| Date | Title | Description |
| 20.12.2025 | AI Benefits Platform Ben Secures $27.5M to Redefine Global HR | Ben, the London-based AI platform, has secured a significant $27.5 million in new funding. This capital injection, led by Mercia Ventures and backed by QuantumLight Capital, will fuel the company's ambitious product roadmap and expand its m... |
| 17.12.2025 | Used by Deliveroo and Zalando, the UK’s Ben secures €23.6 million to scale employee benefits platform | Ben, a London-based platform using AI to help global enterprises manage employee benefits, has raised €23.6 million (£20.8 million) to accelerate its product roadmap and strengthen its go-to-market capabilities to meet the growing demand.
T... |
| 03.07.2025 | ‘We welcome Renters’ Rights Bill. It’ll make us up our game’: Goodlord CEO William Reeve | Each week, we dig into the memory bank of the City’s great and good. Today, William Reeve, CEO of Goodlord and founder of Lovefilm and Secret Escapes, tells us about his career, what he loves about the City, and the Renters Rights’ Bill in ... |
| 20.05.2025 | How SeedLegals became the UK startup default provider | I get a lot of press pitches from companies offering services to founders. One of the most compelling of late is SeedLegals, a legaltech platform designed to simplify and accelerate the fundraising and legal processes for startups and inves... |
| 24.11.2020 | Startup ecosystem of London
Numbers and facts
Success stories
What makes London attractive?
Investors
Venture funds
Spaces, hubs, accelerators
Universities
What’s next? | Startup ecosystem of London |
| 24.11.2020 | Стартап-экосистема Лондона | Стартап-экосистема Лондона |
| 24.11.2020 | Startup ecosystem of London | Startup ecosystem of London |
| 03.09.2019 | Tom Hulme from GV is joining us at Disrupt Berlin | Based in London, Tom Hulme is a general partner for GV, the VC firm formerly known as Google Ventures. And Hulme isn’t your average VC, as he likes to focus on hard problems instead of quick wins. He has become an important figure of the Eu... |
| 01.05.2019 | Berlin-based GetYourGuide reportedly raised €500M from Softbank: 5 unique European tech startups looking to disrupt online travel sector in 2019 | Everybody loves to travel! But not everyone enjoys devising it! To grab this opportunity, a lot of consumer-facing travel platforms are gaining a lot of traction since they aim to ease the tiresome booking process for tourists. It is clearl... |
| 07.02.2019 | Secret Escapes Group Acquires Empathy Marketing | Secret Escapes Group, a UK-based online travel deals company, acquired Empathy Marketing Limited, Ireland’s leading marketplace for premium hospitality and e-commerce offers.
The deal is due to complete in February 2019. Searchlight Capital... |
| 07.02.2019 | UK-based Secret Escapes acquires EML, Irish hospitality marketplace that runs Pigsback.com | British online travel booking company Secret Escapes Group has acquired Empathy Marketing Limited (EML), Ireland-based marketplace for hospitality and e-commerce offers, for an undisclosed amount. EML is the owner of the brands Pigsback.com... |
| 14.11.2018 | UK-based Secret Escapes acquires what’s left of TravelBird after a few months of negotiations | It only took two weeks after Amsterdam-based TravelBird officially filed for insolvency for its assets to get acquired, the Financieele Dagblad reports. The UK-based Secret Escapes, a competing travel booking platform with a luxury focus, h... |
| 20.07.2018 | Online Luxury Travel Marketplace Secret Escapes Raises £52m | Secret Escapes, a London, UK-based online luxury travel marketplace, raised £52m in funding.
Old Mutual Global Investors made the investment.
The company, which has raised £104m to date, intends to use the capital to continue to integrate t... |
| 20.07.2018 | Top tech startup news stories you need to know this Friday, July 20 | Good morning! Here are some of the top tech startup news stories for today, Friday, July 20.
Google’s Loon is partnering with Telkom Kenya to bring 4G to remote areas of Kenya, via balloon. Loon, a subsidiary of Google-parent company Alpha... |
| 06.07.2018 | Spending: Enjoy top-tier lodging without the top prices | If you’re traveling on a budget, don’t assume that resorts and five-star hotels are beyond your means. Here are four tips on how to snag luxury accommodations without paying a steep price.
Share a ritzy rental
Splitting a luxury residence w... |
| 26.01.2018 | 100 under-the-radar beaches everyone should visit in their lifetime | raditya / Shutterstock
Paradise found.
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Whether you've only spent a handful of days on the sand in your life or you're a full-blown sunseeker, there are plenty of breathtaking beaches on this planet waiting to be discovered.
