Latest news with #Tern
Travel Weekly
2 days ago
- Business
- Travel Weekly
Tern acquires freelancer marketplace Lucia
Travel advisor technology platform Tern has acquired Lucia, a freelancer marketplace designed for the travel industry, for an undisclosed price. Lucia is a place where travel advisors can post services they need help with. Lucia's team, including CEO and founder Grace Van Hollebeke, will join Tern. Van Hollebeke takes on the role of head of marketing and services. Tern is headed by cofounder and CEO David Shull. Trade Secrets podcast: A spotlight on Tern and Lucia For users of Lucia, Van Hollebeke said, it will be "business as usual, even down to the name." Now known as Lucia by Tern, the day-to-day operations will remain the same with the team and platform migrating to Tern. "Hopefully, it's not always going to be business as usual. Hopefully we'll keep making improvements and adjustments as we always want to be," she said. Shull and Van Hollebeke met at Virtuoso Travel Week in 2023. They stayed loosely in touch, but reconnected earlier this year at the Las Vegas Travel Agent Forum, Shull said. That's when they said they realized how well their products meshed. Tern was in the process of closing on $17 million in funding. "We were thinking about, how do we become the holistic platform for travel advisors?" Shull said. A week later, he texted Van Hollebeke about a potential acquisition. "From Lucia's perspective, it was the idea of working with someone we really respected," Van Hollebeke said. "But also, we knew that they were closing on this funding and would have a tremendous amount of resources behind them. The mission of Lucia has always been to promote and support these small businesses, so the idea of doing it with them just seemed really exciting." Shull said both companies are built to support small businesses. "What is really special about this is we can now offer both the great technology as well as this network of service providers that are trained in the travel industry that know how to deliver this type of service -- whether it's marketing or destination guides or migrating data -- in a really cool way," he said. Over time, Shull said he hopes to use the scale of Tern to lower the costs of using the Lucia copilot network. (Lucia calls its freelancers "copilots".). Additionally, a four-part certification will launch next week for copilots interested in becoming Tern Certified CoPilots. "Combining the tech platform with the services layer is going to mean that if you're a Tern advisor, you are just set up to be so much more efficient as a business owner," Shull said.
Travel Weekly
16-05-2025
- Business
- Travel Weekly
Travel agency platform Tern secures $13 million in Series A funding
Technology platform Tern said it has raised $13 million in Series A funding led by Viewpoint Ventures and Haystack VC, with continued participation from Upfront Ventures, which previously contributed an unannounced $4 million. The Tern platform, in use by more than 5,000 advisors and more than 1,000 travel agencies, has customer relationship management (CRM) capabilities as well as proposal, itinerary, payment and communication management. This month, Tern introduced a number of new features, including agentic AI to import content from any source; one-click invoicing; AI destination guides and packing lists; custom branding; forms; trip activity view; and activity template folders. "We built Tern to eliminate the invisible work that slows advisors down -- the quoting, the copy-pasting, the tool-switching," CEO David Shull said. "This funding gives us the ability to move faster and go deeper, so advisors can spend less time in tools and more time with clients." The company will use its latest round of investment to deepen its use of AI, expand payment capabilities, strengthen its tools, launch seven-day support availability and invest in its onboarding process and education. "Travel advisors have been overlooked and underserved by technology for years," said Nick Kim, a partner at Upfront Ventures. "We backed Tern because we learned how important advisors are in travel. Rather than cut out advisors, Tern celebrates them, and we are all-in on their vision to build the best platform in the world for these critical decision-makers."
