CARTRAWLER, THE Dublin technology firm controlled by brothers Greg and Niall Turley, is in discussions with a “small number” of travel industry players to sell an equity stake in the company.
The company behind CarTrawler, eTrawler, has unlimited status which means it is not obliged to file accounts at the Companies Office. Greg Turley, who co-founded CarTrawler with his brother Niall, told The Irish Times the company had revenues of €141 million last year, up from €100 million in 2009.
CarTrawler provides web-based software to airlines, travel agents, tourist agencies and others in the travel and tourism trade so they can provide a car hire booking service. Over 550 car hire firms, including major brands such as Avis, Hertz and National, as well as independent companies, provide details of their car hire inventory for CarTrawler.
Established in 2004, CarTrawler grew out of a family business Argus Car Hire, which was sold to Irish Car Rentals in 2007. The Turleys have in the past spurned approaches from venture capital investors, preferring to keep control of the firm.
In a statement, CarTrawler confirmed it was in discussions to sell a stake in the business to get “access to additional capital to accelerate growth via potential acquisitions, geographic expansions and key hires”.
It said the move was a “positive development for the Irish company and all of its current employees”.
CarTrawler employs 84 staff, primarily at its Dublin offices, although it also has a small number of staff at an office in Seattle in the US. It takes a percentage cut from all the car rental bookings done through its systems.
The latest airline to sign up to use CarTrawler’s system is Emirates, the national airline of Dubai which is controlled by the Gulf state’s ruling family.
It is using CarTrawler’s system to allow passengers to book car hire at the same time as they book flights on its website.
CarTrawler partnered with US firm ezRez Software with Tourico Holidays so that the system is also able to offer hotel bookings.
A new service by British train ticket retailer, The Train Line, allows passengers to rent cars close to hundreds of train stations in the UK.
