CarTrawler

What CarTrawler does

CarTrawler is a Dublin-headquartered B2B travel technology platform founded in 2004 that operates a two-sided marketplace connecting car rental suppliers, ground transport providers, and (since 2025) insurtech products with airlines, online travel agencies, and travel brands. Its core offering is the proprietary Connect Platform — an API-first architecture that aggregates content from 550+ car rental suppliers and 500+ mobility providers, processes over 5 billion API calls per day, and displays more than 175 million cars daily across 150+ countries. The platform is organized as modular suites: core infrastructure (Connect Content, Connect Technology), revenue optimization and personalization (Connect Revenue, Connect People, Connect Loyalty), and customer experience layers (Connect Care, Connect Payments), supported by in-house data science teams operating real-time machine-learning pricing and sort models.

The company serves over 70 airline partners — including Ryanair, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, easyJet, Qantas, Virgin Australia, Emirates, Air France-KLM, Southwest Airlines, Jet2, Finnair, WIZZ Air, Norwegian, and Volotea — plus more than 300 travel brands such as eDreams ODIGEO, with Uber as a mobility partner. Revenue is generated on a transaction/take-rate basis from car rental commissions, ground transport bookings, and increasingly from travel insurance products (Cancel For Any Reason coverage, parametric flight disruption) following the 2025 acquisition of French insurtech Koala. Pricing is enterprise-custom and not publicly disclosed.

CarTrawler is currently owned by private equity firm TowerBrook Capital Partners. In May 2026, Expedia Group announced an agreement to acquire the company for approximately $350 million (300 million euros), with closing expected in H2 2026; the deal would integrate the Connect Platform into Expedia's Rapid API distribution to 75,000+ B2B partners and pair it with a strategic Uber ground transport partnership. CarTrawler holds B Corp certification and operates offices in Dublin, New York, and London.

Name

CarTrawler

Legal name

CarTrawler

Website

http://www.cartrawler.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

CarTrawler is a Dublin-based B2B travel technology platform that connects 550+ car rental suppliers and 500+ mobility providers with 70+ airlines and 300+ travel brands via its proprietary Connect Platform, processing 5bn+ daily API calls. The company monetizes car rental, ground transport, and (since 2025 Koala) travel insurance on a take-rate basis, and is pending acquisition by Expedia Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Travel Technology Platform

NAICS

Support Activities for Transportation (488), Other Support Activities for Transportation (4889)

SIC

Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Car Rental & Ground Mobility Aggregators (THAKAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Ground Services Wholesalers (Transfers, Car/Coach & Local Transport) (THAKAJAD)

Keywords

• B2B travel technology
• Car rental marketplace
• Airline ancillary solutions
• Ground transport platform
• Travel insurtech

Headquarters

HQ city

Dundrum

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Car Rental Marketplace Commission: CarTrawler operates a marketplace connecting car rental suppliers with travel brands. The platform earns commission from car rental bookings made through airline and OTA partners, with the company facilitating transactions between suppliers and partners across its global network.
2. Ground Transport and Mobility Services: Revenue from connecting mobility suppliers (private transfers, ride-hailing) with travel brand partners through the Connect Platform, expanding beyond traditional car rental into broader ground transportation categories.
3. Insurtech Solutions: Following the acquisition of Koala in 2025, CarTrawler generates revenue from travel insurance products including Cancel For Any Reason coverage and parametric flight disruption insurance, integrated into the booking experience for airline and travel partners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CarTrawler operates the Connect Platform, a B2B technology platform that aggregates car rental inventory from 550+ suppliers and ground transport options from 500+ mobility providers, and delivers this content to 300+ travel brand partners (including 70+ airlines and OTAs) via API integration. The platform enables partners to offer car rental, ground transport, and insurtech (via Koala) products to their end customers under their own brands, with CarTrawler earning commissions and transaction-based fees.

Product overview

CarTrawler operates a unified B2B platform architecture called the Connect Platform, which serves as a marketplace connecting car rental suppliers, ground transport providers, and insurtech solutions with travel brands including airlines and OTAs. The platform consists of core infrastructure components (Connect Content for supplier aggregation, Connect Technology for integration) plus two enhancement suites: Connect Enhance (comprising Connect Revenue, Connect People, and Connect Loyalty modules for revenue optimization and personalization) and Connect Experience (comprising Connect Care and Connect Payments modules for customer service and transactions). In 2025, CarTrawler expanded its portfolio through the acquisition of insurtech startup Koala, adding automated travel insurance products including Cancel For Any Reason coverage and parametric flight disruption insurance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Koala: Travel insurtech platform acquired by CarTrawler in 2025, offering Cancel For Any Reason coverage and parametric flight disruption insurance with automated claim outcomes.

Products and services

• CarTrawler Connect Platform Core B2B technology platform connecting 550+ car rental suppliers, 500+ mobility providers, and insurtech solutions with 300+ travel brands (including 70+ airlines) via API integration. Powers digital channels with dynamic retail-led car rental, ground transport booking, and revenue optimization for partners.
• Koala API-first automated travel insurtech platform offering Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) coverage and parametric flight disruption insurance with instant claim outcomes. Integrated into the Connect Platform for airline and travel brand partners (e.g., Volotea serving 11m+ passengers annually).

