Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Travis Katz</span></p><p class="caption">Trip.com CEO Travis Katz</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>In a move that sends a subtle signal to US <keyword id="6354692" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Travel">travel</keyword> titans Expedia and Priceline, Chinese travel giant Ctrip has bought a tiny US startup called Trip.com.</strong></li><li><strong>Trip.com was founded in 2010 by former Myspace exec Travis Katz and employs 25 people in Palo Alto, California.</strong></li><li><strong>The purchase indicates the global ambitions of Ctrip to move into Western markets.</strong></li></ul><p>Chinese travel giant <a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stock/CTRP-Quote">Ctrip</a> has made an interesting step into the US travel market by buying a small Palo Alto, California, startup known as Trip.com. Terms were not disclosed but Trip.com raised $39 million from investors like Battery Ventures, Redpoint and Expedia via a strategic partnership with Expedia's vacation-home-rental unit Homeaway. </p><p>CEO Travis Katz, who is staying on along with all of his employees, told us he put the deal together himself and is "happy with it" as are his investors. </p><p>Ctrip is China's biggest travel booking company and one of the largest travel booking companies in the world. It trades in the US on NASDAQ with a market cap of $25 billion.</p><p>Ctrip sent waves through the travel industry when it bought Scotland-based flight search company <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2016/11/23/ctrip-skyscanner/">Skyscanner at the end of 2016 for about $1.74 billion.</a> Skyscanner is the like the Kayak of Europe, a popular site for searching multiple airlines. Ctrip's acquisition signaled that the Chinese company had ambitions beyond Asia, starting with Europe.</p><p>Europe is an easier target than the US in many ways. The US industry has become a duopoly of sorts between Expedia and Priceline, each of which have snatched up most competitors of any significance. Expedia owns Hotels.com, Hotwire, Trivago, Travelocity, Orbitz, and HomeAway and others. Priceline owns Booking.com, Priceline, KAYAK, Rentalcars.com, OpenTable and others.</p><p>In fact, the hotel industry <a href="http://blog.hebsdigital.com/expedias-accelerator-hotelprofitabilitycoffin/">is so unhappy with lack of competition and the 20%-ish commissions</a> these two companies can now command, it has been lobbying to lawmakers against them, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/05/hotel-industry-targets-priceline-and-expedias-duopoly.html">CNBC reported in May.</a></p><h2>The  app got noticed when it started to help Chinese travelers</h2><p>Trip.com is so tiny, Ctrip's acquisition of it will be noticed by the US giants. The app is similar to Trip Advisor in that it combines finding a deal on a hotel with recommendations on places to eat and things to do. Its claim to fame is providing users with recommendations from "tribes" like foodies, adventurers, families, business travelers and so on.</p><p>But its popularity is growing. It's among the top 500 apps <a href="https://www.appannie.com/en/apps/ios/app/gogobot-city-guide-for-activities/">according to AppAnnie</a> and 10 million people use it, Katz says.</p><p>Earlier this year, Katz launched <keyword id="6356001" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="international">international</keyword> versions, including one in Chinese. His wants to help the growing number of Chinese travelers find cool things to do when they leave Asia.</p><p>And that caught Ctrip's attention. Katz had met Skyscanner's cofounder and CEO Gareth Williams and the two men hit it off with a shared visions of the future of travel booking - an AI app on your smartphone that knows who you, where you are and what you want, Katz said. Williams introduced Katz to Ctrip's executives. (Interesting note: Ctrip is run by women, including the CEO Jane Sun, its CFO and its chief strategy officer.)</p><h2>Locked in a hotel room on vacation</h2><p>Acquisition talks began in the summer while Katz was, ironically enough, vacationing with his family. The family went out to have fun and "I ended up locked in hotel room on phone with these guys trying to get the deal done," he says.