mygola

Mygola, Inc. operated as a technology-driven travel planning service, founded in 2009 by Indian Institute of Technology Bombay batchmates Anshuman Bapna and Prateek Sharma. The company was established with engineering offices in Bangalore, India, and was also headquartered in the US. Bapna's background includes a role at Google managing relationships with major travel players and a degree from Stanford Graduate School of Business, which informed his perspective on the travel industry's need for a solution beyond purely algorithmic approaches. The founders aimed to address a global problem from their base in Bangalore, focusing initially on a model that used technology to provide users with personal travel planners.

The company underwent significant pivots throughout its history. Initially, it functioned as a service where users could access human 'guides' who utilized Mygola's platform to research and plan trips. After two years and planning over 30,000 trips, the founders recognized that their core DNA was in technology, not in being a cloud-based travel agency. This realization led to a strategic shift in June 2012. Following extensive interviews with travelers, the company repositioned itself to focus on creating the world's largest collection of customizable and instantly bookable travel itineraries. The platform aggregated and structured content—like videos, hours of operation, and traveler tips—on a massive scale, allowing users to create a custom trip plan in as little as 15 minutes.

Mygola's business model evolved to monetize its platform by charging service providers a commission of 5-10% on bookings made through its app, along with an additional 5% from users. The company successfully raised a total of $2.67 million in funding over three rounds. Key funding rounds included $1 million in 2011 from investors like 500Startups and Blumberg Capital, and a $1.5 million Series A round in October 2013 led by Helion Venture Partners. This capital was aimed at expanding its US presence, exploring marketing channels, and enhancing its mobile experience. Ultimately, in April 2015, the NASDAQ-listed online travel company MakeMyTrip acquired Mygola for an undisclosed amount through its Innovation Fund. The entire Mygola team was absorbed into MakeMyTrip, with the goal of strengthening MakeMyTrip's capabilities in travel planning and in-destination experiences.

Keywords: Mygola, travel planning, custom itineraries, Anshuman Bapna, Prateek Sharma, MakeMyTrip acquisition, travel technology, online travel agent, trip planner, itinerary customization, travel booking, Bangalore startup, Helion Venture Partners, Blumberg Capital, 500Startups, travel tech funding, destination guides, mobile travel, travel data structuring, personalized travel