KAYAK

KAYAK

Travel search engine aggregating flights, hotels

Overview

KAYAK helps travelers plan trips by comparing prices across flights, hotels, car rentals, and vacation packages from hundreds of providers in one place. Users search for travel options, and the platform pulls listings from many booking sites, showing prices, availability, and deal details so people can compare and choose. It also offers tools like fare alerts and price forecasts to help users make smarter choices and track changes. Revenue comes from advertising and referral fees when users click on deals or book services via KAYAK. Compared with competitors, KAYAK focuses on aggregating a broad set of travel options from numerous sites to create a single, easy-to-use search experience with helpful planning tools, aiming to simplify the process of finding the best deals. Its goal is to save travelers time and money by making travel planning fast, transparent, and convenient.

About KAYAK

Simplify's Rating
Why KAYAK is rated
C
Rated C on Competitive Edge
Rated C on Growth Potential
Rated C on Differentiation

Industries

Data & Analytics

Consumer Software

Company Size

1,001-5,000

Company Stage

Acquired

Total Funding

$244M

Headquarters

Stamford, Connecticut

Founded

2004

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • The May 2026 Blockskye-FCM partnership opens enterprise travel, payments, and expense automation.
  • July 2026 AI trip building and support deepen engagement with corporate travelers.
  • Hiring in Cambridge and Concord signals continued product investment rather than contraction.

What critics are saying

  • Google and AI chatbots compress metasearch clicks, threatening KAYAK’s core referral economics.
  • Steve Hafner stepped down in February 2026, and Booking wrote KAYAK down by $457 million.
  • San Francisco’s July 2026 lawsuit against Booking Holdings raises partner, reputational, and payout risk.

What makes KAYAK unique

  • KAYAK for Business pairs consumer-grade search with policy-compliant enterprise booking workflows.
  • Ask AI and conversational support make travel planning faster inside one interface.
  • KAYAK’s global metasearch reach across 60 countries creates broad supplier coverage.

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Funding

Total Funding

$244M

Meets

Industry Average

Funded Over

7 Rounds

Notable Investors:
Acquisition funding comparison data is currently unavailable. We're working to provide this information soon!
Acquisition Funding Comparison
Coming Soon

Benefits

Wellness

Social Life

Education

Flexible Hours and Happier Days

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

0%

1 year growth

0%

2 year growth

-1%
StudentsCircles
Aug 12th, 2026
Kayak is hiring Associate Software Engineers in Cambridge ($95k-$105k).

Kayak is hiring Associate Software Engineers in Cambridge ($95k-$105k). On: August 12, 2026 8:12 AM If you're an early-career software engineer looking to build your skills at a well-known travel technology company, this could be a strong opportunity. KAYAK is hiring Associate Software Engineers in Cambridge, Massachusetts, offering a competitive salary of $95,000-$105,000 per year. The role is ideal for candidates who want hands-on experience working on software products used by travelers around the world. Job overview. Job description. We're looking for a curious, collaborative Associate Front End Software Engineer to join our Cars Meta UI team - the group responsible for the Cars search experience used by millions of travelers every day. This is a role where you'll grow quickly, contribute meaningfully from day one, and be supported by a team that values learning, quality, and working well together. This role is required to work from either our Cambridge or Concord, MA office 3 days per week. In this role you will: * Deliver well-scoped front-end features for KAYAK's Cars search vertical that reach millions of travelers daily, working alongside senior engineers who will support your growth * Implement clean, maintainable React and TypeScript code that meets the team's quality standards * Collaborate with product managers, designers, and backend engineers to translate clearly defined requirements into polished, user-facing experiences across web and mobile * Participate in code reviews - both receiving and providing constructive feedback * Write unit, integration, and end-to-end tests to ensure reliability and prevent regressions * Leverage AI coding tools (such as Claude Code) to improve your development velocity and code quality, in line with the team's engineering practices * Engage actively in agile ceremonies - sprint planning, standups, and retrospectives - contributing ideas and flagging blockers to keep delivery on track Please apply if you have: * A degree or equivalent practical experience in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field - or a portfolio of work that demonstrates the same foundational skills * Foundational proficiency in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, with exposure to TypeScript preferred * Hands-on experience with React or a comparable modern UI framework * Familiarity with version control using Git and comfort contributing to a shared, collaborative codebase * An ability to work with AI coding tools to improve development velocity and code quality, in line with the team's engineering practices * Clear communication skills, a collaborative mindset, and openness to giving and receiving feedback through code reviews and agile ceremonies * The capacity to thrive in a hybrid working model, including the ability to attend the Cambridge or Concord office at least 3 days per week Selection process. * Application submission * Resume screening * Initial recruiter or hiring-team conversation * Technical assessment/interview * Technical and behavioral interviews * Final interview * Offer and background verification How to apply. * Review the Associate Software Engineer job requirements. * Prepare an updated resume highlighting your software development skills and projects. * Submit your application through the official KAYAK careers or job application page. * Complete any required assessments or screening questions. * If shortlisted, participate in the interview process. * Follow up with the recruiting team regarding the next steps.

TravelMole
Jul 31st, 2026
KAYAK for Business rolls out AI-powered corporate travel assistant.

