London-Based AI Travel Startup Holiwise Raises €1.45M to Revolutionize Trip Planning

London-based Holiwise, an AI-powered travel agency founded by Swedish entrepreneurs, has raised €1.45 million in pre-seed funding to accelerate its mission of making trip planning simpler, faster, and more personalized. The round attracted high-profile investors including executives from Bank of America, Barclays, Google, and Goldman Sachs, underscoring strong confidence in the company’s vision. The funding was led by Bobby Previti, Head of SSA & Covered Bond Trading at Bank of America, with notable participation from Ulf Nilsson, CEO of DHL Nordics & Eastern Europe, who will also join Holiwise’s board. Other investors include Sabri El Jailani and Filippo Zorzoli of Barclays Investment Bank, and Houman Ashrafzadeh, Founder of Padium and co-founder of Urban Greens. The fresh capital coincides with Holiwise’s key integrations into major travel platforms, including HBX Group, a B2B travel technology provider with access to a vast global inventory of hotels, resorts, and apartments, and Amadeus, a global distribution system offering real-time flight and accommodation data. These partnerships will enable Holiwise to provide end-to-end travel planning and booking services across more than 10,000 destinations worldwide, covering everything from flights and premium stays to curated local experiences. According to CEO and co-founder Albin Eriksson Lippe, Holiwise is addressing a long-standing gap in the travel industry. “Premium travellers are underserved, forced to choose between impersonal, self-service booking platforms or costly concierge services that are slow to access,” he said. Holiwise aims to fill this void by creating an AI travel agent that blends the efficiency of technology with the luxury of a tailor-made experience. Using deep learning and dynamic packaging models, the platform can instantly generate complete, personalised itineraries that synchronise flights, accommodations, and activities in a single transaction. The funding will be used to advance Holiwise’s AI-driven platform, enhance its dynamic packaging capabilities, and scale its premium concierge service, which already offers private rates on over one million stays. Members of its invite-only premium account enjoy personalised travel recommendations, dining concierge support, and exclusive deals—reportedly saving customers an average of £250 per trip. The platform is gaining traction rapidly, boasting thousands of monthly users and an impressive 80% repeat booking rate. Founded by Albin Eriksson Lippe and Kristian Lexeklint, who first met in Sweden and later studied at the University of Warwick, Holiwise was born out of their frustration with fragmented and costly trip planning. They were later joined by CTO Apurva Amin, a seasoned software engineer with over 15 years of experience at Microsoft, fintechs, and hedge funds, and Founding Engineer Maria Angelica Ancheta, formerly a senior engineer at Spotify. Together, the team brings deep expertise in finance, engineering, and technology to reimagine how travellers discover, plan, and book trips. With AI at its core, Holiwise aims to disrupt both mainstream travel agencies and luxury concierge services by offering a platform that combines speed, convenience, and customisation. By leveraging real-time data analytics and machine learning, Holiwise can suggest trips based on mood, budget, location, or timeframe, ensuring travellers receive seamlessly curated experiences. As demand grows for personalised, tech-driven travel planning, Holiwise’s early success positions it as a potential game-changer in the global travel industry.