Multi-day tour packages platform Exoticca has closed a €60 million Series D round.
The investment in the Spain-based company was led by Quadrille Capital with new investors All Iron and ICF also involved as well as existing investors 14W, Mangrove, Bonsai, Sabadell and Aldea.
The company uses its technology platform to bring content from local destination specialists online, package it up with flights and accommodation into multi-day tours and enable travel agents and consumers to book it.
“While the rest of the travel industry has become digitized, the multi-day tour space has remained stagnant, with customers stuck with inconsistent, time-consuming booking experiences,” said Pere Vallès, CEO at Exoticca.
“Exoticca’s mission is to bring multi-day tour packages into the digital age, making dream trips accessible and affordable to everyone. The new funding will accelerate our vision and allow us to substantially increase our investment in technology, product and growth.”
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Speaking to PhocusWire, he added that the funding will enable Exoticca to further develop its platform and use artificial intelligence to better predict what customers want and improve personalization.
The company also wants to invest in building its brand further. Vallès said the company is focused on three markets - the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, which together account for 90% of sales.
He added that Latin America as a source market is also seen as a growth opportunity for Exoticca with it looking to replicate its model in Spanish. The company announced a €4 million finance agreement with BBVA Spark earlier this year to aid its expansion in the region.
“We have a partnership with Despegar, and we have given them the technology we have built and the product. For us, it's a strategic project because if we can prove an OTA can sell successfully sell these more complex trips online, it opens up the possibility of working with other OTAs in other parts of the world. It allows us to expand in Latin America but more importantly it creates a new distribution model for Exoticca,” he said.
Vallès shared at the Phocuswright Europe event last month that the company hopes to grow from €200 million in sales in 2023 to €300 million. He added that the company also hopes to become profitable this year and that ultimately the company wants to disrupt traditional tour operators and “be the leader in the tour operator space.”
Competitors in the space include package tours company TUI as well as other multi-day tour companies.
Alejandra Duran Gil, Partner at Quadrille Capital, said: “Exoticca is revolutionizing the travel booking experience worldwide, significantly enhancing efficiency and affordability for travelers. Exoticca’s strong financial foundation and the team’s exceptional execution are at the heart of our investment thesis.”
Exoticca raised $30 million in Series C funding three years ago.