An... |
| 16.10.2017 | Secret Escapes raises $111m investment to drive global acquisitions | Secret Escapes, the London-based international online marketplace for affordable luxury travel deals, has today announced that it has closed a $111m (£83m) Series D investment and debt facility. This significant equity round was led by Sing... |
| 09.10.2017 | Luxury travel service Secret Escapes raises £83 million in equity and debt | Luxury travel club Secret Escapes has raised £83 million in both equity and debt funding led by Temasek with participation from Idinvest Partners and the debt portion of the round coming from Silicon Valley Bank.
News about the funding roun... |
| 06.10.2017 | Secret Escapes raises $111 million to grow its luxury holiday marketplace through acquisitions | Secret Escapes, a members-only travel club for discounted luxury holidays, has closed a $111 million series D funding round led by Singapore-based investment firm Temasek, with participation from France’s Idinvest Partners.
Founded out of L... |
| 06.10.2017 | Secret Escapes raises $111 million to grow its luxury holiday marketplace through acquisitions | Did you miss a session from GamesBeat Summit 2022? All sessions are available to stream now. Learn more.
Secret Escapes, a members-only travel club for discounted luxury holidays, has closed a $111 million series D funding round led by Sing... |
| 06.10.2017 | Women Sweep the Board at Scottish Software Awards | The Young Software Engineer of the Year Awards, now in their 28th year, are given to the best undergraduate software projects, drawn from across all students studying computing science and software engineering in Scotland. Each university s... |
| 06.10.2017 | Term Sheet — Friday, October 6 | DAYS OF CHANGE
Happy Friday, Term Sheet readers.
Paid Content You can't secure what you can't see From ExtraHop
In an effort to woo drivers, Uber launched an initiative called, 180 Days of Change — a campaign that aims to make “meaningful c... |
| 06.10.2017 | Singapore: Temasek leads $111m Series D in UK travel marketplace Secret Escapes | Premium
Secret Escapes, the London-based international online marketplace for affordable luxury travel deals, has closed an $111 million (£83 million) Series D investment led by Singapore state investor Temasek Holdings with participation f... |
| 05.10.2017 | Secret Escapes, one of Idinvest's digital portfolio companies, raises $111m in Series D funding | Secret Escapes, a London, UK-based luxury hotel flash deals site, raised $111m in Series D equity and debt funding. The round was led by Singapore-headquartered Temasek with participation from existing investor Idinvest Partners while Silic... |
| 05.10.2017 | Secret Escapes, the members-only travel club, closing in on £50M Series D | Update: Secret Escapes has confirmed that it has raised £83 million in a mixture of equity and debt. The series D is led by Singapore’s Temasek, with existing investor Idinvest Partners. The debt facility is being provided by Silicon Valley... |
| 05.10.2017 | Secret Escapes Raises $111M in Series D Funding | Secret Escapes, a London, UK-based luxury hotel flash deals site, raised $111m in Series D equity and debt funding.
The round was led by Singapore-headquartered Temasek with participation from existing investor Indinvest Partners while Sili... |
| 04.10.2017 | Secret Escapes raises $111M investment to drive global acquisitions | Secret Escapes, the London-based international online marketplace for affordable luxury travel deals, has today announced that it has closed a $111m (£83m) Series D investment and debt facility. This significant equity round was led by Sing... |
| 17.06.2016 | The Europas Awards 2016 honored the best tech startups in Europe | This week The Europas Startup Conference and Awards — the new type of tech event devised in partnership with TechCrunch and myself — honored The Best Tech Startups in Europe. You can check out all the pictures here and follow the coverage o... |
| 22.03.2016 | Tech Tour Selects European 50 High Growth Companies | Tech Tour, a platform that allows high-tech companies to develop strategic relations with investors, announced the 2016 Tech Tour Growth 50 (TTG50), which highlights the next generation of Europe’s fastest growth tech businesses.
The compan... |
| 16.12.2015 | The UK’s Diverse Tech Ecosystem is Boosted by 15 New Future Fifty Companies | This article was originally posted on the Tech City UK website.
Today we announce the latest group of companies who are joining, and graduating, from our Future Fifty programme. The companies chosen demonstrate growing location and sector ... |
| 06.10.2015 | Good News for later-stage European Startups! | Today the London-based Octopus Ventures launches a new $140 million fund to provide growth capital to “ successful fast-growing later-stage companies across Europe”, reports Tech Crunch.
Last year, Octopus Ventures revealed it had a $91.3 ... |
| 27.07.2015 | Daily funding roundup - July 27, 2015 | Palantir received $450M; DraftKings added $300M; Secret Escapes bagged $60M
Buyatab Online Inc., a Vancouver, BC, Canada-based international provider of digital gift card solutions, completed a funding round of undisclosed amount. Backers w... |
| 27.07.2015 | Secret Escapes Raises $60M in Funding | Secret Escapes, a UK-based luxury online travel company, raised $60m in funding.
