Awake
Awake Travel is a Bogotá-based digital nature tourism marketplace connecting conscious travelers with 372+ local hosts across 50+ Colombian destinations, embedding conservation and rural community development into its core platform alongside biodiversity monitoring (Awake Bio) and host training (Awake U).
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersBogotá, Colombia
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Awake does
Awake Travel (legally Los Viajes del Boga SAS) is a Bogotá-based digital tourism platform founded circa 2013 that connects individual nature travelers with a network of 372+ local hosts across 50+ destinations in Colombia, spanning the Caribbean coast, Pacific coast, Amazon, Andean region, and Orinoco plains. Its core product is a direct-to-consumer marketplace offering packaged itineraries, pre-scheduled group trips with confirmed calendar dates, and custom multi-destination corporate itineraries through a dedicated B2B portal (destinos.awake.travel). Hosts are primarily indigenous, Afro-Colombian, peasant, rural women, and ex-combatant communities, and the company has formalized 35 conservation agreements ("acuerdos por la vida") covering more than 80,000 hectares of native land.
The platform is augmented by two sub-products: Awake Bio, a community-based biodiversity monitoring program using camera traps, acoustic sensors, and satellite forest imagery to generate proprietary conservation data; and Awake U, a host training and capacity-building offering. Awake operates with no traditional travel agency distribution layer, selling exclusively via its own website, WhatsApp, and a corporate portal, with marketing driven by content (blog, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, newsletter) and user-generated content around the #awaketravel tag.
The business model is transactional nature tourism package sales (commission/markup on trips), with unit pricing varying by destination, season, group size, and service level, and a pay-as-you-go billing cadence. Revenue is split across individual nature travelers (primary), group travelers (mid-market), and corporate groups (enterprise). The company has attracted impact-aligned capital from Acumen, BID Lab, USAID, Fundación Conrad N. Hilton, Fundación Bancolombia, COMFAMA, and Fondo Acción, and in October 2024 was awarded the Naturatech LAC prize for biodiversity monitoring and community-based conservation technology.
Awake firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Awake
- Legal name
- Los Viajes del Boga SAS
- Website
- https://awake.travel
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Awake Travel is a Bogotá-based digital nature tourism marketplace connecting conscious travelers with 372+ local hosts across 50+ Colombian destinations, embedding conservation and rural community development into its core platform alongside biodiversity monitoring (Awake Bio) and host training (Awake U).
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Awake industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nature Tourism Services
- NAICS
- Tour Operators (561520), Tour Operators (56152)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Multi-Activity & Expedition Packages (Guided Adventure Trips) (THAJABAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Jungle/Rainforest Expedition & Survival Tour Operators (THAAADAI), Wildlife & Nature Interpretation Guides (Birding, Photography, Naturalist) (THAAALAE), Adventure Equipment Rental Shops (Outdoor Gear, Camping, Climbing, Water Sports) (THAAALAI)
Keywords
Where Awake is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bogotá
- HQ country
- Colombia
- HQ region
- Latin America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Awake business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Nature tourism package sales: Awake acts as a digital platform selling nature travel experiences directly to consumers, packaging multi-destination itineraries, guided group trips, and custom trips organized through their platform. Revenue is generated from the sale of these packaged travel experiences to travelers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Custom and packaged nature travel experiences — prices vary by destination, season, group size, and level of service. |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
Awake product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Awake operates a digital nature tourism platform that connects individual and group travelers with a network of 372+ local hosts (anfitriones) across 50+ destinations in Colombia, including indigenous, Afro-Colombian, rural, and ex-combatant communities. The platform sells packaged nature travel experiences (trekking, whale watching, bird watching, mountaineering, diving, cultural immersion, 4x4 expeditions) plus custom multi-destination itineraries for corporate groups, with full logistics (transportation, accommodation, local guides) handled in-house. It is supported by Awake BIO, a community-based biodiversity monitoring program, and Awake U, a training platform for hosts.
Product overview
Awake operates a digital tourism marketplace (Awake Travel Platform) as its core product, connecting travelers with over 372 local hosts for nature tourism across Colombia. The ecosystem includes Awake BIO (biodiversity monitoring tool), Awake U (host training), a gift voucher product, and a content blog. The platform covers 50+ destinations offering 160+ nature tourism experiences ranging from trekking and whale watching to cultural immersion with indigenous communities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Awake Bio: Community-based biodiversity monitoring program
- Awake U
Products and services
- Awake Travel Platform (Nature Tourism Experiences) Digital nature tourism platform connecting individual travelers with 372+ local hosts across 50+ destinations in Colombia, offering packaged nature experiences including trekking, whale watching, bird watching, diving, mountaineering, 4x4 expeditions, and cultural immersion with indigenous communities, with all logistics (transportation, accommodation, local guides) handled in-house.
