June Tech Round-Up: Travel Tech Deep Dive (Part Two)
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Dear reader,
Agentic AI—The Next Revolution in Travel Tech
Travel stands at the precipice of its next great transformation.
Part Two of our Travel Tech deep dive delves into agentic AI – the tool that doesn't just suggest, but decides and acts. It’s poised to reshape how we dream, plan, book, and experience travel, with material consequences for travellers, businesses, and investors.
Enjoy, from the team at North Ridge Partners.
What We’ve Been Up To
‘Busy’ seems an understatement for the month of June! This month we’ve closed two deals, with a third poised for completion. To start with, we advised a global travel SaaS platform on the sale of a major strategic stake to a New York-based private equity fund. Next, in a groundbreaking media deal, we sold a 50% stake in Stuff Digital, New Zealand’s most popular website, to Trade Me, New Zealand’s largest online marketplace. Watch out for an imminent announcement on an Aerospace & Defence Tech deal.
Original Thinking From North Ridge Partners
AI is redrawing the travel map, turning bookings from one-off transactions into automated, contextual decision loops. As agents collapse discovery, planning and purchase into a single machine-led moment, the winners won’t be those with the most traffic, but with the best orchestration. Google is already shifting gears, while incumbents like Booking and Expedia are building out their agentic capabilities. Meanwhile, VCs are backing the next wave of AI-native travel startups—companies like BMPD—with a fervour not seen since the online travel agency boom. Click here to read our analysis.
Short of Time? Listen to the Podcast
Our favourite AI Travel Techies, Trip Booker and Delta Check-in, deliver the short version of our Agentic AI deep dive in a 10-minute podcast.
Click on the banner below to listen. Enjoy!
Big Tech
Apple reframes how search works in a potential blow to Google.
Sam and Jonty’s big adventure. Open AI spins its way through remaining a not-for-profit, then buys a start-up for US$6.5bn in paper.
New York Times signs its first AI licensing deal, with Amazon.
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Asia Pacific Tech News
CATL pulls off the year’s biggest IPO, raising US$4.6bn on HKEX.
Go you good thing! A$466mn Series F values Airwallex at A$9.6bn.
Aussie law firm builds class action case against Google’s ad empire.
Apple’s China AI plans on ice as Alibaba deal gets regulatory go-slow.
APAC AI ambitions could be curbed by data centre shortfalls.
Stuff We Found Interesting
She’s back! ‘Queen of the Internet’ Mary Meeker is back after 6 years with a deep dive into the inexorable rise of AI.
Real-time navigation and translation: Google Glasses are here!
Klarna makes a big deal about replacing humans with AI … then replaces AI with humans.
Builder.ai did the same, but pretended the humans were AI—and got caught.
How America’s attempts to slow China’s tech rise fell afoul of the Law of Unintended Consequences.
Tech Investment Banking Across Asia Pacific
North Ridge Partners advises tech companies across the Asia Pacific on strategy, capital raising and M&A. We’re experienced dealmakers who have built and sold many tech companies. In partnership with GP Bullhound, we have 200 bankers in 17 global offices.
Contact us here.
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