This Chilean startup raised $6 million to address accessibility issues in the tourism industry

Wheel the World, a Chilean travel company that provides inclusive experiences for people with disabilities, has raised $6 million in a pre-Series A investment round led by Chilean venture capital fund Kayak Ventures, to enable more people with disabilities to travel.

Founded in 2016, the startup has been making a difference in solving accessibility issues in the tourism industry. Following an accident that left him immobilized for 75% of his body, Alvaro Silberstein, who was 18 at the time, and his co-founder Camilo Navarro, saw firsthand the difficulties that people living with disabilities experience while travelling and getting around. They both decided to develop inclusive experiences in tourist sites around the world with trained guides and all-terrain adaptive equipment.

As of today, Wheel the World has over 160 domestic and international destinations in countries such as Chile, Tanzania, the USA, Peru, and South Africa and is preparing for the next stage of growth that will be boosted by the investment round it managed to raise.

According to Crunchbase, Wheel the World has raised a total of $10.6 million in funding over 12 rounds to date, and the new capital will be used to develop new products to improve the customer experience in booking travel, accommodation, and group travel.

The funding round also saw participation from investment firms such as Detroit Venture Partners, Dadneo, Amarena, REI Co-op Path Ahead Ventures, CLIN Fund, WeBoost, and Gillian Trans, former CEO of Booking.com.