We didn’t start Vacaay because the timing was perfect. We started because the opportunity was undeniable.
Travel was changing, and tourism marketing teams were under pressure to show real ROI which the platforms available at the time weren’t able to provide.
So we built something better.
What began as a lean operation—with two Co-Founders and an offshore dev—has since grown into a global travel tech platform influencing millions of trips a year. We now serve hundreds of partners—from national tourism boards to major hotel groups—across more than 50 countries.
Vacaay’s active user base has soared, our revenue has tripled year-on-year, and our valuation has climbed comfortably into eight-figure territory. But it didn’t happen overnight—and it didn’t happen by accident.
Growth demands reinvention
One of the biggest leadership challenges during scale is knowing when to evolve. The same mindset that drives a startup doesn’t always translate when you’re managing multiple teams, client accounts, and international operations.
In the early days, everyone did everything. Now we’ve built out product, content, partnerships, client success, data, and engineering teams—with defined processes and shared accountability.
It’s no longer about working harder. It’s about working smarter, hiring well, and building systems that unlock scale.
You can’t grow alone
Our journey has been shaped by the people around us—team members, advisors, clients, and investors who believed in the vision even when international travel was on hold.
Growth needs capital—and we were fortunate to attract investors who shared our vision, raising two funding rounds. These weren’t just capital injections—they were fuel to accelerate our roadmap, expand internationally, and invest in the data layer that sets Vacaay apart.
We’ve grown from a lean Sydney-based startup into a global team with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, London, Cape Town, and Manila.
Our model works because it solves real problems
Tourism boards use Vacaay to target high-intent travellers and measure downstream impact. Hotels list with us to increase direct bookings and reduce OTA reliance. Travellers use our platform to discover, plan, and book more seamlessly than ever before.
That trifecta—value for partners, value for travellers, and a sustainable revenue model—is what’s allowed us to scale with purpose.
We’re not just a travel discovery tool. We’re a performance-driven platform that delivers tangible ROI. And our retention rates reflect that.
Final thought
Scaling a startup is exciting, incredibly rewarding, but also exhausting. There’s no playbook and no guarantees. Just a series of key decisions—some bold, some boring—that slowly shape what the company becomes.
For us, the journey from startup to scaleup hasn’t been about explosive hype. It’s been about building steadily, learning constantly, and showing up every day with a long-term mindset.
And while we’re proud of how far we’ve come, we’re even more excited about what’s ahead.
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