</p><p>Katz says the purchase of his startup by Ctrip doesn't mean that the Chinese travel company is moving in on the US market immediately. The current focus remains Europe. But, he points out, "Ctrip is the first Chinese Internet company making aggressive moves in the West." He adds that "Chinese companies tend to take a long view on things." </p><p>In other words, Ctrip knows the US is a hard market to crack and it's not ready to try just yet. But they also see the discontent with the status quo and that could become the opening they need.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/iphone-x-unboxing-video-accessories-inside-apple-2017-10">Unboxing the iPhone X: Here's everything inside and what you'll need to get</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

Tiny startup Trip.com has been acquired by Chinese travel giant Ctrip - a move that could shake up the travel industry

<p><strong><em>Welcome to <keyword id="9884466" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="insider-cannabis">Insider Cannabis</keyword>, our weekly <keyword id="621414" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Newsletter">newsletter</keyword> where we're bringing you an inside look at the deals, trends, and personalities driving the multibillion-dollar global <keyword id="14728" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="cannabis">cannabis</keyword> boom.</em></strong></p><p><strong><em><a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/cultivated">Sign up here to get it in your inbox every week</a>.</em></strong></p><p>We're off tomorrow for the <strong>Juneteenth holiday</strong>, so you're getting your weekly dose of cannabis industry news on Thursday afternoon.</p><p>There's a <a href="https://toddharrison.substack.com/p/random-thoughts-all-things-cannabis">rumor</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/BettingBruiser/status/1403405326284693506?s=20">floating</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonGWild/status/1403538551032135680?s=20">around</a> the heavily engaged cannabis <strong>Twitter</strong> and <strong>Reddit-verse</strong> that the <strong>Toronto Stock Exchange</strong> is going to update its rules to allow listed companies to invest in the US cannabis industry. If true, that could be a watershed moment: US cannabis companies like <strong>Curaleaf</strong>, <strong>Trulieve</strong>, and <strong>Green Thumb Industries</strong>, would likely move from the <strong>CSE</strong> and over-the-counter exchanges to access deeper-pocketed investors plying the TSX.</p><p>And it's possible that Canadian cannabis companies like <strong>Tilray</strong>, <strong>Canopy Growth</strong>, and <strong>Cronos Group</strong> would decamp from the <strong>Nasdaq</strong> to the TSX so they could invest in the US.</p><p><em><strong>But,</strong></em> a spokesperson for the <strong>TMX Group</strong>, which owns the TSX, told me, basically, not so fast:</p><p>"We continue to monitor the evolution of the industry. Our position has not changed with respect to U.S. cannabis law. Nothing more I can add beyond that," TMX Group spokesperson <strong>Catherine Kee</strong> said in an email.</p><p>We'll keep monitoring this story. If you have any info to share, please reach out to <a href="mailto:jberke@insider.com">jberke@insider.com</a>. Signal number for encrypted communication available on request. </p><p>Last, it's great to see so many pitches in my inbox of cannabis companies putting their money where their mouth is ahead of the Juneteenth holiday, in terms of backing organizations, nonprofits, and companies dedicated to advancing social justice goals in cannabis. More of that, please. </p><p><em>- Jeremy Berke (<a href="https://twitter.com/jfberke">@jfberke</a>) </em></p><p><strong><em>If you like what you read, share this newsletter with your colleagues, friends, boss, spouse, strangers on the internet, or whomever else would like a weekly dose of cannabis news. </em></strong></p><p><strong><em>Here's what we wrote about this week:</em></strong></p><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/weedmaps-stock-starts-trading-ceo-interview-not-afraid-of-amazon-2021-6">The CEO of $3 billion cannabis-tech company Weedmaps explains why he's not afraid of Amazon</a></h3><p>The CEO of Weedmaps is ready to take on Amazon - if the tech and retail giant wants to get into cannabis. </p><p>Amazon recently <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-says-its-actively-supporting-federal-marijuana-legalization-2021-6">said it supports federal cannabis legalization</a>. Some industry experts say it's only a matter of time before tech giants start to compete with incumbents like Weedmaps.