Xola is a technology company.
Xola has raised $5.0M across 1 funding round.
Xola has raised $5.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Xola is a cloud-based booking and marketing software platform designed for tour and activity operators, enabling them to manage reservations, payments, customer relationships, operations, and growth tools in one centralized system.[1][2][3][5] It serves businesses of all sizes—from small operators to public companies—in the $135 billion global tours and activities market, solving the problem of fragmented, outdated booking processes by providing enterprise-grade tools that streamline multi-channel bookings (e.g., website, phone, in-person, OTAs like TripAdvisor and Expedia) and drive revenue through features like cart abandonment recovery, analytics, and APIs for custom integrations.[1][2][5][6] Xola's growth momentum includes 25% average year-over-year revenue growth for its customers, over 100 recent platform upgrades, a Series A funding stage with $7M raised, and 69 team members, positioning it as a scalable solution in a highly fragmented industry.[4][5][7]
Xola was founded in 2011 by Scott Zimmerman and Anush Ramani, who identified a critical gap in the tourism sector: while flights, hotels, and car rentals had embraced real-time digital booking tech, tours and activities—representing the "final pillar" of travel—lacked modern tools.[1][2][4] Based in Houston, Texas, the company (formerly StepUp Travel) emerged from this insight to deliver enterprise-caliber software to operators of all sizes, leveling the playing field for smaller businesses in a $135 billion market.[1][3] Early traction came from addressing operational complexities like multi-channel reservations and growth needs, with backing from investors like Bee Partners, leading to a Series A round and steady expansion.[4]
Xola stands out in the tours and activities software space through these key strengths:
Xola rides the wave of digital transformation in experiential travel, capitalizing on post-pandemic demand for seamless, contactless bookings in a fragmented $135 billion tours and activities market where many operators still rely on manual processes.[1][2] Its timing aligns with the explosion of OTAs, mobile commerce, and AI-driven personalization, enabling smaller providers to compete globally by integrating with platforms like Expedia and TripAdvisor while reducing operational friction.[1][5] Market forces like rising travel volumes and the need for real-time inventory in a peer-to-peer economy favor Xola, as it empowers local operators to capture direct bookings and data insights, influencing the ecosystem by modernizing distribution and fostering economic growth for underserved tourism businesses.[2][7]
Xola is poised for continued expansion as travel digitization accelerates, with potential to deepen AI features (e.g., dynamic pricing via Xolabot) and global partnerships amid rising experiential tourism.[5][7] Trends like mobile-first bookings, sustainable travel ops, and embedded fintech will shape its path, potentially evolving it into a full travel commerce platform. As the tours market scales toward $200 billion+, Xola's focus on empowering operators—from startups to enterprises—positions it to redefine efficiency in this high-growth niche, much like it did when bridging the 2011 tech gap.[1][2]
Xola has raised $5.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Xola's investors include 7BC Venture Capital, Foothill Ventures (formerly Tsingyuan Ventures), Menlo Ventures, Rubicon VC, TSVC Capital.
Xola has raised $5.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $5.0M Series A in January 2016.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1, 2016 | $5.0M Series A | 7BC Venture Capital, Foothill Ventures (formerly Tsingyuan Ventures), Menlo Ventures, Rubicon VC, TSVC Capital |