Based in Amsterdam and Cape Town Conservio, a nature-based travel marketplace, announced it has secured $500K in a pre-Seed round of fundraising.
Volve Capital, a venture capital firm located in the Netherlands, led the investment. Ardan Bousché, David Torr (UCOOK), Galen Welsch (Jibu Africa), Elsbeth Boes, Leen de Bruyne (Living Hope Ventures), Lennert den Teuling, and Pieter van Herpen (Kaas.vc) were among the angel investors that participated in the round.
“We are thrilled to secure this funding and are excited to use it to make this type of travel more accessible. With this additional capital, we will be able to fuel our mission, to accelerate the positive impact of ecotourism,” co-founder Justin Rijnberg said.
“Traditionally these places are very hard to find and book online, and with our unique approach we make it easier for people to explore nature. This funding is a huge vote of confidence in our team and our mission,” Lara Dendy Young added.
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Conservio plans to utilise the cash to expand its workforce in South Africa, increase marketing operations, and improve the booking process for nature-based tourism.
Joost Bijlsma, founder of Volve, says, “We have been impressed with Conservio’s mission and the impact they have made thus far, and we believe the company is well-positioned for significant growth in South Africa and beyond.”
A Look At What The Startup Does
Conservio, founded in 2021 by Justin Rijnberg and Lara Dendy Young, promises to be the go-to portal for booking nature-based tours in South Africa, with a “unique” variety of lodgings and activities.
In the Conservio marketplace, adventurous travellers may buy a variety of unforgettable travel experiences, such as strolling tours, eco-cabins, tented camps, and 10-day Congo jungle expeditions.
“We bring together outdoor travellers and a selection of accommodations (ecolodges, cabins, and villas) and experiences in natural areas and national parks. We offer our supply side, an integrated SaaS and embedded fintech solution to enable easy and transparent bookings,” Conservio noted in a statement.
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The firm is based in the Netherlands, however the bulk of its employees are based in South Africa.
Conservio nature travel Conservio nature travel
Charles Rapulu Udoh
Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer, who has several years of experience working in Africa’s burgeoning tech startup industry. He has closed multi-million dollar deals bordering on venture capital, private equity, intellectual property (trademark, patent or design, etc.), mergers and acquisitions, in countries such as in the Delaware, New York, UK, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Nigeria etc. He’s also a corporate governance and cross-border data privacy and tax expert.
As an award-winning writer and researcher, he is passionate about telling the African startup story, and is one of the continent’s pioneers in this regard