</p><p>"What we've seen traditionally is the Googles, the Amazons, the others of the world have had difficulty dealing with areas where there are really complex products," Weedmaps CEO Chris Beals <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/weedmaps-stock-starts-trading-ceo-interview-not-afraid-of-amazon-2021-6">told me in an interview</a>. "I watch and observe, but I don't really worry about those companies coming in because what we do is incredibly complex." </p><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/exclusive-trait-biosciences-closes-25-million-series-a-round-2021-6">A cannabis-chemistry upstart just raised $25 million for a new approach to one of the hottest parts of the industry</a></h3><p>Cannabis beverages <a href="https://www.insider.com/cannabis-seltzer-spirits-get-you-high-quicker-than-weed-edibles-2021-6">are a hot topic in the industry</a>, and a bevy of startups are working on technology to make it easier to infuse chemicals like THC and CBD into drinks. </p><p>One of those startups, Trait Biosciences, on Wednesday closed a CA$31 million ($25 million) Series A funding round led by Btomorrow Ventures and Gotham Green Partners, the company told Insider. Btomorrow is the VC arm of British American Tobacco, which <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/organigram-stock-price-british-american-tobacco-invests-177-million-2021-3-1030173969">invested in</a> a Canadian cannabis producer in March.</p><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cannabis-amc-meme-stocks-retail-investors-shareholders-proxy-voting-2021-6">Meme stock shareholders may have diamond hands, but they're not voting on things like exec pay and M&amp;A deals. And that's creating a big headache.</a></h3><p>Companies with large retail-investor bases face difficulties reaching a quorum in shareholder votes. </p><p>"It's hard to get those shareholders to show up and vote," Tilray CEO Irwin Simon told me. "You know, nobody has home phones anymore. No one answers their cellphone to an unknown number. When you mail a proxy to someone's house or apartment, it goes in the garbage."</p><p>The issue has led to the launch of several startups looking to redefine how public companies interact with their shareholders.</p><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/herve-3-million-pitch-deck-for-luxury-cannabis-infused-edibles-2021-6">We got an exclusive look at the pitch deck luxury-edibles startup Hervé used to raise $3 million in a bid to become the 'Dom Perignon' of cannabis</a></h3><p>Cannabis-infused edibles <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cannabis">are having a moment</a>. Edibles sales grew by more than 60% across seven state markets in 2020, according to data provider Headset.</p><p>To capitalize on that trend, Hervé, a Toronto-based maker of what CEO and founder Sebastien Centner calls "luxury" infused edibles, closed a $3 million Series A funding round in May. Take an exclusive look at the deck Centner used to close the round. </p><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/decriminalize-all-drugs-cannabis-heroin-cocaine-2021-6">2 Democrats are pushing for decriminalizing possession of all drugs, including cocaine, heroin, and meth</a></h3><p>Two House Democrats have for the first time unveiled legislation that would decriminalize possession of all drugs including heroin, cannabis, cocaine, and LSD, and ensure that past drug use wouldn't get in the way of jobs or voting prospects.</p><p>Democratic Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey and Cori Bush of Missouri introduced the legislation, the <a href="https://drugpolicy.org/sites/default/files/dpra_summary_2021.06.11_v2.pdf">Drug Policy Reform Act</a>, on Tuesday.