Spain: Directo, a Chrome extension that helps travellers find the best commission-free accommodation deals for short-term rentals and hotels, has emerged from stealth mode and announced a $1 million pre-seed round fundraise.
Having reached more than 100,000 users since its beta launch in September 2023 in Europe, the startup is coming out of stealth mode for its launch in the United States this month. French VC firm Kima Ventures, Calafia, an angel group of Global Female Tech Leaders, and travel specialist fund Derive Ventures participated in the pre-seed round alongside 26 travel industry veterans.
Founded last year, Directo’s mission is to help guests find better deals on their travel accommodation, rewarding them for booking directly without using a third-party site, while empowering property owners and hotels to have more control over their business.
In a rapidly changing online travel commerce landscape, Directo is designed to serve as a bridge, empowering businesses to reestablish direct connections with their travellers. The browser extension is a small software program that adds extra functionality to a web browser and that searches for alternative, direct deals while users browse their favourite travel sites.
As opposed to just finding the cheapest lodging available, the extension sets out to help users discover high-quality accommodations at a more affordable price.
At the time of emerging from stealth, more than 115,000 travellers from 180+ countries are currently using Directo and three million short-term rental and hotel options are available to book directly.
The startup has been launched by second-time entrepreneurs with distinct travel industry backgrounds but with a shared vision to empower travellers, property owners and hoteliers respectively: Pierre Becerril; Marina Guastavino; and Julian Toledo.
Becerril co-founded data intelligence company Transparent Intelligence in 2016 before it was later acquired by OTA Insight [now Lighthouse] in March 2022.
Guastavino possesses ten years of experience in direct-to-consumer marketing and is using her own experiences as a seasoned traveller to lead the extension’s growth.
Meanwhile, Toledo has already collaborated closely with Becerril and will use his technical expertise to help Directo navigate the intricacies of travel e-commerce, as well as innovate and adapt in a rapidly evolving landscape.
