Expedia announced a $26 million investment today in Alice, a technology company that helps hotels manage operations and communicate with guests. The investment makes Expedia a majority shareholder in the New York-based startup.
The funds will go toward further developing Alice’s products, like an app that allows guests to make requests from their rooms and a hotel management system that staff use to coordinate tasks and shifts. Bellevue, Wash.-based Expedia is the sole investor in ALICE’s Series B investment round.
Expedia’s growth strategy depends on acquisitions and investments in other travel brands. The company has gobbled up Trivago, Orbitz, HomeAway, and other companies and invested in startups like Room 77 and SilverRail.
Although the investment and resulting majority stake is a significant move for Expedia, it is dwarfed by the media maelstrom surrounding Expedia CEO Dara Khosrowshahi’s impending exit. Uber confirmed overnight that Khosrowshahi has accepted the job as its new top executive.
Expedia and Alice’s financial relationship dates back to an equity investment in 2015. The latest round brings Alice’s total funding to $39 million.