Forbes
23-04-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Tern Orox Review: A Rugged Electric Bike That Could Replace Your Car
Electric cargo bikes have dramatically changed the way people get around. They make it easier to ditch the car for school drop-offs, errand-running and even working out. As part of our ongoing electric bike testing, I spent time on the Tern Orox and came away convinced it's one of the most capable options out there. It takes every cargo bike metric and amplifies it, from cargo capacity to range to all-terrain tires. That level of performance comes at a high cost, but if you're in a two-car household, it just might be enough to replace one of them. To test this beast of an e-bike, I took it all over town to grab groceries, drop off donations, meet up with friends and stay active. Along the way, I sought out paved roads, gravel trails, patches of snow and the occasional construction zone. I strapped stuff to the bike's racks, packed it with supplies and even found a willing adult to sit on the back and hang on for dear life. Results revealed the Orox can do almost anything, but, like any e-bike, it has its limitations. Read on for more of my thoughts, and decide if it meets your needs. Class: 1/3 | Weight: 81.8 pounds (462-pound max load) | Range: 100 miles (single battery); 200 miles (dual battery) | Motor: Bosch Performance CX 725 watts hub | Shifter: 12 speeds | Tires: Schwalbe 27.5 x 4-inch Johnny Watts | Warranty: 5 years (frame, handlebars, fork) Best for: Skip if: At its core, a cargo bike is designed to haul cargo, but some bikes can carry more than others. For its part, the Orox has a weight capacity of 462 pounds on the road and almost 400 pounds on the trail, which makes it one of the most capable e-bikes in its class. To manage the load, Tern outfits the bike with a long rear rack that measures nearly 26 inches in length—more than enough real estate to carry an assortment of goods. With a few bungee cords, I had no problem strapping down a loaded duffel, a small basket and other miscellaneous gear. Of course, a rack has its limitations—you can't really use it to secure groceries or smaller goods unless you get creative. But that's where Tern's vast library of accessories comes into play. Equip the rack with a set of 72-liter panniers, and suddenly you can carry almost anything (including those groceries). I paired the panniers with a set of stow decks that support the bags from underneath to keep them in place, and they double as footrests for rear passengers. Though these attachments add to the total cost, they're essential for a bike like this—I wouldn't find it nearly as useful without them. With that said, the weight adds up quickly, and it takes a toll on performance. Fully loaded, the bike often weighs more than 100 pounds, which meant I had to work pretty hard to climb steep grades around town even when the battery was topped out in 'Turbo' mode. For the ultimate load test, I asked a small adult (just over 100 pounds) to sit on the back as I gained speed toward a hill, and the bike couldn't make it to the top. To be sure, this is testing the motor's true limits, but I would hesitate to pedal deep into the backcountry, where hills and obstacles abound, fully loaded with gear. But for most around-town scenarios and light trail work, the bike can and will haul a lot without breaking a sweat. Electric bikes are only as reliable as the batteries that propel them, and the Orox comes out swinging with an estimated range of 100 miles on a single battery. But much like a car company reports fuel economy figures based on ideal driving conditions, it's unlikely that you'll see these same numbers. Realistically, I was getting around 60 to 75 miles on a charge, and that was only if I stuck to flat terrain in 'Eco' mode. As soon as I loaded the bike with gear, climbed hills and shifted between battery modes, the range took a hit, though it never really dipped below 50 miles. Plus, the Kiox display made it really easy to sort through stats, so it was never a mystery as to when I'd run out of battery. If you need additional range, the Orox does have room for a secondary battery in the frame bag. According to Tern, two batteries should boost the total range to a whopping 200 miles, but again, consider the riding conditions. The S12 model I rode didn't come with a secondary battery, but it's nice to have if you head into the backcountry for a big adventure or take the bike away for a long weekend. Attaching a battery to a bike turns it into a computer, and to control it, Tern outfits the Orox with a Bosch Kiox head unit and the Bosch Flow app. This was my first time using the Kiox interface, and I picked it up quickly. A set of left-right toggles on the handlebar allow you to breeze through metrics and settings, while up-down toggles change the battery mode. The LED display is colorful, crisp and easy to read in direct sunlight. From there, I downloaded the Bosch Flow app and registered my bike for additional features. I didn't spend much time in the app, but I did use it to deactivate the motor and 'lock' the bike when it was parked in a public place (though the wheels still move, so you'll want to invest in a true bike lock for added