Quantifiable outcome

• Ancillary revenue growth for airline partners through car rental and mobility commissions
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Southwest AirlinescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 May 2026Southwest Airlines selected CarTrawler as its technology partner to power car rental services across its digital channels, replacing the airline's previous in-house car rental platform. The CarTrawler Connect Platform provides customers and Rapid Rewards members with access to a broader range of car rental options through a faster, more intuitive booking experience, expected to drive ancillary revenue growth, improve loyalty engagement, and strengthen conversion.
• Expedia GroupflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2026Expedia Group announced an agreement to acquire Ireland-based CarTrawler in a deal expected to close in H2 2026. The acquisition will expand Expedia's B2B travel platform into car rental, ground transport and Insurtech, enabling Expedia to build what it describes as the most complete B2B travel platform. The transaction is valued at approximately $350 million (300 million euros).
• UbercoreTechnology or Integration · 20 May 2026Expedia Group announced a strategic partnership with Uber as part of its broader mobility and ground transportation expansion strategy, with CarTrawler's platform expected to integrate with Uber services for comprehensive ground transportation offerings.
• VoloteacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Koala, an insurtech acquired by CarTrawler in 2025, partnered with European airline Volotea to provide travel insurance and passenger protection products to the airline's more than 11 million annual passengers. The partnership covers travel insurance, baggage protection, and flight disruption cover, expanding an existing commercial relationship between CarTrawler and Volotea that began with car rental services in 2023.
• RyanaircoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 December 2025Ryanair announced a strategic partnership with CarTrawler to enhance its ancillary services and offer integrated car rental options to passengers. The partnership leverages CarTrawler's Connect Platform to provide competitive car hire rates and improve customer experience, supporting Ryanair's low-fare strategy. The long-term agreement includes plans to expand the platform with new ancillary products.
• KoalacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 August 2025CarTrawler acquired Paris-based B2B InsurTech firm Koala, marking its first major move into insurance technology. Koala brings an API-first, automated insurance platform offering Cancel For Any Reason coverage and parametric flight disruption insurance with instant claim outcomes. The acquisition positions CarTrawler to compete directly with other travel insurtech firms while expanding into bundled, revenue-generating solutions.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Rentalcars.com: Rentalcars.com, a Booking Holdings subsidiary, is the closest direct competitor to CarTrawler in B2B car rental aggregation. It connects car rental suppliers with OTAs and travel brands globally via a similar marketplace/take-rate model, directly overlapping with CarTrawler's core proposition.
• AutoSlash: AutoSlash is a car rental price tracking and aggregation platform that partners with OTAs, loyalty programs, and travel sites to deliver discounted rental content. Its aggregator-to-partner distribution model directly parallels CarTrawler's supplier-to-travel-brand proposition.
• Engine (formerly TIPICO/Traveltek): Engine is a B2B travel technology provider delivering booking platforms, content aggregation, and ancillary solutions to airlines, OTAs, and travel management companies. Its B2B platform model and travel content focus closely resemble CarTrawler's Connect Platform.

Broad incumbents

• Travelport: Travelport is a major B2B travel technology platform offering GDS, retailing, and ancillary services including car and ground transport content for travel agencies, OTAs, and suppliers. It overlaps with CarTrawler's B2B distribution and merchandising capabilities across the travel value chain.
• Amadeus: Amadeus is a leading travel technology platform with a broad portfolio spanning GDS, airline IT, hospitality, and ground transport/ancillary distribution. Its breadth and incumbency in airline technology place it adjacent to CarTrawler's airline-channel proposition.
• Sabre: Sabre is a global travel technology company providing GDS, airline IT, and hospitality solutions, with ancillary merchandising and partner content distribution capabilities that overlap with CarTrawler's airline and OTA proposition.

Emerging players

• Hopper: Hopper is a mobile-first travel platform that uses predictive pricing to sell flights, hotels, and ancillary products including travel insurance. Its B2B partnerships with airlines and fintech-style ancillary offering overlap with CarTrawler's monetization of ancillary revenue per traveler.
• Duffel: Duffel is a travel API platform that enables travel businesses to access flights, hotels, and ground transportation inventory. Its developer-first, API-led distribution model for travel content is closely comparable to CarTrawler's Connect Platform approach.
• battleface: battleface is a travel insurtech offering customizable travel insurance products distributed via B2B partnerships with airlines, OTAs, and travel brands. Following CarTrawler's Koala acquisition, battleface becomes a directly comparable insurtech in the same airline and OTA partner ecosystem.

Others

• Kiwi.com: Kiwi.com operates a travel booking platform combining virtual interlining with its own ground transport and ancillary offerings. While primarily consumer-facing, it intersects with CarTrawler in ground transport aggregation and travel tech-led ancillary revenue models.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cartrawler
• Facebookfacebook.com/CareersatCarTrawler
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cartrawler

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A3 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CarTrawler