Cardiff-based experiential travel aggregator platform, tourhub, has raised £1m to support its growth plans.

The equity investment round has been supported by Cardiff-based early stage venture capital firm, Waterspring Ventures with £450,000, alongside backing from the Development Bank of Wales with £300,000 from its Technology Seed Ventures Fund and £250,000 from its Angel Co-Fund. Cardiff-based law firm, Hugh James advised on deal, which is the second for Waterspring since its launch. Its maiden investment was into £250,000 of equity into Newport-based tech business Operati.

Tourhub’s platform makes booking multi-day adventures easy – enabling travellers to compare a range of options and prices in one place. The business is currently focusing on onboarding more touring operators, river cruise lines and expedition cruises. It is continuing to provide its technology and content to other travel agents and publishers, supporting The Times, HolidayPirates, Barrhead Travel and 200 smaller travel agents.

Currently 60% of the business is sourced from the US and Canada, with plans also in place to launch in Australia by the end of this year.

Its chief executive, Seamus Conlon, said “We set up tourhub because we could see the growth of experiential travel and cultural holidays, but there was a need to bring it all in one place for travellers. We offer everything else but the standard, traditional beach package holidays.

“With close to over 800 worldwide suppliers, we provide you with whatever you dream of, from seeing snow monkeys in the Japanese Alps, hiking around 18 national parks in America, to cycling tours across Vietnam – we have something for every type of adventure seeker, no matter what your age.”

“We know the world is consuming more and more social content each day, from TikToks, reels, shorts and stories. How people search and find holidays is changing – now they see one amazing video of someone’s trip and they want to book immediately.

“So it was important for us to make the most of that. We’ve created a community of content creators and travel gurus who showcase their adventures online and share insider knowledge, inspiring others to book with confidence.”

Sam Huxtable, founder and managing partner of Waterspring Ventures, said:“We’re delighted to be investing in tourhub. The team astutely spent the pandemic laying the foundations on the tech and operational side of the business, whilst developing existing and new relationships with big and small tour operators around the world. Numerous members of the team have also led, built and exited businesses in the travel industry previously. This collective experience was a strong attraction for Waterspring Ventures and we are excited to work together going forward.”

Waterspring has an investment remit of between £100-£500k in Enterprise Investment Scheme eligible businesses with annual revenues ranging £100,000 to £1m.