KAYAK for Business rolls out AI-powered corporate travel assistant. KAYAK for Business is bringing artificial intelligence deeper into managed travel with the launch of three new AI-powered tools designed to simplify trip planning, booking and support for corporate travelers. The new capabilities, available from July 31 following a pilot with selected customers, include AI trip building, conversational trip support and a new agent-to-agent connector that allows companies to integrate their own enterprise AI assistants into the travel booking process. The technology has been built around corporate travel policies rather than replacing them. KAYAK says every recommendation is grounded in the travel rules, budgets and traveler preferences already established by each company. The AI trip builder lets travelers create complete business itineraries using natural language prompts. Instead of searching multiple flights and hotels manually, employees can simply describe their travel requirements and receive policy-compliant booking options. Meanwhile, the AI-powered trip support feature acts as a virtual travel assistant. Travelers can ask questions, locate itineraries or modify bookings through a conversational interface. If a request becomes too complex, the system seamlessly transfers the conversation to a human travel agent without requiring the traveler to start over. KAYAK is also introducing an agent-to-agent connector, enabling organizations to connect their own internal AI assistants with KAYAK for Business. In this model, a company's AI understands employee context and business requirements, while KAYAK supplies live travel inventory, booking functionality and policy intelligence. Eva Fouquet, Senior Vice President of KAYAK for Business, said corporate travelers want technology that supports rather than controls their decisions. "Business travelers are savvy. They often know exactly what they want, and they want to stay in control," she said. "They want AI when it helps, and their own judgment when it matters. We've woven AI alongside the search experience they already trust and put the traveler in charge of how much, when and even from where they use it." The launch builds on KAYAK's broader AI strategy. Earlier this year the company introduced Ask AI, a conversational travel planning tool for leisure travelers that combines natural-language conversations with live flight, hotel and rental car results instead of replacing the traditional search interface. For the corporate market, KAYAK has steadily expanded its business travel platform over the past year with new event management capabilities, enterprise integrations and partnerships aimed at simplifying managed travel while maintaining policy compliance.

Business Travel News Europe
Jul 29th, 2026
Kayak for Business adds AI booking and support.

Kayak for Business adds AI booking and support. Kayak for Business has added new AI capabilities to its platform, including for trip booking and support, the company announced. News - analysis - podcasts - reports The platform has added AI trip building, letting travellers create itineraries with natural language queries, according to Kayak. The AI is integrated into Kayak for Business' platform, meaning it follows the policies and preferences that companies have put into place. In addition, Kayak for Business has added AI trip support, letting travellers ask questions about their itineraries and modify trips with conversational AI. If the AI is not able to resolve a traveller's issue, it is moved to a human agent with the trip context and chat history appended, the company said. "We've woven Al alongside the search experience they already trust, and put the traveller in charge of how much, when and even from where they use it," Kayak for Business SVP Eva Fouquet said in a statement. "This is an evolution where Al and search work together, building on the tools travellers already rely on, rather than replacing them." Kayak for Business also announced the capability for companies to connect their own enterprise AI assistants with the platform, letting travellers start the travel discovery process from within the AI tools they use for work, the company said.

Areacúcuta
Jul 8th, 2026
KAYAK and Sony Pictures team up to inspire travelers to visit the New York of "Spider-Man"

KAYAK and Sony Pictures team up to inspire travelers to visit the New York of "Spider-Man" Reading Time: 2 mins read In a strategic collaboration uniting the entertainment and tourism industries, KAYAK and Sony Pictures announced the launch of a special campaign designed for film and travel enthusiasts. Running from July 6 to August 14, 2026, the initiative aims to encourage Colombian families to discover New York City, the preferred setting for Spider-Man's adventures, by leveraging the platform's price comparison tools. An adventure worthy of a superhero. The campaign, which precedes the theatrical release of Spider-Man: A New Day - scheduled for July 29, 2026 - positions New York City as the central hub of the experience. Through a 360° strategy, KAYAK will integrate iconic visual elements of the superhero into its interface, including a takeover of its homepage, to make it easier for users to search for flights, accommodations, and car rentals with a single click. The goal of this alliance is to eliminate friction in family travel planning, offering price transparency and savings tools that allow you to optimize your budget to enjoy a complete experience at your destination. You may also be interested in this news item: "New York City is one of the most sought-after international destinations for travelers. By uniting one of the most iconic entertainment franchises with KAYAK, we are helping to turn the dream of visiting the city into a reality, while giving families the confidence they need to make the right choices and enjoy every step of planning their adventure," says Carolina Montenegro, Senior Vice President of Global Brand and B2B Marketing at KAYAK. The new chapter of Peter Parker. The collaboration coincides with a period of renewal for the franchise. In Spider-Man: A New Day, audiences will encounter an adult Peter Parker who has chosen to distance himself from his surroundings to protect his loved ones. As he faces a New York City unaware of his identity, the superhero must grapple with an unexpected physical transformation and a new, large-scale criminal threat, promising a narrative packed with action and personal challenges. With this alliance, KAYAK reinforces its position as a facilitator of meaningful experiences, inviting users to plan their next vacation inspired by pop culture and leveraging technology to ensure that every trip to the Big Apple is an unforgettable memory for both children and adults.

The Beat
May 20th, 2026
Three for one: FCM, Blockskye and Kayak for Business plan integrated solution.

Three for one: FCM, Blockskye and Kayak for Business plan integrated solution. FCM Travel, Blockskye and Kayak for Business are partnering to launch an integrated offering that they believe will propel their expansion in the enterprise sector, the companies announced today. FCM's parent company has also made a US$5 million investment in Blockskye.

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