The round was led by Google Ventures and Octopus Investments with participation from Index Ventures and Atlas Venture.
The company intends to use the funds to ... |
| 26.07.2015 | Google Ventures Leads $60 Million Round for Secret Escapes | Flash sales or not, travelers will find value in Secret Escapes if it can indeed negotiate exclusive deals.
— Dennis Schaal |
| 02.10.2014 | Fraud prevention firm Semafone dials up growth ambitions with further investment | Business Growth Fund invests alongside Octopus
London, 2 October 2014 – Semafone, a UK company specialising in fraud prevention software used by call centres taking payments over the phone, is looking to increase the size of its operations ... |
| 24.07.2014 | Secret Escapes Acquires My City Venue To Add More Events To Luxury Travel Club | Secret Escapes, the UK luxury travel ‘flash sales’ site that offers members heavy discounts on luxury hotels and holidays, has quietly acquired 3-year-old My City Venue to bolster the events side of its business.
The purchase price isn’t be... |
| 15.01.2014 | Luxury travel company Secret Escapes acquires Berlin-based hotel booking platform JustBook | London, UK-based luxury travel marketplace operator Secret Escapes has acquired Berlin startup JustBook, German media reported this morning. I reached out to JustBook co-founder Stefan Menden, who confirmed the news but declined to disclose... |
| 15.01.2014 | Luxury Travel Site Secret Escapes Buys Germany’s JustBook To Square Up To Jetsetter And Hotel Tonight | Some consolidation afoot in the online travel space: UK-based Secret Escapes, which focuses on luxury travel flash sales, is buying Germany’s JustBook, a mobile-based specialist in bookings in the business travel sector. The companies are n... |
| 12.09.2013 | Zynstra completes $3.8 Million Series A funding | Aims to reinvent how SMEs buy and manage IT
BATH, United Kingdom – 12th September 2013 – Zynstra, a provider of hybrid cloud solutions for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), has today announced the completion of a $3.8 million Serie... |
| 08.08.2013 | WorldPay eCommerce transaction volume grows 45% | WorldPay eCommerce reports high double-digit growth, driven by increased transaction volumes and product acceptance.
London, 8th August, 2013 – The eCommerce division of WorldPay, a global leader in payment processing, risk and alternative ... |
| 05.02.2013 | Secret Escapes selects WorldPay to strengthen position across the Globe | Luxury online travel club increases payment offering with WorldPay
LONDON (Feb 5th, 2013) – WorldPay, a global leader in payment processing, risk and alternative payments and Secret Escapes, UK’s top luxury travel deals experts, has today a... |
| 20.11.2012 | European investment bank lights its torch in Silicon Valley | We are excited to bring Transform 2022 back in-person July 19 and virtually July 20 - 28. Join AI and data leaders for insightful talks and exciting networking opportunities. Register today!
Torch Partners entered the US market today and op... |
| 15.10.2012 | Luxury Travel Online Members’ Club, Secret Escapes, Raises £8 Million Led By Index Ventures; Plans For U.S. Launch | Secret Escapes, an online ‘flash sales’ free-to-join members club for luxury holidays and hotel rooms, has raised a new funding round totaling £8 million ($12.8m) to bolster its position in the U.K. market and support international launches... |
| 15.10.2012 | Secret Escapes Secures £8M | Secret Escapes, a UK online luxury travel club, has secured £8m (approximately $12.9m) of new funding.
The round was led by Index Ventures, with participation from existing investors Octopus Ventures and Atlas Venture.
The company intends t... |
| 18.10.2011 | Secret Escapes Attracts New Funding And A Battle-Hardened CEO | Secret Escapes, the exclusive flash sales for luxury hotel rooms along the lines of and Voyage Privé in France and Gilt Group in the US, is announcing a second funding round, although they are being coy about the level. Suffice to say this ... |
| 18.10.2011 | Secret Escapes attracts new funding and a battle-hardened CEO | Secret Escapes, the exclusive flash sales for luxury hotel rooms along the lines of Voyage Prive in France, is announcing a second funding round, although they are being coy about the level. Suffice to say this is a site which is pretty muc... |
| - | Secret Escapes Survived Pandemic Thanks to $74 Million Fundraising | Travel deals specialist Secret Escapes survived the pandemic with the help of an approximately $74 million (£55 million) Series E equity fundraising from all its existing shareholders in May 2020, according to new financial filings.
The cri... |
