In an unique replace to EU-Startups, Eindhoven-based Maps Untold, a TravelTech startup, has raised €350k in funding to formally launch its AI-powered personalised metropolis information platform in two months time.
The spherical noticed participation from Rabobank and the Leisure Ontwikkel Fonds, and the funds might be used to finish the corporate’s minimal marketable product, develop its consumer base, and validate its scalable enterprise mannequin.
“We’re utilizing this funding primarily to finalise our minimal marketable product, scale in customers and validate our enterprise mannequin additionally on scalability,” Founder Dennis van Ravenstein informed EU-Startups. “Moreover, we’re enhancing our knowledge infrastructure and algorithms to make sure complete protection throughout Europe and past.”
Based in 2021 by Dennis van Ravenstein and Gabriella Gomes Branco, Maps Untold is taking up conventional gamers like Tripadvisor by delivering hyper-personalised journey suggestions, eradicating the litter of generic ‘high 10’ lists and sometimes untrustworthy on-line evaluations.
The startup leverages AI to supply travellers with distinctive options based mostly on their tastes, pursuits and former experiences. For instance, customers reply a number of easy questions—resembling the place they prefer to have espresso or favorite previous journey spots—and the platform delivers a curated listing of hidden gems, offbeat cafés, and places not often present in mainstream journey guides.
The corporate’s advice engine attracts on thousands and thousands of information factors and integrates seamlessly with exterior digital environments together with lodge apps, tourism platforms, and reservation software program. Its know-how is obtainable freed from cost to companions, who profit from added worth and co-generated income by way of bookings and ticket gross sales.
Maps Untold’s mannequin additionally reportedly helps native economies by directing guests towards unbiased companies and lesser-known venues, aiming to encourage extra sustainable journey habits.
The most recent funding injection might be used to shine the platform forward of its upcoming official launch in roughly two months. A part of the funding can also be earmarked for infrastructure and algorithm enhancements, which is able to make sure the system can present correct and personalised suggestions throughout Europe and ultimately past.
The corporate has set formidable targets: by the top of the 12 months, it goals to exceed 250,000 month-to-month lively customers by way of integration companions and generate not less than €10k in month-to-month recurring income—key milestones to show its monetisation and development technique.
In an more and more crowded digital journey area, Maps Untold is betting that customised experiences and an anti-algorithm strategy to discovery will attraction to fashionable travellers.
As conventional guidebooks and review-driven websites battle to remain related, this younger Dutch enterprise is positioning itself as a compelling various within the evolving journey ecosystem.
