Distribution Partnership with VAX VacationAccess and Series A Funding from Anthem Venture Partners and The Mail Room Fund position AdventureLink for great success
LOS ANGELES (February 18, 2009) – AdventureLink, in partnership with VAX VacationAccess, has launched the world’s first online booking system for Adventures Travel. The AdventureLink system provides booking capability for adventure travel opportunities in 164 countries. AdventureLink’s first distribution partner, VAX VacationAccess gives the company distribution to over 70,000 leisure travel agents across North America. AdventureLink’s technology enables tour operators around the world to seamlessly and instantly connect to millions of trade and end customers far more efficiently than previously possible.
AdventureLink, today also announced the completion of a ‘Series A’ funding agreement with top Southern California venture capital firms Anthem Venture Partners and The Mail Room Fund. Samit Varma, Partner of Anthem Ventures, notes, “There is a real opportunity in the AdventureLink model to provide significant online distribution to the last major segment of the travel industry that has yet to establish a global distribution and reservation network. This natural progression has occurred with airlines, hotels, cruise lines, vacation rentals, and now adventure travel.”
Kelly Tompkins, AdventureLink CEO and Founder states, “With the financial backing of our partners, we look forward to expanding our retail distribution partnerships, while being a catalyst to faster growth for our tour operator partners. I am grateful to our venture capital partners, who recognize the opportunity in AdventureLink’s groundbreaking reservation platform. Through our distribution partners and the tools we provide to our agents; we hope to establish AdventureLink as the de facto ‘link’ between buyers and sellers of adventure travel.”
Richard Wolpert, The Mail Room Fund’s Managing Partner adds, “We are thrilled to be able to invest in such an early stage company that has already achieved both distribution and revenue. With their new Global Distribution System live, AdventureLink provides an exciting opportunity to penetrate this worldwide market.”
About Anthem Ventures
Anthem Venture Partners, an early-stage technology fund based in Santa Monica focuses on backing leading Information Technology and technology media related companies. Anthem takes an active role in working closely with world-class entrepreneurs to build their businesses.
About The Mail Room Fund
The Mail Room Fund is comprised of the top Hollywood entertainment company William Morris Agency (WMA), leading Silicon Valley venture capital firms Accel Partners and Venrock Capital, and global communications leader AT&T. Its focus is on discovering, funding, and building high impact companies that are innovators in the internet consumer arena, particularly digital media start-up companies based in Southern California.
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AdventureLink is the largest online source for travel professionals and consumers to book adventure travel with over 60,000 trips offered by over 1,000 tour operators worldwide. For more information, go to:
www.adventurelink.com.