad Berenstein, his engineer father Yair Berenstein, and Edan Shahar, who built an AI-driven platform combining artificial intelligence with user recommendations for personalized travel itineraries.[2] The idea stemmed from addressing the complexity of trip planning, gaining early buzz as a TechFlash Cup winner and raising $4 million from investors like Acorn Ventures and Tiempo Capital, plus executives from Apple and Costco.[1][2] Despite 80 clients, it faced profitability issues from high sales, marketing, and tech maintenance costs, compounded by a failed acquisition over patent conflicts with rival WayBlazer, leading to shutdown about seven weeks later around 2016.[2]
A distinct Utrip relaunched in 2022, headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, shifting to B2B automation for travel agencies with GDS integrations and custom support.[1] This version has secured seed funding but lacks public details on founders or early pivots beyond its focus on operational efficiency in travel tech.[1]
Utrip rides the Travel Tech wave, a sector with 2,715 companies enabling tech for tourists, hotels, airlines, and agencies amid post-pandemic digital shifts and AI automation demands.[1] Timing favors the 2022 version as travel rebounds, with market forces like GDS reliance and labor shortages pushing agencies toward automation—unlike the 2012 original, which predated widespread AI adoption but clashed with OTA dominance.[1][2]
It influences the ecosystem by exemplifying startup evolution: the first highlighted AI's potential in personalization before scalability hurdles; the current one contributes to B2B tools reducing manual work, potentially accelerating adoption in Asia where Seoul's hub aids regional expansion.[1] This dual story underscores Travel Tech's maturation, from consumer hype to enterprise utility.
The reborn Utrip could scale via deeper GDS partnerships and AI enhancements, capitalizing on Travel Tech's expansion as automation cuts costs for agencies facing labor crunches.[1] Trends like AI-driven personalization and Asia's travel boom will shape it, potentially evolving from seed-stage player to key integrator if it avoids the original's marketing pitfalls.[1][2]
Watch for acquisition interest or follow-on funding, as its B2B pivot positions it better in a market where efficiency trumps consumer novelty—echoing how early failures pave refined successes in tech.
Utrip has raised $5.6M across 3 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $4.0M Series A in February 2017.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 1, 2017 | $4M Series A | — | Pioneer Square Labs, SWAN Venture Fund, Unlock Venture Partners, Charlie Songhurst, Gary Rubens, Jeffrey Wilke, Paul Stahura, Rudy Gadre, Carla Murray, Craig Schafer, Gary Wipfler, H. S. Wright III, KEN Alterman, Neal Dempsey, Richard Galanti, Acorn Ventures, Plug And Play, Tiempo Capital, W&W Capital | Announced |
| Dec 1, 2014 | $850K Seed | — | Pioneer Square Labs, Unlock Venture Partners, Charlie Songhurst, Gary Rubens, Jeffrey Wilke, Paul Stahura, Rudy Gadre | Announced |
| Apr 1, 2014 | $750K Seed | — | SWAN Venture Fund, Richard Galanti, Felix Anthony, CB Alliance | Announced |
Utrip has raised $5.6M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Utrip's investors include Pioneer Square Labs, Swan Venture Fund, Unlock Venture Partners, Charlie Songhurst, Gary Rubens, Jeffrey Wilke, Paul Stahura, Rudy Gadre, Carla Murray, Craig Schafer, Gary Wipfler, H. S. Wright III.