Travel Startups: Disruption from Within–or Not? – By Giuseppe Genovese

Startups play an essential role in spearheading innovation that benefits consumers, businesses, and industries. But travel startups have been underfunded when compared to startups in other sectors. Looking back over the past 15 years, the travel and tourism industry received around 1 percent of funding for startups across all industries. This relatively low level of investment stands out in contrast to the industry’s size: Travel and tourism contributed to over 10 percent of global GDP in 2019. These factors suggest that it’s a tough industry in which to raise money.

Metaverse Stumbles Amid Challenges, but Some See Revival Ahead – VentureBeat

The metaverse was once touted as the future of human interaction, a virtual world enabling users to live, work and play in a fully immersive virtual realm seamlessly blending physical and digital worlds. But the metaverse has hit a snag, and leading technology companies such as Meta, Microsoft and Apple have reduced their focus on the R&D behind the virtual world.

Event Technology Provider Cvent Sold for $4.6 Billion

Cvent Holding Corp. (Nasdaq: CVT), a meetings, events and hospitality technology provider, yesterday announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by an affiliate of private equity funds managed by Blackstone in a transaction valued at an enterprise value of approximately $4.6 billion.