Today TravelPerk, a fast-growing all-in-one business travel management platform, has announced the acquisition of Albatross, an early-stage API startup that offers information on post-COVID travel restrictions and local guidelines to travel applications.
Founded in 2015, Barcelona-based TravelPerk has grown to 400+ employees in 5 years, and continue to be positive about the future of the business travel sector, as seen in our interview with co-founder Avi Meir last month. Their recent acquisition Albatross was founded just earlier this year, and have built an industry-leading, developer-centric travel risk management API. So far they are the only company that can cover point-to-point travel restrictions, and have already seen significant traction within the sector. Albatross’ technology and data will be incorporated into TravelCare, TravelPerk’s existing travel risk management offering.
As societies across the world work to recover from COVID-19, international business travel is starting to reopen. However, the situation remains uncertain, with travel restrictions and guidance for travellers differing significantly across geographies and changing frequently. This leaves many travellers unsure of how to travel safely and in accordance with local rules, travel managers without the visibility and tools to respond to changes quickly, and makes it extremely difficult for companies to fulfil their duty of care obligations to employees.
TravelPerk’s expanded travel risk management offering will address these challenges and support travelers before and after they book a trip, as well as while they are travelling. Through Albatross’ developer-centric API, travel providers will be able to display information on travel restrictions in their booking flow. This includes risk advisory on COVID-19, any COVID-related restriction – including whether travel is permitted between locations and any social distancing and face mask regulations that apply – plus local emergency numbers. TravelCare also covers guidance around other potential issues, including strikes, closures and planned protests. The information is updated in real-time and, unlike traditional travel risk content, it is presented in a digestible, user-friendly format that can be easily understood by travellers.
As well as being integrated into TravelPerk’s platform, Albatross’ offering will continue to be offered as a standalone product for travel providers and end-users. The Albatross team led by founder Raphael Daverio will be joining the TravelPerk team to further develop TravelPerk’s product offering in the travel risk management space.
Avi Meir, CEO and co-founder of TravelPerk, said: “We know from our own data that businesses are starting to think about traveling again. But we also know that there is no going back to the simple world that we took for granted before COVID-19. The new normal for business travel will be more complex and much more unpredictable, as travel corridors or travel bubbles open up and close down in response to the public health situation in each country, or even in specific regions within countries.
“At TravelPerk, our focus is always on delivering the best possible traveler experience. In this new era, that means giving individuals seamless access to the very latest information on travel restrictions and health guidance; not just general information, but the exact things they need to know for the specific journey they are planning. This is exactly what the fantastic product built by Albatross makes possible. We were blown away by what Raphael and his team have built and are delighted to have them joining the TravelPerk team as part of our first ever acquisition.”
Raphael Daverio, CEO and founder of Albatross, added: “At the core, Albatross and TravelPerk share the same fundamental belief that travel applications can still create delightful, safe travel experiences for their users despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Joining forces with TravelPerk will help us accelerate our product innovation and growth globally and ultimately gets us closer to our vision of bringing disruptive travel risk management tools to businesses of every size. I am truly thrilled to start working with Avi and his fantastic team to build products that will genuinely set new standards in the travel industry.”
The new travel risk management solutions are the latest addition to TravelPerk’s growing suite of innovative products and services. It follows the launch of flexible refund product FlexiPerk in 2019; carbon offsetting product GreenPerk earlier this year; and TravelPerk’s recent partnership with International SOS to repatriate travelers stranded abroad.
via https://www.AiUpNow.com/ by contact@bcurdy.com, Khareem Sudlow
