Abu Dhabi-headquartered travel startup, DHARMA announced that it has successfully raised $4.7 million in a pre-Series A funding round led by San Francisco-based Convivialite Ventures with notable participation from marketplace-focused FJ Labs, Equinox and Soul Cycle owner Stephen Ross, and media behemoth Liontree. Other notable investors and angels include Mubadala-backed Shorooq Partners, Matt Higgins from Shark Tank, football icon Eric Cantona, consumer fund Goodwater and Skift founder Rafat Ali.
This investment will allow DHARMA to continue expanding its roster of world-class creators to offer multi-day travel experiences in new verticals such as culinary, sports, fashion and lifestyle tourism.
Charaf El Mansouri, CEO and Co-Founder at DHARMA said, “We’re proud of being based in the UAE, one of the most future-forward travel markets in the world, but equally proud that what we do has resonated with investors globally. The idea that you could seamlessly book your next trip hosted by your favorite chef, surfer, or fitness instructor is both universal and extremely personal.”
“Our goal is to continue attracting and retaining the most inspiring people and brands in the world by enabling them to create and host authentic travel experiences for their communities,” said Nisma Benani, CRO and Co-Founder at DHARMA. “It’s not just about creating an exciting and meaningful new revenue stream for creators, it’s also about nurturing their community and creating moments of IRL connection.”
“The team at Convivialite Venture is thrilled to support DHARMA’s next phase of growth as they look to become the key player in the passion travel space,” said Wendy Wattebled, Partner at Convivalite Ventures. “We believe in their vision of connecting the world through the power of shared experience.”
