Who's funding travel start-ups?

Market research firm PhoCusWright forecasts that U.S. online leisure and unmanaged business travel bookings will grow to $94 billion in 2007. The firm also projects that 55 percent of all U.S. travel purchases will be made online in 2007.

VCs want to capture some of that growth. Venture investment in U.S. online travel companies has grown steadily since 2003, when $18.7 million was invested in three sites, and 2005, when $24 million funded eight deals (not counting one $30 million mega-deal this year). Source: San Francisco Business Journal Online Travel Takes Off

Somewhat recent finingings to note:

SideStep has raised $17 million in funding from Trident Capital and private investors.

Kayak has raised $15.5 million from General Catalyst, America Online, and Sequoia Capital.

Mobissimo has raised funds from Cambrian Ventures, Index Ventures, and Benhamou Global Ventures.

Qixo the East Gate Group invested close to $1M back in 1999.

TravelPost , a company that provides unbias hotel reviews, ratings, and travel blogs, raised a $1M seed round in July from Amicus Capital and Arba Seed Investment Group.

TripHub, the group travel site that makes it easy to plan, coordinated and share group trips, raised funding from Madrona Venture Group in 2005. (I'm an advisor to TripHub.)

Snapjot the company that provides media publishing for busy travelers raised $1.5M.

RealTravel, a travel information site that leverages blogging and social networking to provide a more personalized and informative experience to travel shoppers, raised $1M in angel funding in 2005.

Viator, the mature destination services business based in Australia, raised a $6M venture round from Carlyle Venture Partners .

Wandrian a leading global travel distributor and technology developer for rail products and services, raised a first round of financing from Brook Venture Partner, Boston Capital Ventures, and private investors in 2005.

Farecast a consumer facing travel site, has raised over $9 million from Greylock Partners, Madrona Venture Group, and WRF Capital. (I work for Farecast.)

Sources: company websites and archives from I Am Adam Smith and alarm:clock