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Type of site | Corporate travel SaaS |
---|---|
Available in | English |
Created by |
Paul M. English Bill O'Donnell |
URL |
lola |
Commercial | Yes |
Registration | Required |
Launched | July 6, 2015 |
Current status | Offline |
Lola.com is a software as a service (SaaS) company based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is best known for developing corporate travel management and expense software for web browsers, the App Store and Google Play. [1] The company was founded in 2015 by former Kayak.com executives, Paul M. English and Bill O'Donnell. [2] [3]
The website operates under a travel agency model for hotel and flight search information as well as booking services for businesses. It also has administrative analytics on employee travel and associated costs. [4] Lola has received more than $80 million in funding since its foundation. [5]
In July 2015, Blade, a Boston-based incubator, began focusing on a single startup. By December, English announced that Lola had emerged from stealth mode. The company's name was derived from a combination of the words "latitude" and "longitude". [6]
It acquired HopOn, a travel booking company, in 2015 and Room77, a hotel metasearch website, in 2016. [7] [8] The company launched an iOS application in April 2016 where users chatted with human travel agents. [9] That same month, it completed a $20 million Series A funding round led by General Catalyst and Accel. [10]
The company had more than $44 million in total funding after a December 2016 Series B round led by Charles River Ventures. [5] GV and Tenaya Capital each invested $5 million in the round, while previous investors General Catalyst and Accel also participated. [5] In July 2017, Lola had its second major release on iOS and the Android operating system. This iteration of the application focused on business travel by adding self-service hotel and flight booking and personalized travel recommendations. [11]
In July 2018, English announced he would assume the role of chief technology officer at Lola, with Mike Volpe, the chief marketing officer at Cybereason, becoming the company's chief executive officer. [12] Lola announced a five-year exclusive partnership with American Express Global Business Travel in November 2018 to sell its travel management software. [13]
In March 2019, the company announced a $37 million Series C round led by General Catalyst and Accel. [14] The round also included participation from all previous investors – Charles River Ventures, GV, and Tenaya Capital. [14]
In February 2021, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism, the company pivoted to developing software for the financial technology industry. [15]
Lola ceased operations in September 2021 according to a notice on its website citing "new things to come" for the company. [16] In October 2021, it was announced that Capital One was acquiring Lola. [17]
![]() | |
Type of site | Corporate travel SaaS |
---|---|
Available in | English |
Created by |
Paul M. English Bill O'Donnell |
URL |
lola |
Commercial | Yes |
Registration | Required |
Launched | July 6, 2015 |
Current status | Offline |
Lola.com is a software as a service (SaaS) company based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is best known for developing corporate travel management and expense software for web browsers, the App Store and Google Play. [1] The company was founded in 2015 by former Kayak.com executives, Paul M. English and Bill O'Donnell. [2] [3]
The website operates under a travel agency model for hotel and flight search information as well as booking services for businesses. It also has administrative analytics on employee travel and associated costs. [4] Lola has received more than $80 million in funding since its foundation. [5]
In July 2015, Blade, a Boston-based incubator, began focusing on a single startup. By December, English announced that Lola had emerged from stealth mode. The company's name was derived from a combination of the words "latitude" and "longitude". [6]
It acquired HopOn, a travel booking company, in 2015 and Room77, a hotel metasearch website, in 2016. [7] [8] The company launched an iOS application in April 2016 where users chatted with human travel agents. [9] That same month, it completed a $20 million Series A funding round led by General Catalyst and Accel. [10]
The company had more than $44 million in total funding after a December 2016 Series B round led by Charles River Ventures. [5] GV and Tenaya Capital each invested $5 million in the round, while previous investors General Catalyst and Accel also participated. [5] In July 2017, Lola had its second major release on iOS and the Android operating system. This iteration of the application focused on business travel by adding self-service hotel and flight booking and personalized travel recommendations. [11]
In July 2018, English announced he would assume the role of chief technology officer at Lola, with Mike Volpe, the chief marketing officer at Cybereason, becoming the company's chief executive officer. [12] Lola announced a five-year exclusive partnership with American Express Global Business Travel in November 2018 to sell its travel management software. [13]
In March 2019, the company announced a $37 million Series C round led by General Catalyst and Accel. [14] The round also included participation from all previous investors – Charles River Ventures, GV, and Tenaya Capital. [14]
In February 2021, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism, the company pivoted to developing software for the financial technology industry. [15]
Lola ceased operations in September 2021 according to a notice on its website citing "new things to come" for the company. [16] In October 2021, it was announced that Capital One was acquiring Lola. [17]