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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.

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About KAYAK

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

Industries

Data & AnalyticsConsumer 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

  • Booking Holdings Q2 2026 revenue rose 8%, supporting KAYAK investment.
  • KAYAK's Ask AI launched during a 23% World Cup search spike.
  • May 20, 2026 FCM-Blockskye partnership expands KAYAK for Business reach.

What critics are saying

  • Google Flights owns default travel discovery inside Google Search and Maps.
  • San Francisco sued Booking Holdings on July 29, 2026 over hotel-booking scams.
  • Google and AI assistants can disintermediate metasearch traffic within two years.

What makes KAYAK unique

  • KAYAK built broad metasearch across flights, hotels, cars, and packages.
  • Ask AI, launched May 14, 2026, merges chat with live bookable results.
  • KAYAK for Business unites consumer search with policy-aware corporate booking.

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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

0%
Nation's Restaurant News
Sep 30th, 2026
Tech Tracker: xtraCHEF founders launch a new venture.

Tech Tracker: xtraCHEF founders launch a new venture. The founders of Kayak are also back with a new AI travel company. Plus, updates from Crunchtime, PAR, and Presto. September 30, 2026 Andy Schwartz and Bhavik Patel founded Tandem, which will focus on AI agents. September is a time for returning. This is the month when people go back to school, to routine, or to their alma mater. So if you're a veteran tech founder, perhaps it makes sense to choose this month to announce that you're returning with a new venture. 4C Consulting Group, LLC has got not one but two of those in this month's edition of Tech Tracker. Plus, new products from Crunchtime and PAR and a key partnership for Presto. Here 4C Consulting Group, LLC go! Kayak founders launch an AI travel agent. Steve Hafner and Paul English are the brains behind Lola, an AI assistant that aims to not only help users decide where to go, stay and eat, but also book everything for them. Consumers can talk to Lola like a chatbot to help plan and book trips, including dining. It remembers users' preferences and can provide personalized recommendations. Lola is free, but customers can upgrade to paid tiers to get better hotel rates, dining access, and other perks. Hafner and English founded the travel booking site Kayak in 2004. Their new venture is owned by Booking Holdings, which also owns Kayak, OpenTable, and other booking sites. xtraCHEF founders return with AI restaurant agents. Andrew Schwartz and Bhavik Patel sold xtraCHEF, a back-office automation system, to Toast in 2021, and spent a few years working for the company before moving on to other things. Now they're back with a new restaurant tech company, Tandem, which will offer AI agents designed to help operators run their business. In a press release, the company said its agents could be assigned to a wide range of tasks, including finance, labor, purchasing, inventory, and marketing. Tandem has closed a seed financing round and is working with operators across 100 locations in a pilot program. It also brought in celebrity chef Michael Schulson as a founding partner to lend an operator's perspective to the company. Crunchtime comes to the KDS. Crunchtime is bringing its restaurant operations software to the kitchen display screen. The new system will integrate Crunchtime Kitchen, Crunchtime Ops Execution, and Crunchtime Inventory tools into the kitchen staff's usual workflow, turning display screens into "a unified operational command center." In addition to showing active orders, screens will be able to prompt employees when to prep something, for instance. Workers will also be able to log waste on the KDS, which will automatically update Crunchtime inventory. The new system marks a major step in the integration between Crunchtime and QSR Automations, the KDS supplier. The two companies announced a merger last year. PAR looks to ID more customers. The POS provider launched Guest360, a new product designed to help restaurants identify customers that are not part of a loyalty program. Most restaurant transactions come from non-loyalty members at the counter, drive-thru, or kiosk. Guest360 allows restaurants to create profiles for those anonymous customers using a technology it calls Profile Stitching. Restaurants can then market to these customers through an integration between Guest360 and Punchh, PAR's loyalty system. The new product builds on PAR's acquisition this year of Bridg, which uses credit card info and other data to create a profile of otherwise anonymous customers. Guest360 is now live with some Punchh customers and will expand to the rest of the Punchh customer base this year. Presto integrates with Toast. The AI voice supplier for drive-thrus is joining forces with the POS supplier, which recently launched a drive-thru system. Restaurants that use both Toast Drive-Thru can and Presto will be able to connect the two systems, so that orders handled by Presto will flow seamlessly into the POS. While Presto has primarily focused on large chains like Taco John's and Dairy Queen, partnering with Toast could bring it to smaller brands. Senior editor, Restaurant Business Joe Guszkowski is a senior editor with Restaurant Business covering technology and casual-dining chains. Subscribe Nation's Restaurant News Newsletters

Boutique Hotel News
Sep 29th, 2026
KAYAK co-founders launch AI assistant Lola for travel experiences.

KAYAK co-founders launch AI assistant Lola for travel experiences. * Sixuan Wu * September 29, 2026 [Credit: Lola] Reading Time: 2 minutes US: KAYAK co-founders Steve Hafner and Paul English have launched Lola, an AI assistant for travel, dining and experiences backed by Booking Holdings. Lola provides personalised recommendations for trips, restaurants and events with real-time availability and pricing, allowing users to compare options and book directly through the same conversation. Anyone can become a member of Lola for free, with paid membership plans providing preferred hotel rates, priority dining, concierge access, and more. Pricing includes The Plus membership at $5 per month and the VIP at $25 per month. Lola's offerings include: * Hotels - all membership plans include results from multiple travel sites, with paid plans offering preferred discounted rates * Dining - paid plans provide advance access to restaurant reservations * Events - members receive access and preferred pricing on more than 200,000 experiences worldwide, including sporting events, concerts, museums and attractions * Paid members also receive discounts for airport and concierge services Launch partners include ResX, BLADE, Aero, SeatGeek, GetYourGuide, Nuitee and Ten Group, alongside Booking Holdings brands including Booking.com, OpenTable, KAYAK, Priceline, Agoda, and FareHarbor. "We built Lola to give everyone the advantage of being well connected," Hafner said. "The next generation of AI assistants should do more than answer questions. They should understand what you're looking for, help you decide, and make it happen." English added: "Lola learns what each member likes and searches across hotels, restaurants, events, and experiences to find the options worth their time, with member rates and perks attached. We're building Lola to be comprehensive, and there are many more partners to come." Highlights: * KAYAK co-founders Steve Hafner and Paul English have launched Lola, an AI assistant for travel, dining and experiences, backed by Booking Holdings. * Lola provides personalised recommendations with real-time availability and pricing, allowing users to compare options and book hotels, restaurants and experiences directly within the same conversation. * Lola offers free and paid memberships, with Plus costing $5 per month and VIP costing $25 per month. Paid members receive benefits including preferred hotel rates, priority restaurant reservations and concierge access. * The platform covers more than 200,000 experiences worldwide, including sporting events, concerts, museums and attractions, with members receiving access and preferred pricing. * Lola has partnered with companies including Booking.com, OpenTable, KAYAK, Priceline, Agoda, SeatGeek, GetYourGuide and Ten Group, and is headquartered in New York City.

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.

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