Steve Singh and a team of travel industry veterans have introduced Otto, a new AI-driven trip planner and booking agent designed specifically for business travel. The startup, which secured $6 million in seed funding, was announced on Thursday. Michael Gulmann, the founder and CEO of Otto, brings extensive experience from his previous roles as senior vice president of consumer products at Expedia Group and chief product officer and head of marketing at Egencia.
Madrona Ventures spearheaded the seed round, with contributions from Direct Travel and a notable roster of travel industry experts. Singh, managing partner at Madrona Ventures and executive chairman of Otto, led the investment, supported by angel investors including Erik Blachford, former CEO of Expedia; Barney Harford, former CEO of Orbitz and board member of United Airlines; and Hugh Crean, former CEO of Farecast, which was acquired by Microsoft in 2008.
Otto aims to serve as a virtual travel agent, using advanced generative AI to assist users in planning and booking business trips. The platform enables natural language searches and can manage trip details such as hotel bookings and amenities. Otto’s integration with Spotnana, another Madrona-backed company where Singh serves as executive chairman, allows access to a broad inventory.
Gulmann explained that Otto targets the “unmanaged” sector of business travel—individuals or small businesses not tied to a contracted travel agency. He envisions Otto as a cost-effective alternative to traditional travel management companies, potentially capturing a portion of the estimated $156 billion unmanaged travel market in the U.S.
The startup plans to launch a beta version in December and has secured funding to operate for the next two years. Otto was conceived during a pitch at Madrona Venture Labs and developed with contributions from Singh, Labs CEO Mike Fridgen, and Madrona Ventures managing director Matt McIlwain, among others.
Gulmann, who has a history of working in startups, expressed enthusiasm for the potential of AI in transforming travel experiences, aligning with Singh’s vision of a “connected trip” where all involved parties have seamless access to a traveler’s data.
