✈️All Aboard! Uplift Raises $123 Million to Bring Flexible Payments to the Travel Industry
As it turns out, not everyone can afford to drop thousands, or even hundreds, of dollars on a vacation in one fell swoop. Luckily, thanks to Uplift, everyone can now pay for their trips in installments instead of selling their Beanie Babies collections and precious family heirlooms.
The VC world is taking notice, too. Uplift, which provides voyagers with a better way to shop, book, pay and experience travel, recently announced a $123M Series C equity financing round, led by Madrone Capital Partners, with participation from existing investors, including Ridge Ventures, Draper Nexus, Highgate Ventures, Barton Asset Management, and PAR Capital.
Ridge invested in Uplift’s seed round and spearheaded the Series A round in 2014, as we saw the company shifting the balance of power toward travel providers by transforming payments into a competitive advantage. In fact, Alex Rosen and Uplift’s CEO, Brian Barth, have been streamlining the travel industry since 2004, when extra luggage was free. Alex invested in Brian’s prior startup, SideStep, which was acquired by Kayak for $200 million. We’re honored to once again partner with Brian to realize his dreams as he continues to help thousands of people realize their own. (And, from our perspective, return founders are the best endorsement a venture capitalist can get.)
Traveling is Plane Expensive
Traveling has come a long way since the days of Planes, Trains & Automobiles, but it’s still far from smooth sailing. One universal component is still relevant as ever: affordability.
Enter Uplift, the fintech company that’s democratizing travel for adventurers with first-class dreams and sometimes economy-class budgets. By breaking traveling costs into simple, transparent, convenient chunks, wishful globetrotters who once felt rotten in Denmark are now serene as a Spanish siesta. It’s no wonder juggernaut travel brands like United Airlines, American Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, and more are punching Uplift’s ticket.
Disneyland, Ireland, Newfoundland, whatever your land of choice, give Uplift a try if you want to save time, money, and your sanity, before booking your next getaway.
Additionally, if you’re passionate about traveling and want to take your career places, Uplift is hiring!
🗺Bon voyage!
