Acai Travel Raises €3.7M to Revolutionize Travel Operations with AI-Driven Solutions

Barcelona and New York-based startup Acai Travel secures funding to optimize travel industry efficiency with cutting-edge AI tools
Barcelona, Spain / New York, USA – Acai Travel, an innovative AI-powered software platform designed to transform travel operations, has announced the close of a €3.7 million ($4 million USD) seed funding round. Led by Nauta Capital, with additional backing from DraperB1 and previous investor One Travel Ventures, the investment aims to support Acai Travel’s mission of enhancing operational efficiency across the travel sector.
Jordi Viñas, General Partner at Nauta, highlighted the challenges facing the industry post-COVID-19, stating, “The pandemic severely disrupted demand and led to widespread attrition among trained travel agents. As the industry rebounds, companies face ongoing struggles with operational efficiency and profitability. Acai Travel’s platform leverages LLM technologies and industry-specific expertise to streamline workflows, enabling untrained agents to work more effectively and providing travel companies with flexible, cost-effective staffing solutions.”
Acai Travel was co-founded in 2023 by Riccardo Vittoria, former head of AI at American Express Global Business Travel (AMEX GBT), and Henry Chen Weinstein, a seasoned investor in travel technology. The founders previously collaborated on 30SecondsToFly, a pioneering travel tech startup acquired by AMEX GBT. Building on their combined expertise, Vittoria and Weinstein have set out to tackle the travel industry’s complex and often outdated operational challenges with Acai Travel’s advanced AI platform.
“Acai is modernizing travel operations with fast, user-friendly tools that allow agents to focus on delivering exceptional travel experiences,” said Riccardo Vittoria, co-founder and CEO of Acai Travel. “It’s a significant achievement to secure support from investors who understand the sector’s challenges and are committed to helping us solve them.”
Modernizing Travel Management with AI Solutions
Acai Travel’s platform is designed to address rising operational demands within travel agencies, airlines, management companies, and hotels. Outdated tools, complex systems, and a shortage of qualified agents have placed enormous pressure on the travel sector, and Acai Travel’s suite of AI-driven tools is a direct response to these pain points.
The platform offers a variety of powerful tools, including:
- AI Helpers: Instantly retrieve policy information, such as fare rules and cancellation policies.
- GDS Overlay: Translates complex travel industry jargon into plain language for easier interpretation.
- AI Translation: Enables agents to communicate with customers in multiple languages seamlessly.
- Intelligent Routing: Matches customers with the most appropriate agents based on specific needs.
By harnessing these tools, large travel agencies can cut operational costs by up to 50% without compromising service quality. For instance, Intelligent Routing and AI Translation features enable agents from cost-effective regions to serve clients in any language, even if they are not specifically trained in complex travel systems.
Furthermore, Acai Travel offers travel companies valuable insights into customer preferences and behavior, allowing them to enhance service offerings and stay ahead of industry trends. This data-driven approach facilitates cost optimization and positions businesses to respond proactively to shifting market demands.
Scaling Operations with Seed Funding
With its newly secured capital, Acai Travel intends to enhance its platform’s capabilities, double agent efficiency, optimize call center operations, and elevate the overall travel experience for customers. “In just four months, we have already reduced average handling times by 20% for one of our Travel Management Company (TMC) clients on a single account,” said Henry Chen Weinstein, co-founder and Executive Chairman of Acai Travel. “As we roll out the full suite of features, we anticipate achieving up to 70% in cost reductions, which could be transformative for the industry.”
Acai Travel’s client roster includes major travel brands such as Kiwi.com, lastminute.com, World Travel Inc., and Goway, underscoring its potential to reshape operations across the travel ecosystem.
About Acai Travel
Founded in 2023, Acai Travel leverages advanced AI to streamline and modernize travel operations, enhancing efficiency and reducing costs for travel agents and agencies. Co-founded by Riccardo Vittoria and Henry Chen Weinstein, the company’s mission is to empower travel companies with AI-driven tools that simplify processes and improve service quality, positioning Acai Travel as a leader in travel tech innovation.