Planned raises $35M to build the future of Travel and Events

Almost exactly 2 years ago today and after surviving Covid, we embarked on an incredible journey with our Series A funding. Since then, we've achieved a 30x increase in revenue and gained the trust of fantastic clients like PwC, AWS, and Instacart.

Today, we're beyond excited to announce our $35M Series B. This funding is a game-changer for us, but also for our clients and partners. Here's why.

The TMC of the future will be tech-first

Planned started as a self-serve platform to help occasional planners book small and simple meetings. As we built strong partnerships with clients like PwC and AWS, we realized that our clients needed more from us. More service, for events of all sizes.

That's when it hit us: with recent breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, we didn't have to limit ourselves to self-serve software anymore. We could become a true TMC alternative offering sourcing services, partially automated with AI. We could help our clients source faster, gain more visibility into the process, and apply cost-saving policies at scale, for all events. And we could do so without growing the team with thousands of agents.

And so we did.

The features we’ve launched on the road to Series B all align with those goals.

• White-glove service: Now available to all users, for small & large events, this dedicated support drives adoption across companies’ entire programs, and adoption leads to savings.
• One vendor of record: Sign and pay all suppliers through Planned to skip lengthy onboarding and administrative processes.
• Automatic compliance: Create custom MRFs to enforce sophisticated approval flows, all managed through one central admin panel.
• Save on accommodation: Manage your hotel room block and RSVPs, with automated attrition reminders.
• One-stop shop for events and travel: Beta users can now book transient and group travel through Planned. Get ready for an official launch soon!

T&E is typically the second-largest spend after payroll. We believe that to achieve their ambitious goals, T&E leaders need a strategic partner that can embrace the complexity, scale, and fast pace of the industry to generate savings on their multi-million dollar budgets. This can only be achieved with tech, making Planned the go-to solution.

Saving money to enable more in-person connections

Not only does AI make us much faster, but it also brings consistency at scale. When working with Planned, our clients make sure that 100% of their travel and events are booked within policy, at the right price.

As the only service provider enabled by tech, we offer a more customized service, at scale, and at a lower cost than any other player in the industry. Better yet, our team is already 3X more efficient than traditional TMCs because we leverage technology. This means that our cost structure is much more flexible, and we don't need to rely on supplier commissions as heavily as our competitors. Our pricing is much more advantageous for both our clients and partners.

Travel and events are back, but they're also more expensive than ever. Our mission is to help you save everywhere you can so you don't have to scale back your program.

What's next

In addition to the funding announcement, Planned is excited to welcome Frederic Lalonde, CEO and Co-Founder of Hopper and former VP at Expedia, to its Board of Directors.

"Joining Planned at this pivotal moment is incredibly exciting," said Frederic Lalonde. "Planned's innovative approach makes it a standout in an industry that is almost tragically old school. I look forward to contributing to its continued success and expansion."

1. AI: Improve the platform’s AI capabilities to keep unlocking savings opportunities
2. Travel: Launch our Online Booking Tool to offer planners and travelers a unified booking experience
3. Global: Keep growing our global network of venue and vendor partners, to support our clients wherever their program takes them
4. Hiring: Grow our talented team in Montreal, Amsterdam, and Singapore, to further support our clients' global operations

Planned is already challenging the status quo by offering a faster, more personalized Travel & Event service than any TMC on the market, using proprietary tech. But this is just the beginning.

The best is yet to come, and we’re thrilled to have you with us every step of the way.

Marc & Emeric,

Co-founders