Airbnb-backed WeRoad raises $58 million to bring its group travel platform to the US

WeRoadThe Milan-based group travel startup has raised a $58 million Series C round led by Airbnb as it prepares for its first major expansion outside of Europe. This brings the company’s total capital raised to nearly $100 million and will fund WeRoad’s move into the United States, starting with Austin.

The new investment reflects a bet that the next generation of travel companies may look less like booking platforms and more like social platforms designed to facilitate real-world connections.

The product’s U.S. launch also comes at a time when loneliness, especially among younger consumers, is becoming a public health concern and an emerging business opportunity. Where much of the tech industry remains focused on AI, WeRoad is positioning itself as part of the growing “IRL economy,” a category of companies. Start-ups Monetize offline interaction instead of screen time. Companies like Timeleft, 222, and Pie are pursuing similar ideas through dinner parties, clubs, events, and community experiences.

The idea for WeRoad came from the founders – Paolo Di Nadai, Fabio Ben, and Erika De Santi – seeking to connect themselves.

“It started out of a very personal need. When you finish college and start working, it becomes harder to find people to travel with. Friends would settle down, have kids, move away, or simply couldn’t fit schedules anymore,” Di Naday told TechCrunch. “My co-founder Fabio and I tried companies offering similar group travel experiences to solo travelers, but although the trips were good, something was missing. The guides were professional local experts, the groups were mixed in ages, and people didn’t really get along. People were traveling together, but they didn’t really connect.”

The founders’ response was to redesign group travel around shared interests. WeRoad trips are designed primarily for younger travelers and are grouped around common interests and travel styles. Customers can book trips through the platform based on themes such as beach holidays or skiing.

“We asked ourselves: What if we created trips for millennial and Gen Z travellers, bringing together people of the same age groups with common cultural references but very different backgrounds, and focused on creating real connections between them?” added De Naday.

Before each trip begins, travelers are added to a WhatsApp group moderated by the group leader so members can start getting to know each other early. Groups usually include between eight and fifteen travelers.

“People’s biggest worry is rarely the destination,” De Naday said, but they usually fear they won’t connect with the group. To address this, WeRoad intentionally builds routes around social dynamics. More adventurous or collaborative activities are often scheduled early in the trip to help break the ice.

Most itineraries last between 10 and 12 days, although the company has also introduced shorter weekend formats aimed at first-time customers. According to WeRoad, nearly 60% of travelers eventually book another trip.

Additionally, instead of traditional tour guides, WeRoad has “group leaders,” coordinators closer in age to travelers who act like travel companions. The company now works with over 4,000 group leaders globally.

“We’re not looking for destination experts, but for people with travel experience and strong interpersonal skills. Can they lead a group, handle stress, adapt when plans change, and help strangers connect?” De Naday said.

WeRoad has also begun to expand beyond travel itself. In 2025, the company launched WeMeet, an app focused on local in-person gatherings, including dinners, hikes, yoga classes, running groups, after-work drinks, and board game nights. WeRoad says more than 50,000 people attended WeMeet events in 35 cities last year, while the app reached 150,000 downloads.

The company says WeMeet will also play a central role in its US expansion strategy. Instead of immediately expanding nationally, WeRoad plans to focus on a small number of cities first, starting with Austin, where it will hire group leaders, organize local events, and build community partnerships before expanding further.

“We will be launching WeMeet events across multiple U.S. cities throughout 2026, starting with Austin because of its incredible energy and vibrant community scene,” Di Naday said.

Whether companies can build lasting businesses around loneliness and sociability remains an open question. But investors are increasingly betting that demand is real.

WeRoad says it generated revenues of €130 million in 2025, up 30% year-on-year, while welcoming more than 100,000 passengers on trips last year alone. Since its launch in 2017, the company says it has organized travel for more than 300,000 customers across more than 1,000 itineraries around the world.