SA travel startup Conservio secures R19m to boost nature-based bookings

Lara Young, CEO and co-founder of Conservio | image supplied

The round includes further investment from Volve Capital, Living Hope Ventures and strategic angels, including seasoned African tech entrepreneur Jonathan Smit (Payfast), who participated in the platform’s $500k pre-seed raise in March 2023.

Conservio plans to use the funding to grow to over 2000 Southern African suppliers/properties in its portfolio, and scale up its customer base.

E4E managing partner Bas Hochstenbach, says: “E4E Africa invests in ventures that foster sustainable growth on the African continent.

“We believe in Conservio’s vision to make booking nature-based travel more efficient and pleasant for the traveller, and to support contributions to quality job creation in rural communities and increased conservation income for Africa’s iconic nature."

“We invested in Conservio because we believe in their mission to make nature-based travel more accessible and accelerate the positive impact of ecotourism,” comments Joost Bijlsma, co-founder of Volve, who adds that Conservio is well-positioned for significant growth.

"Demand for independent travel within Africa is growing rapidly," comments Justin Rijnberg, chief product officer and co-founder of Conservio.

"We are seeing a surge in tech-savvy travellers seeking unique stays beyond city centres. These travellers want the convenience of booking and paying online, seamlessly and in one place."