Lake.com Eyes 100K Bookings After $2.6M Raise for AI-Optimized Rental Platform

LAKE.COM [http://Lake.com] RAISES $2.6M TO BUILD AI-POWERED VACATION RENTAL DISCOVERY PLATFORM Toronto-based travel startup Lake.com [http://Lake.com] has secured $2.6 million in a pre-seed funding round to scale its lakeside vacation rental discovery platform. The round was led by the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) and supported by several angel investors. Founded in 2023, Lake.com [http://Lake.com] is positioning itself at the intersection of travel and artificial intelligence, aiming to become what it calls an “AI travel agency.” While it currently operates as a vacation rental platform focused on lakeside properties, the company is preparing for a future where AI agents autonomously handle travel bookings. Founder and CEO David Ciccarelli said the platform is already optimized for major AI platforms including Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Perplexity, enabling seamless integration with the next generation of AI-powered travel tools. The startup currently lists 40,000 properties and is targeting 100,000 bookings within two years. Over the past few months, it has integrated with leading property management systems such as Hostfully, Hostaway, Lodgify, OwnerRez, and Uplisting to enhance inventory and streamline operations. With fresh capital, Lake.com [http://Lake.com] plans to ramp up its B2C marketing efforts to attract more travelers and property owners. “On the surface, it looks like we’re building a vacation rental platform for properties by the water. While that’s true, below the surface, we’re creating a new category called the AI travel agency, one that better meets the needs of family travelers and creates the future of online bookings made autonomously by AI agents,” Ciccarelli said in an email to PhocusWire. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- KEY HIGHLIGHTS * Funding: Raised $2.6M pre-seed led by the Business Development Bank of Canada with angel investor participation. * Business Model: Lakeside vacation rental discovery platform evolving into an AI-powered travel booking agency. * AI Optimization: Built for Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Perplexity AI platforms, preparing for autonomous AI-based travel bookings. * Inventory: 40,000 live properties with a target of 100,000 bookings in two years. * Integrations: Connected with major property management systems like Hostfully, Hostaway, Lodgify, OwnerRez, and Uplisting. * Next Steps: Focus on B2C marketing to grow user base and bookings while scaling operations globally.