June 26, 2019
Bohemian Birds Group has raised half a million euros from a number of travel-loving investors with a background at Bain, Booking.com and McKinsey. Rooth-Invest has also invested in the travel company. The company's ambition is to become the market leader in incentive and student travel in the Benelux. The money will be used for further product development, marketing and sales and expansion of the team.
The Dutch tour operator was founded in 2014 by Michiel Stoffels, Duco Vermeulen and Jasper Mutsaerts with the mission to help 100,000 people empty their bucket list. Bohemian Birds Group was initially funded by 161 crowdfunding investors and now operates worldwide. In 2020, the company expects to pass the € 10 million revenue barrier. Michiel Stoffels (CEO): “In the coming years we will focus on the growth in incentive travel. We have noticed that more and more companies are planning an annual trip to continue to inspire and bind their staff to the organisation. We unburden companies from A to Z so that they can focus on what they are good at. In the long term, we are also considering operating outside of the Benelux. However, for the next three years we will be focusing on the Dutch-speaking market only, where there is still a lot to be gained. ”
In the Benelux it is estimated that approximately € 200 million is spent per year on incentive travel. This segment within the travel industry is highly fragmented and is further characterised by players with a traditional marketing & sales approach. Jasper Mutsaerts (Chairman): By means of the latest growth hacking techniques in combination with a proactive offline sales approach, we want to help as many companies as possible with organising unforgettable trips for their employees. We are very pleased that with this investment round we have not only brought on capital, but also relevant knowledge about the (digital) travel industry. Our investors really have a passion for travel. ”
One of the investors is Otto Verhage (partner Bain); an avid traveler himself. For example, a sailing trip around the world was once on his bucket list. Otto: "It is fantastic to help as many people as possible with ticking off their bucket list through this investment. I also see the opportunity to grow into a leading travel organisation with a turnover of € 100 million." Another investor is Elisabeth Stevens (former Director Booking.com); she helped Booking.com scale up from 300 to 18,000 employees and recently took part in a “Women Leaders” expedition in the Himalayas with the goal of installing solar panels in a community that did not yet have electricity. Elisabeth: “I like to share my experiences in the travel industry with young companies”. Jelle Postma (partner Blooming & Booming): “I am in Africa regularly for my work and with our VC fund we are based in Amsterdam, Berlin and New York. With this investment we realise our ambition to do business internationally. We also see a lot of potential in shaking up the incentive market.”
The investment of Rooth-Invest is a follows an earlier acquaintance with the travel organisation through crowdfunding. Laurens Beelen: “I got to know the company very well through my crowdfunding activities and now it was the perfect time for Rooth-Invest to join in order to further grow and innovate the company”.
For more information, see www.bohemianbirds.com
