Travel tech funding heads for a multiyear low despite AI boom

Crunchbase NewsOct 30, 2026

October 30, 2026

Hi, there. Travel is booming again, but venture investors aren’t nearly as enthusiastic about the startups serving the industry. Global travel tech funding totaled just over $2 billion through the first three quarters of 2026, putting the sector on pace for its weakest year since at least 2018, Crunchbase data shows. Even the rush to bring AI into travel planning, booking and hospitality operations hasn’t reversed the slowdown, with deal counts also heading toward a multiyear low. Meanwhile, it’s a very different story in robotics, where venture funding has surged 185%. Plus, the remarkable journey of a former monk who built a $25 million startup, and eBay and Electronic Arts lead the latest tech layoffs.

🛩️ Travel tech funding heads for multiyear low despite AI push

Travel tech startups have raised just $2.2 billion across 302 rounds through Q3, Crunchbase data shows, putting 2026 on pace to be the sector’s weakest funding year since at least 2018. That’s a far cry from the more than $13 billion raised during the pandemic-era peak in 2021. AI is a recurring theme among the companies still attracting large checks, including hotel management platform Mews, which raised $300 million, and travel booking technology startup Stay22, which secured $122 million. But the exit picture remains mixed, with established travel companies acquiring AI startups while travel experiences platform Klook recently withdrew its planned U.S. IPO.

Related Crunchbase list: Global Travel Tech Venture Funding In 2026

✂️ eBay cuts 1,100 jobs as EA restructures its gaming studios

Nearly 1,800 U.S. tech roles landed on our Layoffs Tracker this week, led by eBay, which announced plans to cut 1,100 jobs, or about 9% of its workforce, in its second round of layoffs this year. Electronic Arts is also restructuring its gaming business and shutting down a studio in Canada. Meanwhile, Microsoft is offering voluntary buyouts to around 60,000 employees globally. Other companies that joined the tracker this week include Automattic, Headspace and Qualcomm.

🤖 Robotics funding soars 185% as the U.S. and China lead the race

Venture funding to robotics startups has surged roughly 185% through the first three quarters of 2026 compared with the same period last year, Crunchbase data shows. Investment totaled $9.9 billion in Q3 alone, more than double the year-ago figure, with China and the U.S. accounting for the vast majority of this year’s capital. Big rounds have gone to companies including Atoms, Neura Robotics and Skild AI. But building AI for the physical world comes with unique challenges, particularly the cost and complexity of collecting real-world training data.

Related Crunchbase lists:
• Global Robotics Venture Funding In 2026
• Global Physical AI Venture Funding In 2026

🧘 From monk to $25M startup founder

Lilly Chen took an unconventional route into entrepreneurship. After spending two years as a monk while recovering from a serious illness, she enrolled in college without a high school diploma, became an engineer at Facebook, and eventually quit to pursue work she found more meaningful. That journey led her to found FSH Technologies, a startup modernizing government software for tasks ranging from school food services to public records management. The company has now raised $25 million. In the latest installment of our founder profile series, Chen explains how an investor backed her before she even had a startup idea and what her time as a monk taught her about building a business.

Related Crunchbase list: Global Venture Funding To AI Startups In 2026

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