Travel startup funding and M&A highlights in Q2 2026

Travel startup funding was relatively quiet in Q2 2026, with deals concentrated in seed and Series B rounds, and one notable Series C. Notable Series B rounds include hotel tech company Smartness raising €47 million and India-based hostel company The Hosteller announcing $16 million. WeRoad secured a $58 million Series C led by Airbnb. Clarasight raised an $11.5 million Series A. Despite the seeming lack of funding, investors are bullish on the outlook. Phocuswright data shows funding reached $1.7 billion in the first five months of the year, up from $1.1 billion in 2025. On the M&A front, Expedia Group's acquisition of CarTrawler, Juniper's acquisition of Deem, and Lighthouse's acquisition…