San Francisco-based Airial Travel has raised $3 million in seed funding to transform social media travel content into actionable vacation plans. The round was led by Montage Ventures, with participation from South Park Commons, Peak XV (formerly Sequoia India), and individual investors from Meta, UiPath, and Dropbox.

Founded in September 2023 by former engineers Archit Karandikar and Sanjeev Shenoy, who previously worked at Waymo and Meta, respectively, the startup aims to provide comprehensive travel planning powered by artificial intelligence.

“People don’t want cookie-cutter trips,” Shenoy tells Business Insider. “They want all of this heavily customized, and they want the rest of the pieces to be handled seamlessly.”

Creator Content Integration

Airial’s platform stands out by directly incorporating creator-generated travel content into its planning ecosystem. Users can add links to blogs, TikToks, or Reels and immediately add items mentioned by creators to their itineraries. The system also surfaces relevant TikTok videos based on user preferences and destination details.

The company is exploring a dedicated creator program that would allow travel influencers to monetize their itineraries through the platform, creating new revenue opportunities for content creators specializing in travel experiences.

Monetization Strategy for Creator Content

While currently focused on user acquisition rather than revenue, Airial’s business model includes plans that directly intersect with the creator economy. The company plans to generate revenue through shared commissions on hotel bookings and flights, while also exploring advertising partnerships with travel creators and offering premium features.

“Our vision is simple: users should ‘just imagine their trip and Airial it,'” Karandikar said in a statement. This approach positions Airial as a potential bridge between travel content creators and travel service providers.

The platform has recently added social features, enabling users to view and modify friends’ trips, thereby further enhancing the shareability of travel content. With a mobile app planned for Q3 2025, Airial aims to make creator-inspired travel planning more accessible across devices.