OpenAI has acquired Odessia, a startup developing an artificial intelligence-powered travel agent. In an announcement about the deal, founder Francis Davidson said he had joined OpenAI and would help the company shape the future of travel.
The financial terms of the acquisition have not been disclosed. However, the deal appears to be primarily focused on acquiring talent. Davidson’s announcement largely described how he built Odessia by leading teams of AI agents.
Founded less than a year ago, Odessia raised $6 million in pre-seed funding in a round led by Sequoia. The startup launched its AI travel agent approximately five months ago. Although Davidson said the tool had helped its first users plan trips worth millions of dollars, the service has already been shut down.
An OpenAI spokesperson confirmed the hiring to TechCrunch: “We’re thrilled to welcome Francis to OpenAI. Francis is a proven founder who has built multiple companies to help people travel, and we’re excited that he chose to build with us.”
OpenAI has not announced any new travel-specific products or plans. However, the company lists platforms such as Booking.com, Expedia and KAYAK among its customers or partners. Travel is also one of the main areas in which people seek help from personal AI assistants. When OpenAI launched its ChatGPT agent in July 2025, it cited travel as one of its potential use cases.
Beyond noting that travel is a frequent topic among ChatGPT users, the OpenAI spokesperson did not provide further details about the company’s plans for travel-focused products. The spokesperson said: “Every week, 1.2 billion people turn to ChatGPT for help with everyday tasks, from understanding their health and figuring out what to cook for dinner to budgeting and planning travel. We see a real opportunity to make these experiences even more useful.”
The acquisition of Odessia is also notable because of Davidson’s previous experience in the travel industry. In 2014, while still a university student, he founded Sonder, a travel startup focused on short-term rentals of luxury apartments in major cities around the world, operating on a model similar to Airbnb.
The pandemic dealt a severe blow to the company. Sonder attempted to navigate the crisis by going public through a SPAC merger, but failed to raise the funding it needed. Davidson later discussed these difficulties in a post announcing his resignation as CEO in June 2025.
After a crucial partnership with Marriott fell through, Sonder entered bankruptcy proceedings and was liquidated. The bankruptcy administrator sold the company’s name, trademarks and internet domains to TravelAI in 2026. The website now serves as a curated guide to the rental properties that once made Sonder well known.
Before its collapse, Davidson had turned Sonder into a unicorn startup, with revenue reaching $143 million. Although Sonder ultimately did not become a success story, Davidson has the profile of an experienced founder who has navigated significant challenges — a background often valued in Silicon Valley.
With Davidson now joining OpenAI, it remains to be seen what the company will offer in the travel sector.
