Luxury solo adventure travel company Flash Pack has attracted $6.2 million in a fresh round of fundraising.
The London-based business, which specialises in small group trips for people in their 30s and 40s, aims to use the investment to help fuel expansion in the US.
The US has become Flash Pack’s fastest-growing market, with 60% of its total trip sales driven by demand from travellers from the country.
The fundraising was led by venture capital firm JamJar Investments and existing investor PPF Group.
The latest investment comes almost exactly three years after the pandemic forced the business into bankruptcy following a series of travel restrictions.
Chief executive Radha Vyas relaunched Flash Pack with co-founder Lee Thompson in 2021 with backing from PPF with an aim of creating one million friendships “by curating meaningful connections and perfecting the group dynamics of every trip”.
The business has since grown to a 65-strong team of employees globally, with plans to triple its US staff numbers within the next six months.
The new funds will be used to bolster the company’s product and platform with hires in technology and will formalise its office opening in the market.
Vyas said: ”In the last two years since the brand’s relaunch, we have seen a massive appetite from customers to build meaningful connections through travel.
“Solo travel has rapidly grown in popularity as people look to make up for lost time and expand their horizons, and the recent investment indicates the value and opportunity in this growing trend.
“We are incredibly excited to continue our success within the US market, creating even more friendships in the process.”
JamJar Investments co-founder Richard Reed added: “We’re on a mission to invest in and help grow early-stage consumer businesses who are using tech to disrupt their categories, as well as having a positive impact on the world.
“Flash Pack is not just revolutionising the way people travel, but how we interact with one another.
“More needs to be done by investors to fund female-founded ventures, particularly from women of colour.
“Under Radha’s leadership Flash Pack has escaped the fate of the pandemic and come out better than ever, and so we have high hopes for what they will achieve over the next three years.”
Flash Pack revealed plans to sell through the trade for the first time in August.
The company was brought out of administration in a pre-pack deal by its founders after it failed in 2020.