</p><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cannabis-company-cronos-pharmacann-110-million-deal-new-york-2021-6">Canadian cannabis giant Cronos is making moves to enter the US. Its $110 million deal with PharmaCann would give Cronos access to New York's $7 billion market.</a></h3><p>New York is shaping up to be the next hot spot for cannabis M&amp;A. Canadian cannabis giant Cronos recently struck a deal with private US company PharmaCann. PharmaCann is one of the few cannabis companies operating in New York.</p><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cannabis-delivery-services-new-york-market-what-to-know-2021-6">The potential for cannabis delivery in New York as the market comes online - and where to keep an eye out</a></h3><p>New York is expected to see substantial sales when its cannabis market eventually comes online. A huge part of that growth could be delivery, but regulations still need to take shape.</p><p>Experts warn activity will be mainly in urban centers and rely on fast, quality delivery service.</p><div type="image" title="marijuana cannabis" height="2334" width="3500" msid="83620222" hostid="261"></div><h2>Executive moves</h2><ul><li>Cannabis software firm <strong>TruTrace</strong> <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210616005129/en/TruTrace-Technologies-Names-Robert-Lelovic-as-Chief-Financial-Officer">has a new CFO</a>: <strong>Robert Lelovic</strong>.</li><li><strong>Travis Goad</strong> is joining cannabis real estate fund <strong>Pelorus Equity Group</strong> as managing director.</li></ul><h2>Deals, launches, and IPOs</h2><ul><li><strong>Cronos Group</strong> <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2021/06/14/2246438/0/en/Cronos-Group-Announces-Strategic-Investment-in-PharmaCann-a-Leading-U-S-Cannabis-Company.html">is paying</a> $110 million for an option to buy a 10.5% stake in US cannabis company <strong>PharmaCann</strong>. The option can be exercised only when a change in cannabis' federal status in the US makes the deal permissible, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/canopy-growth-acreage-holdings-deal-could-spur-cannabis-ma-boom-2019-4">similar to Canopy Growth's Acreage deal</a>. </li><li>Berlin-based CBD and medical cannabis startup <strong>Sanity Group</strong> <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2021/06/16/cannabis-and-digital-health-start-up-sanity-group-closes-44-2m-series-a-led-by-redalpine/">closed a $44 million Series A funding round</a>, led by Swiss venture fund <strong>Redalpine</strong>, and including <strong>Navy Capital</strong> and <strong>SOJE Capital</strong>, among other investors. We got an <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/european-cannabis-startup-sanity-group-29-million-pitch-deck-2021-1">exclusive look at Sanity Group's seed deck in January</a>.</li><li>US cannabis company <strong>Columbia Care</strong> is expanding in Colorado, <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210615006157/en/Columbia-Care-Signs-Definitive-Agreement-to-Acquire-Medicine-Man-a-Rapidly-Growing-Vertically-Integrated-Operator-in-the-Denver-Metro-Area">acquiring <strong>Medicine Man Denver</strong></a>, which has four retail locations, for $42 million in cash and stock. </li><li>Cannabis tech company <strong>LeafLink</strong> raised $40 million from investors <strong>Nosara Capital</strong>, <strong>L2 Ventures</strong>, <strong>Founders Fund</strong>, <strong>Thrive Capital</strong>, and others. LeafLink said the new funding doubles its valuation, without providing a figure.</li><li><strong>Brains Bioeceutical Corp</strong>., a maker of EU-GMP certified CBD, <a href="https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/brains-bioceutical-corp-completes-a-usd-31-9-million-capital-raise-with-lead-investor-dsm-venturing-895462314.html">closed a $32 million funding round led by the venture arm of <strong>Royal DSM</strong></a>, one of the world's largest nutrition and ingredients manufacturers. </li><li>US cannabis company <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2021/06/14/2246626/0/en/Acreage-Holdings-Announces-Sale-of-Notes.html"><strong>Acreage Holdings</strong> sold $28 million</a> in promissory notes. </li><li>Cannabis producer <strong>Flora Growth</strong> is <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2021/06/14/2246437/0/en/Flora-Growth-to-Acquire-Koch-Gsell-and-Enter-Europe-with-Leading-Manufacturer-of-Natural-Swiss-Hemp-Products.html">acquiring Swiss company <strong>Koch &amp; Gsell</strong></a>, which makes hemp and blended hemp and tobacco cigarettes under the Heimat brand, in a $22 million cash and stock deal.