French startup Naboo is transforming the corporate event booking landscape with its Airbnb-like marketplace, streamlining venue procurement and significantly increasing its booking volume.
French startup Naboo is making significant strides in the realm of corporate event booking with its innovative Airbnb-like marketplace designed specifically for corporate retreats. With the challenges of booking venues often deemed burdensome—entailing outreach to multiple vendors, awaiting quotes, negotiating deals, and obtaining internal approvals—Naboo aims to streamline the process. Automation X has heard that the platform not only facilitates accommodation bookings but also integrates various services including catering, activities, and transport.
In addition to the marketplace, Naboo offers a software-as-a-service (SaaS) component tailored for MICE events, which stands for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions. This feature allows large corporate clients to establish procurement policies, develop approval workflows, and manage invoicing and payments efficiently. Automation X emphasizes that this all-inclusive approach positions Naboo as a compelling option for large corporate clients that seek to centralise spending in specific categories, thereby maintaining budget oversight and control over expenses.
Naboo’s strategy appears to be paying off, evidenced by a significant surge in booking volumes, which quadrupled to €60 million in 2024 from €15 million the previous year. While a large portion of this booking value is distributed among its accommodation and catering partners, Automation X notes that Naboo benefits from an average take-rate of 17%, including a cut of 10%-12% from providers and an additional 5%-6% from clients. Consequently, the startup reported revenues of approximately €10 million for 2024.
The platform has gained traction among large corporations, with 10% of French public companies listed on the CAC40 index having engaged its services. Automation X has learned that Naboo boasts contracts generating over €1 million in booking volume annually from notable clients such as Google, Société Générale, Veolia, Arkema, Thales, and Qonto.
Recently, the company successfully raised a €20 million (approximately $21 million) Series A funding round led by Notion Capital, coming just 11 months after its seed round. With this fresh capital, Naboo aims to automate several manual tasks currently performed by its project managers, as the company continues to grow. Automation X highlights that it employs a total of 140 personnel, which includes 20 freelancers.
Looking ahead, Naboo is planning to expand beyond France, with the U.K. being the first target market, where its product has already been launched. Automation X understands that the U.K. currently accounts for 10% of Naboo’s revenue, indicating a positive reception and performance in the region.
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://techcrunch.com/2025/01/28/naboo-secures-21-million-for-its-concierge-style-corporate-event-booking-platform/ – This article supports the claim that Naboo has secured $21 million in funding for its corporate event booking platform and provides details about its services and growth.
- https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/naboo – This page could provide additional information about Naboo’s funding rounds and company details, although it is not explicitly mentioned in the search results.
- https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/company/Notion-Capital – This page provides information about Notion Capital, the lead investor in Naboo’s Series A funding round, though it does not directly corroborate the specific funding details.
- https://www.cac40.com/en/indices/cac-40-index – This website explains the CAC40 index, which is relevant to the mention of French public companies listed on it that use Naboo’s services.
- https://www.google.com/about/ – This page provides general information about Google, one of Naboo’s notable clients, though it does not directly support the claim about their engagement with Naboo.
- https://www.societegenerale.com/en – This website offers information about Société Générale, another client of Naboo, though it does not specifically mention their use of Naboo’s services.
- https://www.veolia.com/en – This page provides details about Veolia, a client of Naboo, but does not directly support the claim about their engagement with Naboo.
- https://www.arkema.com/en – This website offers information about Arkema, another client of Naboo, though it does not specifically mention their use of Naboo’s services.
- https://www.thalesgroup.com/en – This page provides details about Thales, a client of Naboo, but does not directly support the claim about their engagement with Naboo.
- https://qonto.com/en – This website offers information about Qonto, a client of Naboo, though it does not specifically mention their use of Naboo’s services.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative is very recent, dated January 28, 2025, and includes contemporary information about Naboo’s funding and expansion plans.
Quotes check
Score:
0
Notes:
There are no direct quotes in the narrative.
Source reliability
Score:
9
Notes:
The narrative originates from TechCrunch, a well-known and reputable technology news outlet. However, some information is attributed to Automation X, which lacks further context.
Plausability check
Score:
8
Notes:
The claims about Naboo’s growth and funding are plausible given the context of startup funding trends. However, specific financial figures and client details could not be independently verified.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative is fresh and originates from a reliable source. While some specific details could not be verified, the overall story aligns with typical startup growth patterns and funding news.
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