security). I also used the app to load turn-by-turn directions onto the display, though if I missed a turn, directions couldn't update to redirect me, and the map interface just felt clunky. If you want to make the most of the app and its navigation features, I recommend using a reliable phone mount. Beyond the Kiox display and phone integration, you'll find a button for the 700-lumen headlight (which also turns on the G-sensed brake light) and an additional button for high beams. I had no issue seeing (and being seen) on night rides. This bike is truly massive in every measurable proportion, so you'll need to consider how much space you have. I couldn't turn it around in my small garage, which forced me to awkwardly back it out for every ride. It's possible to store the bike upright on its rear rack, but no matter how you park it, the front wheel always turns to one side and takes up more space. Beyond at-home storage, the Orox didn't fit in my SUV, and it's too heavy for most bike racks. If you want to take it somewhere, you'll need either a truck (the Orox measures nearly 8 feet long) or a hitch rack rated for e-bikes. Speaking of parking, this bike uses a center kickstand that slaps against the frame over any moderate bump. It took me a few rides to get used to the sound, but from what I can gather, it's a common problem with these types of stands. They're loose enough to easily deploy, but that also means they can rattle. E-bikes are illegal on singletrack where I live (Central Oregon), and the state of Oregon only allows them on trails open to off-road motor vehicle use. Laws vary from state to state and town to town, but e-bikes are typically banned from using singletrack. Something to consider if you need trail access or live in a town with trail networks. The Orox is one of those e-bikes that blurs the lines between a car and a bike, in a good way. It's capable, thanks to a generous weight capacity, storage options and strong range, and the interface is easy to use for day-to-day riding. I found myself breaking out the bike for any trip around town and didn't really rely on my car. In fact, I kind of forgot about my car altogether. Granted, this bike is big. You'll need space to store it, and even then, it's not easy to maneuver. It's also not cheap, especially when you factor in the accessories that unlock its full potential, like the front rack, panniers and stow decks. But if you're ready to invest in a car alternative—and maybe even ditch your second vehicle altogether—this is one of the few bikes that can actually make that happen. It's for a certain kind of rider, but if that rider is you, it's worth it.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
FORMER U.S. DOT LEADER JOINS TERN TO ADVANCE ITS AI-POWERED GPS ALTERNATIVE
Diana Furchtgott-Roth Appointed to Advisory Board Amid Rising Global Pressures to Accelerate Satellite-Free Navigation Technology AUSTIN, Texas, April 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Tern, the developer of the AI-powered navigation IDPS™ (Independently Derived Positioning System), announced today that Diana Furchtgott-Roth, a nationally recognized transportation economist and former Deputy Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), has joined its Advisory Board. A long-time advocate for resilient and scalable alternatives to satellite-based positioning, Furchtgott-Roth brings decades of expertise at the intersection of transportation policy, infrastructure, and innovation. Her work at the DOT included leading national efforts to evaluate Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) technologies in response to increasing threats to GPS from outages, spoofing, and satellite vulnerability. "Diana brings unmatched credibility and clarity on the urgent need for a GPS alternative," said Shaun Moore, Tern CEO and Co-Founder. "Her leadership will be instrumental as we expand IDPS™ across commercial automotive , fleet, defense, and infrastructure sectors." Her appointment comes at a time of escalating geopolitical pressure. U.S.-China relations are under renewed strain, not just economically through rising tariffs, but geopolitically as tensions deepen across the Indo-Pacific. These pressures underscore the vulnerability of U.S. infrastructure that remains critically dependent on satellite-based systems. As trade frictions grow, so does the likelihood of adversarial disruption, making it imperative to accelerate deployment of resilient, non-satellite-based navigation solutions. Furchtgott-Roth underscored this in The Daily Telegraph recently, writing, "Disruptions would pose an immense economic and national security threat, costing trillions of dollars daily, dwarfing any market disruptions from tariffs." She continued, "The global cost of GPS interference is too high for world governments to wait for it to fail. This is an area where like-minded governments can and should work together to develop reliable back-ups, both for economic and military security." Tern's IDPS™ uses vehicle sensors and AI to provide uninterrupted, high-accuracy navigation without GPS, GNSS, or cellular signals. The company recently completed successful testing with the Volpe Research Center, through a US Department of Transportation