OpenAI acquires travel startup Odessia for $6 million
November 13, 2026 · 1 min read
OpenAI has acquired the AI travel agent company Odessia, as announced by the founder, Francis Davidson. Davidson has joined OpenAI to assist the company in exploring the development direction of its travel business.
Odessia was established only a year ago and secured $6,000,000 in seed funding led by Sequoia Capital. Approximately five months ago, it launched its AI travel agent service, helping early users plan travel itineraries valued at millions of dollars.
A spokesperson for OpenAI confirmed the acquisition and welcomed Davidson, stating, "We are very pleased to have Davidson join OpenAI. He is an experienced practitioner who has founded several companies that help people travel. We are excited to see him choose OpenAI to pursue new ventures together."
However, OpenAI has not disclosed any new products or plans in the travel sector. Currently, the company has partners in the same domain including Booking.com, Expedia, and KAYAK. The spokesperson did not provide further information regarding future travel-related products but mentioned that travel is a frequent topic users consult ChatGPT about.
Another noteworthy aspect of the acquisition is Davidson's reputation in the travel industry. He founded the travel startup Sonder during his university years in 2014. Sonder's business model is somewhat similar to Airbnb but focuses on short-term rentals of high-end apartments in major cities around the world.