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Hopper Reviews

Montreal, Canada

4.0/ 5

1 review

Hopper, Inc. is a leading global travel technology company and online marketplace that utilizes big data and artificial intelligence to simplify trip planning and travel purchasing. Founded in April 2007 by former Expedia executives Frederic Lalonde and Joost Ouwerkerk, along with Sebastien Rainville and later joined by Dakota Smith, the company is headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, with a major U.S. presence in Boston, Massachusetts. Originally launched as a travel planning tool in 2014, Hopper shifted its core business model to leverage machine learning and predictive analytics to help travelers determine the optimal times to buy flights and hotels. The platform tracks massive amounts of historical data to power its signature price-forecasting algorithm, allowing users to save money by receiving intelligent notifications on when fares are at their lowest. Hopper has since expanded its consumer offerings into a comprehensive mobile-first travel marketplace. In addition to flights and hotels, the platform features rental cars and a short-term home rental service called Hopper Homes, launched in January 2022, which provides access to millions of professionally managed properties worldwide. To drive user engagement, Hopper features a built-in loyalty rewards program called Carrot Cash, offering customers cash back on bookings that can be applied to future travel. A major driver of Hopper’s growth is its unique suite of travel fintech products designed to protect consumers against pricing volatility and trip disruptions. These proprietary ancillary services include options to freeze flight prices for a small fee, cancel or change bookings at short notice for any reason, and receive automated assistance or price-drop guarantees. These fintech offerings have become central to Hopper’s monetization strategy, accounting for a significant portion of its overall revenues. In 2021, Hopper diversified its operations by launching Hopper Technology Solutions (HTS), its business-to-business (B2B) division. Through HTS, the company licenses its white-label booking infrastructure, AI-driven commerce tools, and travel fintech products to external enterprises, including major banks, airlines, and online travel agencies. A cornerstone partnership of this initiative is Capital One Travel, a customized booking experience built specifically for Capital One cardholders. As a privately-held company, Hopper has achieved a valuation of $5 billion following secondary share sales and major funding rounds. It has raised over $700 million from prominent institutional investors, including Capital One Ventures, OMERS Ventures, GPI Capital, WestCap, Goldman Sachs, and Stack Capital Group. Hopper has grown into one of the most downloaded travel applications in North America, serving over 100 million travelers and generating significant annual travel bookings. The company also maintains a dedicated sustainability program, Hopper Trees, which automatically funds tree-planting initiatives for every booking made to help offset carbon dioxide emissions.