logo
Stokes-backed travel platform Unravel takes off with £5m funding

Stokes-backed travel platform Unravel takes off with £5m funding

Sky News02-04-2025

An online travel content platform backed by a fund which counts the England Test cricket captain Ben Stokes among its investors will this week unveil a $7m (£5.4m) funding injection.
Sky News understands that Unravel, which combines TikTok-style video content with an artificial intelligence-powered booking assistant to enhance users' experience, will announce the Series A round on Thursday.
Led by Nauta, a European business-to-business software investor, it includes participation from Slingshot Ventures, which is partly financed by Kees Koolen, the former chairman and CEO of Booking.com.
Unravel partners with travel influencers to identify distinctive overseas experiences, and says it facilitates transactions within banking apps, airline loyalty programmes and digital marketplaces.
"The way people discover travel has changed," Vijay Anand, CEO and co-founder of Unravel, said.
"They don't sift through endless search results--they get inspired by creators who are exploring the world and sharing their experiences.
"Unravel bridges that gap, turning creator-shot videos into seamless, AI-powered booking experiences."
Other investors in the round include Antler, Brook Bay Capital and The Players Fund, whose other backers include the Indian cricketer KL Rahul and Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, the British Olympic heptathlon champion.
OIivier Bisserier, another senior former Booking.com executive, is also investing in Unravel, according to the company.
"The rise of TikTok has had a massive influence on the way people experience content on mobile," said Carles Ferrer, a general partner at Nauta.
"That change has happened in parallel with banks, insurers and telcos adding travel to their list of perks or products offered to customers.
"Unravel has combined both of these market changes, with the addition of an AI booking assistant, to produce an incredibly popular white-label solution for customers looking to add new revenue streams."
The company said the new capital would be used to enhance its AI capabilities to optimize video-commerce conversions and expand its London-based workforce.
Nauta's investment portfolio has included companies such as Brandwatch, Techspert and AppFollow.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

The London Underground is running vintage 1930s trains on one of its top lines next month
The London Underground is running vintage 1930s trains on one of its top lines next month

The Sun

time14 minutes ago

  • The Sun

The London Underground is running vintage 1930s trains on one of its top lines next month

YOU can ride on a vintage 1930s tube on the London Underground next month. Dating back 160 years, the London Underground is the oldest transport system of its kind in the world. 4 4 4 And whilst the Piccadilly line is due to get new trains, the London Transport Museum is first allowing people to ride on an art deco Underground train from 1938. The restored heritage train will be running along the Piccadilly line from Friday, July 11 to Sunday, July 13. However, you won't be paying the normal tube fare. Riders will need to buy a ticket in advance, with prices varying according to each day. On Friday, the train will take passengers on a return journey from Northfields and around the Heathrow loop via Terminal 4. There will be four services throughout the day and a 'gold ticket' for the front carriage is £30 per adult and £20 for kids. Bronze tickets costs £25 per adult and £15 per child. On the Saturday, there will be three 90-minute return journeys from Acton Town to Uxbridge. Tickets for these rides will cost £27.50 if you want to sit in the front or back carriages or £17.50 for children. The rest of the carriages will cost £25 per adult and £15 for children. Huge new £1.3billion redevelopment to create new 'cultural hub' in London On the final day - Sunday - riders can hop on for one of two one-way journeys from Ealing Broadway to Cockfosters for £30 in the gold car, or £20 for children. Or £25 for the bronze cars (£15 for children). Tickets can be booked on the London Transport Museums' website. According to Transport for London, the Piccadilly line opened as the Great Northern, Piccadilly & Brompton Railway on 15 December 1906. Originally, it ran between Finsbury Park and Hammersmith and the line remained much the same until the 1930s when it expanded rapidly, incorporating stations which are now regarded as classic examples of period architecture. A £100milllion beachfront attraction with indoor gardens and pools is also set to transform a seaside town. Plus, an up-and-coming city has revealed a major new attraction opening in 2026 – with links to Hollywood. 4

FA Cup winners Crystal Palace face anxious wait to discover Europa League fate
FA Cup winners Crystal Palace face anxious wait to discover Europa League fate

