Lola.com
{{Infobox website
| name = Lola.com
| logo = Lola.com logo small transparent version
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| url = {{URL|lola.com}}
| commercial = Yes
| type = Corporate travel SaaS
| registration = Required
| language = English
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| owner =
| author = Paul M. English
Bill O'Donnell
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| launch_date = {{Start date and age|2015|07|06}}
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| current_status = Offline
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Lola.com is a software as a service (SaaS) company based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is best known for developing corporate travel management and expense software for web browsers, the App Store and Google Play.{{Cite web |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2017/10/04/paul-englishs-lola-travel-reboots-with.html |title=Paul English's Lola Travel reboots with businesspeople in mind |last=O'Brien |first=Kelly |date=2017-10-04 |website=www.bizjournals.com |access-date=2019-01-18}} The company was founded in 2015 by former Kayak.com executives, Paul M. English and Bill O'Donnell.{{Cite web |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/startups/2015/12/everything-you-need-to-know-kayak-co-founders-new.html |title=Everything you need to know about Kayak co-founder's new travel startup |last=Castellanos |first=Sara |date=2015-12-02 |website=www.bizjournals.com |access-date=2019-01-18}}{{Cite web |url=https://mashable.com/2017/10/04/lola-app-launch-business-travel-kayak-paul-english/ |title=This app wants to be the easiest, fastest way to book travel |last=Flynn |first=Kerry |website=Mashable |date=4 October 2017 |language=en |access-date=2019-01-18}}
The website operates under a travel agency model for hotel and flight search information as well as booking services for businesses. It also has administrative analytics on employee travel and associated costs.{{Cite web |url=https://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-tips/mobile-apps/lola-app-business-travel-personal-assistant |title=Every Business Traveler Can Now Have Their Own Personal Assistant |last=Lieberman |first=Melanie |date=2017-10-06 |website=Travel + Leisure |language=en |access-date=2019-01-18}} Lola has received more than $80 million in funding since its foundation.{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/01/09/lola-series-b/|title=Kayak co-founder Paul English raises $15M for his travel startup Lola|last=Whittaker|first=Zack|date=2017-01-09|website=TechCrunch|language=en-US|access-date=2019-06-17}}
History
In July 2015, Blade, a Boston-based incubator, began focusing on a single startup. By December, English announced that Lola had emerged from stealth mode. The company's name was derived from a combination of the words "latitude" and "longitude".{{Cite web |url=https://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/2015/12/03/paul-english-lola/ |title=Kayak Cofounder Paul English Is Introducing His New Venture, Lola |last=Bilis |first=Madeline |date=2015-12-03 |website=Boston Magazine |language=en-US |access-date=2019-01-18}}
It acquired HopOn, a travel booking company, in 2015 and Room77, a hotel metasearch website, in 2016.{{Cite web |url=https://www.phocuswire.com/Paul-Englishs-startup-Lola-will-rethink-travel-agency-tech-first |title=Paul English's startup Lola will rethink travel agency tech first |website=www.phocuswire.com |language=en |access-date=2019-01-18}}{{Cite web |url=https://skift.com/2016/11/15/lola-travel-agent-app-acquires-room-77-technology/ |title=Lola Travel Agent App Acquires Room 77 Technology |date=2016-11-15 |website=Skift |language=en-US |access-date=2019-01-18}} The company launched an iOS application in April 2016 where users chatted with human travel agents.{{Cite web |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/review-of-lola-travel-app-2016-5 |title=We tested a new app from a cofounder of Kayak, and it was like having a travel agent in our pocket |last=Avakian |first=Talia |website=Business Insider |access-date=2019-01-18}} That same month, it completed a $20 million Series A funding round led by General Catalyst and Accel.{{Cite web |url=https://www.phocuswire.com/Lola-a-travel-concierge-startup-closes-its-$19-7-million-Series-A |title=Lola, a travel concierge startup, closes its $19.7 million Series A |last=O'Neil |first=Sean |date=2016-04-05 |website=www.phocuswire.com |language=en |access-date=2019-01-18}}
The company had more than $44 million in total funding after a December 2016 Series B round led by Charles River Ventures. GV and Tenaya Capital each invested $5 million in the round, while previous investors General Catalyst and Accel also participated. In July 2017, Lola had its second major release on iOS and the Android operating system. This iteration of the application focused on business travel by adding self-service hotel and flight booking and personalized travel recommendations.{{Cite web |url=https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Technology/Lola-chat-app-squares-focus-on-business-travel |title=Lola chat app squares focus on business travel: Travel Weekly |last=Biesiada |first=Jamie |date=2017-10-04 |website=www.travelweekly.com |language=en |access-date=2019-01-18}}
In July 2018, English announced he would assume the role of chief technology officer at Lola, with Mike Volpe, the chief marketing officer at Cybereason, becoming the company's chief executive officer.{{Cite web |url=https://www.americaninno.com/boston/bostinno-bytes/cybereason-cmo-mike-volpe-will-be-leaving-in-august-to-take-ceo-role/ |title=Cybereason CMO Mike Volpe to Become CEO of Lola |last=Maffei |first=Lucia |date=2018-07-16 |website=BostInno |access-date=2019-01-17}} Lola announced a five-year exclusive partnership with American Express Global Business Travel in November 2018 to sell its travel management software.{{Cite web |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2018/11/13/travel-startup-lola-com-to-partner-with-american.html |title=Travel startup Lola.com to partner with American Express venture |last=O'Brien |first=Kelly |date=2018-11-13 |website=www.bizjournals.com |access-date=2019-01-18}}
In March 2019, the company announced a $37 million Series C round led by General Catalyst and Accel.{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2019/03/26/lola-raises-37m-to-take-on-sap-and-others-in-the-world-of-business-travel/|title=Lola.com raises $37M to take on SAP and others in the world of business travel|last=Lunden|first=Ingrid|date=2019-03-26|website=TechCrunch|access-date=2019-06-17}} The round also included participation from all previous investors – Charles River Ventures, GV, and Tenaya Capital.
In February 2021, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism, the company pivoted to developing software for the financial technology industry.{{Cite web |title=Four months after pivot, Lola.com CEO says he sees results |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/inno/stories/news/2021/02/25/four-months-after-pivot-lolacom-ceo-says-he-sees.html |access-date=2022-11-14 |website=www.bizjournals.com}}
Lola ceased operations in September 2021 according to a notice on its website citing "new things to come" for the company.{{Cite web |title=Travel management firm Lola ceases operations: Travel Weekly |url=https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Corporate-Travel/Travel-management-firm-Lola-ceases-operations |access-date=2022-11-14 |website=www.travelweekly.com |language=en}} In October 2021, it was announced that Capital One was acquiring Lola.{{Cite web |title=Lola.com is being acquired by Capital One |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2021/10/08/lola-com-is-being-acquired-by-capital-one.html |access-date=2022-11-14 |website=www.bizjournals.com}}
References
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External links
{{Portal|Companies}}
- [https://www.lola.com/ Official website]
- [https://chiefexecutive.net/from-cmo-to-ceo-lola-coms-mike-volpe/ From CMO To CEO: Lola.com's Mike Volpe]