contract, including the first known "cold start" demonstration, accurately initializing position without any prior knowledge or external signal, a milestone long thought to be out of reach. "Tern's approach flips the model," added Moore. "Rather than patching legacy systems, we're building a new foundation for navigation that's intelligent, resilient, and ready to scale." Learn more and request a test drive of IDPS™. Media Contact: Julie Andersen | jandersen@ ABOUT TERN: Tern's patented, award-winning Independently Derived Positioning System (IDPS™) redefines navigation by using proprietary AI to interpret real-time map and sensor data, enabling precise vehicle positioning without relying on satellites. Seamlessly integrating into OEM platforms, commercial fleets, and defense systems, IDPS™ delivers unmatched reliability and safety, even in GPS-denied environments. Founded by a team of elite navigators and AI pioneers, Tern is setting the new standard for positioning technology. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Tern Sign in to access your portfolio
Mid East Info
13-03-2025
- Business
- Mid East Info
Revolutionizing rent: Tern Rewards unveils the UAE's first digital rental payment and rewards platform
Tenants can now pay for rent using their credit card, earn loyalty points and get rewarded for their biggest annual expense Landlords/ Property Managers can manage their portfolios more seamlessly and get paid on time Tern Rewards is completely free to use (no credit card charges or reward fees for either tenant or landlords/ property managers) Tern Rewards is backed by leading FinTech investors, including VentureSouq (VSQ)—a MENA-based VC fund, and BYLD leading FinTech investors, including VentureSouq (VSQ)—a MENA-based VC fund, and BYLD Incubated under REES program of Dubai Land Department as both entities are aligned in their mission of digitizing services and payments for seamless customer experience Dubai, UAE, 13 March 2025-In a game-changing development for the UAE's real estate market, Tern Rewards has launched an innovative digital rental payment and rewards platform that allows tenants to pay their rent seamlessly via credit card while earning double the rewards. By merging financial flexibility with cutting-edge technology, the platform redefines how tenants and landlords interact, offering a hassle-free, smarter, and more rewarding approach to rent payments. The free to use rental payment platform allows tenants to pay their rent via credit card and in return earning both their credit card points and Tern points that can be redeemed at a diverse group of leading merchants. These merchants include Amazon, Noon, iTunes, Netflix, Centrepoint, VOX Cinemas, du, Etisalat, Carrefour, and Yas Waterworld amongst many more leading brands. Beyond rewarding tenants, the Tern Rewards platform empowers landlords with a seamless, cost-free tool to efficiently monitor and manage their portfolios. By bridging innovation and convenience, Tern is revolutionizing the rental landscape—making renting more rewarding for everyone. The innovative platform, which falls under DLD's Real Estate Evolution Space Initiative (REES), has successfully closed its pre-seed funding round, securing $1.5 million, and has already onboarded a group of major landlords into the Tern Alliance, an exclusive network that is currently accepting applications from all landlords and property managers (even individual landlords). Said Al Sayyed, Co-Founder: 'Rent and the way we pay it hasn't changed in decades. At Tern, we are redefining the rental experience by turning the largest single expense into rewarding opportunities. This model has been successful in other markets and its definitely the future of renting everywhere. It's no surprise that we have seen massive momentum from partners and landlords/ property managers since launch and estimate to take over the majority of rent payments in UAE in the next few years' Mohammad Shaitou Co-Founder: 'The shift to digital rental payments perfectly aligns with the UAE's strategic vision to advance modern payment solutions and drive digital innovation across key sectors. It also supports the UAE Digital Government Strategy, which seeks to integrate digital transformation across all government initiatives, fostering a seamless, tech-driven ecosystem.' Tern Rewards secured investment from highly strategic industry leaders, chief executives of real estate companies and property management companies, leveraging from their expertise and deep-rooted experience in the real estate and leasing sectors. This not only strengthens confidence in the Tern Rewards platform but also accelerates our vision of revolutionising rental payments through digital innovation and strategic partnerships. Tern Rewards is venture backed by leading FinTech investors, including VentureSouq (VSQ)—a MENA-based venture capital fund manager with a global portfolio—and BYLD, an institutional venture capital firm specialising in early-stage technology investments across the Middle East and Africa. For those interested in discovering how Tern is revolutionising the rental payment experience and unlocking new benefits for both tenants and landlords, visit Tern Rewards to learn more at