Rhyl Journal

time18 minutes ago

  • Rhyl Journal

FA Cup winners Crystal Palace face anxious wait to discover Europa League fate

Palace held a meeting with UEFA officials last Tuesday to plead their case to be allowed to play in Europe for the first time. Oliver Glasner's team clinched a Europa League spot after they stunned Manchester City to win the FA Cup at Wembley last month – the first major trophy in the club's history. 😏 — Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) May 19, 2025 However, talk of a European adventure has proved slightly premature, with Palace required to meet with UEFA's club financial control body (CFCB) to show they do not fall foul of its multi-club ownership rules. John Textor holds a 43 per cent stake in Palace through his company Eagle Football, while he is also the owner of French club Lyon, who qualified for the Europa League with a sixth-placed Ligue 1 finish. After Tuesday's meeting, the CFCB is not expected to make a decision until the end of June, PA understands. No individual is allowed to have a significant say in the running of two clubs competing in the same UEFA competition and the CFCB would have to make a ruling on any potential breach. PA understands Palace are confident no rules have been breached owing to the fact Textor – through Eagle Football – has only a 25 per cent share of voting rights alongside fellow principal owners Josh Harris, David Blitzer and chairman Steve Parish. Parish is also responsible for the day-to-day running of the club, which has led to past tension with Textor, who had previously tried to sell his shares and take over Everton. A post shared by UEFA Europa League (@europaleague) Given Palace believe they have no influence over Lyon and Eagle Football does not have decision-making powers at the Premier League outfit because of the voting structure, the club are hopeful of being able to compete in Europe. If Palace fail to convince the CFCB, Lyon would keep their Europa League spot due to a higher league finish. Meanwhile, Brondby, who Blitzer owns, qualified for the Europa Conference League, which prevents the south London club from dropping into that competition. Palace announced their retained list on Monday, with long-serving duo Joel Ward and Jeffrey Schlupp set to officially leave on June 30. Their departures had been announced last month. A number of academy players are also due to depart, including Eberechi Eze's younger brother Chimaechi Eze.

Spending review is ‘settled', says Downing Street
Spending review is ‘settled', says Downing Street

Rhyl Journal

time19 minutes ago

  • Rhyl Journal

Spending review is ‘settled', says Downing Street

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to announce funding increases for the NHS, schools and defence along with a number of infrastructure projects on Wednesday, as she shares out some £113 billion freed up by looser borrowing rules. But other areas could face cuts as she seeks to balance manifesto commitments with more recent pledges, such as a hike in defence spending, while meeting her fiscal rules that promise to match day-to-day spending with revenues. On Monday morning, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper was the last minister still to reach a deal with the Treasury, with reports suggesting greater police spending would mean a squeeze on other areas of her department's budget. Speaking to reporters on Monday afternoon, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'The spending review is settled, we will be focused on investing in Britain's renewal so that all working people are better off. 'The first job of the Government was to stabilise the British economy and the public finances, and now we move into a new chapter to deliver the promise and change.' The Government has committed to spend 2.5% of gross domestic product on defence from April 2027, with a goal of increasing that to 3% over the next parliament – a timetable which could stretch to 2034. Ms Reeves' plans will also include an £86 billion package for science and technology research and development. Last week the Chancellor admitted that she had been forced to turn down requests for funding for projects she would have wanted to back, amid the Whitehall spending wrangling. Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan's office is concerned that Wednesday's announcement will include no new funding or projects for London. The mayor had been looking to secure extensions to the Docklands Light Railway and Bakerloo line on the Underground, along with the power to introduce a tourist levy and a substantial increase in funding for the Metropolitan Police. A source close to the mayor said on Monday that ministers 'must not return to the damaging, anti-London approach of the last government', adding this would harm both London's public services and 'jobs and growth across the country'. They said: 'Sadiq will always stand up for London and has been clear it would be unacceptable if there are no major infrastructure projects for London announced in the spending review and the Met doesn't get the funding it needs. 'We need backing for London as a global city that's pro-business, safe and well-connected.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store