HBX Group is touting its latest acquisition to drive growth in travel experiences. Economics suggests this is actually about automation.
The travel tech company said on Wednesday it agreed to pay 3 million euros ($3.2 million) to artificial intelligence startup Bridgify, whose software matches more than 1 million curated experiences to individual traveler profiles. Most payments are deferred and contingent on performance. Bridgify CEO Amit Shamni has raised about $300,000 in funding, according to Crunchbase.
HBX plans to apply matching technology to all of its products, not just tours and activities. The Spanish company, whose flagship brand is Hotelbeds, has been pushing inventory from hotel rooms to airlines, loyalty programs and online travel agencies for years.