- Group Travel Experiences (Únete al Grupo) Pre-scheduled multi-day group travel itineraries across Colombian nature destinations with confirmed dates, including whale watching, Amazon exploration, snowy mountain trekking, and turtle release experiences, designed for individual travelers who want to join a formed group.
- Awake Empresas (Corporate Travel) Customized multi-destination nature travel packages for corporate groups and businesses, supporting team-building, sustainable corporate retreats, and ESG-aligned group travel, accessed through a dedicated corporate portal and sales line.
- Awake Travel Gift Voucher Gift voucher that lets customers purchase travel credit redeemable against nature tourism experiences on the Awake platform.
Quantifiable outcome
- 2,802 direct jobs created in Colombian territories through Awake-operated trips
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Awake
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Awake technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Awake partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Naturatech (C-Minds / BID Lab)coreNaturatech is an initiative led by C-Minds (a women-led think tank promoting responsible technology for impact in Latin America) in alliance with BID Lab. Awake won the Naturatech LAC Award in October 2024 and is collaborating to consolidate community-based biodiversity monitoring, develop new data generation models with local communities, and connect them with data analysis and visualization technologies for conservation action.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Awake competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- G Adventures: Global adventure tour operator offering community-based small-group tours with local guides, comparable to Awake in its multi-destination, locally-immersive nature and adventure travel model across multiple geographies.
- Intrepid Travel: B-Corp certified small-group adventure tour operator with strong sustainable and responsible tourism positioning, directly comparable to Awake's regenerative nature travel and community-based host network approach.
- Evaneos: Marketplace connecting travelers with local travel agents in 160+ destinations, structurally similar to Awake's model of curating and intermediating between travelers and local hosts.
- Much Better Adventures: UK-based curated marketplace for small-group adventure experiences led by local guides, comparable in marketplace structure and focus on nature-based, host-led trips.
- Responsible Travel: UK-based directory and booking platform specializing in responsible, community-benefit holidays with vetted local operators, closely aligned with Awake's regenerative tourism and host-community focus.
- Earth Changers: Regenerative tourism platform curating trips that demonstrably benefit local communities and ecosystems, very directly comparable to Awake's regenerative positioning and impact measurement approach.
- Journeys Within: Boutique tour operator focused on community-based travel in Southeast Asia and Latin America, offering cultural and nature immersion with local hosts — structurally similar to Awake's community-immersion product.
Emerging players
- Sapa Sisters: Small-scale adventure tour operator offering community-led trekking and cultural immersion with ethnic minority hosts in Vietnam, comparable in ethos and small-scale, locally-immersive adventure travel model.
Broad incumbents
- Airbnb Experiences: Global marketplace for host-led local experiences including nature and adventure activities, comparable in marketplace structure and host-led model but operating at vastly greater scale and without regenerative tourism specialization.
- Viator (Tripadvisor): Global tours and activities marketplace with broad nature and adventure inventory across Latin America, comparable as a booking and discovery channel for tours but without Awake's regenerative/community-host differentiation.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Awake social profiles
Digital presenceAwake compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Awake financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Awake leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Awake funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Awake M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Awake
What does Awake do?
Awake operates a digital nature tourism platform that connects individual and group travelers with a network of 372+ local hosts (anfitriones) across 50+ destinations in Colombia, including indigenous, Afro-Colombian, rural, and ex-combatant communities. The platform sells packaged nature travel experiences (trekking, whale watching, bird watching, mountaineering, diving, cultural immersion, 4x4 expeditions) plus custom multi-destination itineraries for corporate groups, with full logistics (transportation, accommodation, local guides) handled in-house. It is supported by Awake BIO, a community-based biodiversity monitoring program, and Awake U, a training platform for hosts.
Is Awake a public or private company?
Awake is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Awake founded?
Awake was founded in 2013. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Awake based?
Awake is headquartered in Bogotá, Colombia, in the Latin America region.
How does Awake make money?
One revenue line is on record: nature tourism package sales.
Who are Awake's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are G Adventures, Intrepid Travel, Evaneos, Much Better Adventures, Responsible Travel, Earth Changers and Journeys Within. Sapa Sisters is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Airbnb Experiences and Viator (Tripadvisor).
Does Awake have an API?
No public API is recorded for Awake.
What industry is Awake in?
Awake's product category is Nature Tourism Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJABAL, Multi-Activity & Expedition Packages (Guided Adventure Trips), with a secondary code of THAAADAI, Jungle/Rainforest Expedition & Survival Tour Operators. Its NAICS code is 561520 and its SIC code is 7900.