Tuesday, April 28th, 2026 — The Travel Technology Association (Travel Tech) welcomed Start-Up members to its April Start-Up Member Meet-Up, featuring a discussion with Eugenia Dunaeva on “What Makes a Travel Tech Start-Up Fundable in the Age of AI.”
Drawing on her extensive background as an angel investor and former director at Expedia Group and Meta, Dunaeva explored the realities of fundraising in today’s AI-driven market and what separates venture-backed companies from the rest. The conversation centered on how founders can create lasting competitive advantages, identify high-value applications for AI in travel, and build companies positioned for long-term scale.
Throughout the session, Dunaeva stressed the growing importance of proprietary first-party data and explained why investors are increasingly drawn to companies operating closer to the infrastructure, intelligence, and data layers powering AI ecosystems. She also encouraged founders to focus on repeatable B2B and B2B2C models where AI can deliver measurable operational or customer value.
Members then took part in the group’s monthly “Runways & Roadblocks” discussion, sharing updates from across the Travel Tech start-up community. Founders discussed recent pilot launches, new integrations with a major international hotel brand, rapid expansion of hotel inventory across dozens of countries, and the growing shift toward AI-first workflows and development processes using tools such as Claude.
Interested in joining future Travel Tech Start-Up Member Meet-Ups and connecting with fellow founders, investors, and industry leaders?
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The Travel Technology Association (Travel Tech) empowers traveler choice by advocating for public policy that promotes transparency, competition and innovation. Travel Tech represents travel technology innovators ranging from dynamic startups, small, and midsize businesses to leading online travel agencies, metasearch engines, short-term rental platforms, global distribution systems, and travel management companies.
To schedule an interview with a Travel Tech spokesperson, contact rtownsend@belverapartners.com.
