The travel industry took a major blow when the pandemic hit last year, slashing revenue for airlines, hotels, and tech companies such as Expedia or Airbnb.
Despite those headwinds, Portland, Ore.-based startup TrovaTrip was able to not only survive, but convince investors to back its business.
The travel planning company on Tuesday announced a $5 million funding round led by Seattle’s PSL Ventures, with participation from Barney Harford, the former CEO of Orbitz, and Eric Breon, founder and former CEO of Vacasa. Elevate Capital and Oregon Venture Fund also invested.
Founded in 2017, TrovaTrip runs a marketplace that matches travel group hosts with travelers. The “Hosts” include content creators on social media who use TrovaTrip to generate revenue from their followers; the company lets them set their own trip prices. TrovaTrip partners with tour operators who charge a base rate…