• Algerian travel-tech startup Völz raised USD 5M, marking the first successful exit for the state-backed Algerian Startup Fund.
• Völz enables international flight bookings in Algerian dinar with cash-on-delivery and offline-friendly payments, addressing local currency and banking challenges.
• Funding will help automate operations, reduce booking errors, expand the technical team, and simplify travel access for Algerian users.

Völz

Algerian travel-tech startup Völz secured around USD 5 million (DZD 600M) in a new funding round. The round was led by Tell Group and Groupe Industriel Babahoum Algérie (GIBA). This deal marks the first successful exit for the Algerian Startup Fund (ASF), a state-backed investment vehicle. 

Founded in 2022  by Mohamed Abdelhadi Mezi and Hacene Seghier, Völz is a travel tech startup. It operates as an Online Travel Agency aiming to specifically tackle the friction points of the Algerian travel market.

Travel Tech

The platform enables users to book international flights while paying in Algerian dinar. This is an attempt to tackle the challenges around foreign-currency payments for international travel. The startup also offers cash-on-delivery and offline-friendly payment options to accommodate those who remain unbanked or skeptical of digital payments. These options aim to make international travel booking more accessible to a wider range of Algerian consumers.

Looking forward, with the funding, it aims to automate backend operations, reduce booking errors, and expand its technical team. It also aims to support its mission to simplify travel for Algerian users and scale its operational capabilities.

“This fundraising allows us to accelerate our mission to make travel simpler and more accessible,” said CEO Mohamed Abdelhadi Mezi.

The startup also recently partnered with Turkish Airlines, providing access to the airline’s corporate partner ecosystem. This will give it access to corporate rates and the airline’s corporate partner program. Moreover, this partnership aims to leverage the B2B travel market to achieve higher margins.