Viravira Secures Pre-Series A Bridge Funding to Boost AI, Language Support, and Boat Listings
Viravira, a boat rental platform, has successfully completed its pre-Series A bridge funding round. This latest investment was led by Mehmet Çelikol from Sharks&Partners, with other notable participants including Murat Bekiroğlu, Chairman of Trio Deniz and the Yacht and Boat Industry Association (YATED), and former Garanti BBVA Mortgage CEO Erhan Şatana.
Founded in 2016, Viravira connects boat owners with individuals seeking rentals, offering users a fully online, easy, and secure experience. The platform now features over 12,000 boats across 60 countries and 1,400 locations.
Baran Yıldırım, Co-Founder and CEO of viravira.co, highlighted the company’s consistent growth, stating, “We’ve successfully completed our fourth investment round, with our first in 2019 and subsequent rounds in 2020 and 2021. This bridge funding round, led by Sharks & Partners, was completed successfully, allowing us to strengthen our know-how in e-commerce and yacht tourism. We are also expanding our network in preparation for the upcoming Series A round next year.”
Recently surpassing 75,000 registered users in Turkey, Viravira plans to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into its operations. Yıldırım noted the significant role AI can play in moderated platforms within the tourism industry, particularly in streamlining moderation processes, enhancing multi-language support, and reducing costs.
Over the next 18 months, the company aims to increase its language support from 7 to over 30, expand the number of countries with listings from 60 to 100, and grow its boat inventory from 12,000 to 25,000.
Source: Ezgi Yaka / Swipeline
Viravira
viravira.co is an online marketplace that connects listing owners and individuals who wish to rent a boat. Rent directly from local boat owners. 12,000 private rental boats, charter yachts, and exclusive yacht tours across 60 countries.