Cardiff tech firm Lovetovisit.com, which is aiming to revolutionise how people book tickets for experiences and venues, has launched a new fundraising round to support its expansion plans.
The firm, which also has an office in London and whose digital booking solution goes live tomorrow, is seeking to raise £400,000 through the Seedrs crowd funding investment platform.
The start-up, co-founded by Fed Pereira and Georgia and Alice Aubrey, has already raised £1.7m. Following the month long Seedrs campaign it plans a further £1m raise in the summer to support its marketing activities.
Lovetovisit, which also has an office in London, is looking to become the Just Eat and Airbnb in the events and experiences market.
It is on track to having a workforce of 60 by the summer and which is forecast to reach 120 next year.
The UK’s marketplace for events and experiences, from major attractions to smaller operators, is worth £3.6bn annually and growing at a rate of 15% per annum.
However, the sector suffers from a lack of digitisation with only 8% of attractions having mobile optimised websites. It is estimated that over half of attractions and experiences have no online booking capacity.
The start-up already has 1,600 tourism and culture venues signed up, as well as partnering with industry heavyweights such as London Theatre, Encore, and Tiqets. Projections for the platform estimate monthly users of between three and five million.
Its revenue model will see it taking a fee from each ticket sold.
Mr Pereira said: “We believe Lovetovisit.com is the first of its kind in the world, thanks to the development of an algorithm that is specific to the events and tourism industry. Great tech should enable people to find the information they need, make a booking and get on with enjoying their day. Think Airbnb, Insta, Just Eat, but for tourist attractions and events.
“We already have the support of some heavyweight private funders and in keeping with our commitment to inclusivity, we want to open the opportunity out to likeminded investors, who share our vision and want to join us with this venture.”
On the Seedrs fundraising Alice Aubrey said: “It will enable us to invest more in our marketing and quickly spread the word about Lovetovisit.com far and wide. We also plan to implement an equality and diversity strategy, ensuring that inclusivity is at the heart of everything we do, from our partners to our users, to everyone involved, which is why the Seedrs campaign is perfect.”
Georgia Aubrey added: “Covid-19 has dramatically changed visitor behaviour as they become more accustomed to booking online and in advance. Whilst the top-tier attractions and theatres have the resources to invest in their tech, smaller attractions and cultural venues are at a massive disadvantage and visitors are missing out.
"Lovetovisit.com wants to remedy this issue and provide fair and inclusive opportunities for attractions of every size to showcase themselves and generate visits and bookings.”
