In any given week, Skift offers you so much in terms of original stories, research and insights, it's easy to lose track of it all. But every Friday morning like clockwork, Skift's Travel Tech Editor Sean O'Neill delivers a roundup of funding for travel startups. A few million dollars sprinkled here, a few million invested there. It may not sound like much but the roundup is an important barometer for the travel industry. Knowing where the smart money is being spent, and the not-so-smart money, tells us a lot about the travel sectors. And sometimes it just leaves us scratching our heads over the ideas that are getting funded.
This week, for example, O'Neill highlights a company receiving funds for luggage that follows you around like an obedient Labrador. Another is a company with an app that allows you to hire beautiful people for your events. In the 18 months that O'Neill has been writing the column, he said one of his favorite, quirkier subjects was Life House, a hostel where they'll match you with guests using shared preferences, a bit like a dating app. O'Neill recently added a cheat sheet to help you understand the different levels of funding, yet another telling metric on the life cycle of these companies. The column is an important part of our robust Skift mix. We hope you make it a regular part of your Friday morning routine.