</li><li><strong>Jay-Z</strong> and <strong>TPCO</strong>'s $10 million social equity fund has <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-parent-company-announces-the-peakz-company-as-second-social-equity-investment-301313481.html">made an investment in <strong>The Peakz</strong> Company</a>, an Oakland-based cannabis brand. </li><li>Cannabis compliance and software firm <a href="https://www.simplifya.com/">Simplifya closed a $6 billion Series B funding round</a>, led by <strong>Blue Zone Wealth Advisors</strong>, with participation from previous investors including <strong>Merida Capital</strong> and Mercury Payment Solutions Founder <strong>Jeff Katz</strong>. </li></ul><div type="image" title="cannabis" height="1333" width="2000" msid="83620228" hostid="261"></div><h2>Policy moves</h2><ul><li>Democratic Reps. <strong>B</strong><strong>onnie Watson Coleman</strong> of New Jersey and <strong>Cori Bush</strong> of Missouri <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/decriminalize-all-drugs-cannabis-heroin-cocaine-2021-6">introduced legislation</a> that would decriminalize possession of all drugs including heroin, cannabis, cocaine, and LSD.</li><li>A <keyword id="40905" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Marijuana">marijuana</keyword> legalization bill is <a href="https://www.marijuanamoment.net/connecticut-marijuana-legalization-bill-heads-to-governors-desk/">heading to Connecticut Gov. <strong>Ned Lamont</strong>'s desk</a> on Thursday after both the state House and Senate passed the bill. Lamont is supportive of the bill, and if he signs it, marijuana will be legal in <strong>Connecticut</strong> as soon as July 1, with recreational sales to begin in May 2022. </li><li><strong>Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards</strong> <a href="https://www.theadvertiser.com/story/news/local/2021/06/15/louisiana-marijuana-decriminalization-bill-becomes-law/7702747002/">signed a marijuana decriminalization bill</a> into law on Tuesday. </li></ul><h2>Chart of the week</h2><p>Like their recreational counterparts, medical cannabis consumers still prefer smoking regular old weed over edibles, beverages, tinctures, and vaporizers, according to New Frontier Data:</p><div type="image" title="Chart of preferred cannabis products among medical consumers with smokeable cannabis as the top product followed by edibles, pills, vaporizers, and concentrate (respectively)" height="1040" width="1240" msid="83620231" hostid="261"></div><h2>What we're reading</h2><p><a href="https://theintercept.com/2021/06/06/cannabis-legalization-rhode-island-weed/">Rhode Island Coalition Pushes Most Equitable Legal Cannabis Regulations Yet</a> (The Intercept)</p><p><a href="https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/money-and-power/a36700958/abby-rockefeller-hemp-cannabis-farm-hudson-valley/">Ms. Rockefeller's Cannabis Farm</a> (Town &amp; Country)</p><p><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-06-14/pro-athletes-cbd-use-coming-under-scrutiny-cannabis-weekly">Pro Athletes' CBD Use Is Coming Under Scrutiny</a> (Bloomberg)</p><p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-lifestyle-coronavirus-pandemic-business-government-and-politics-5b24a89f691f1760a4b16576ed22cb27">Washington's 'joints for jabs' vaccine program falling flat</a> (Associated Press)</p><p><a href="https://www.tmz.com/2021/06/15/joe-exotic-launching-own-cannabis-line-products-prison/">JOE EXOTIC LAUNCHING HIS OWN CANNABIS LINE ... Straight from the Joint!!!</a> (TMZ)</p>

Weedmaps CEO isn't afraid of Amazon

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/alebaffa/8939535066/in/photolist-eBXsjW-assx58-fqBe16-bYiChL-pcHaad-dCryWW-e2hffW-6QpTJu-4hhRqV-4KTM9U-2fuVuy-2S215-4um46A-9e26xM-p1BpPX-ekT1AG-8TEcVB-7m5KN9-y6ZNA-oGmzSD-baamvK-4EJPzT-caAt5Y-DNsz3-hf77bt-2fuVwC-7BWXcf-eYBfvL-7aaEX-xY9x-gYRdc7-mBL8de-y7cvw-6iYfiM-okDJi6-64pr1v-rTp2N-9FAN5Z-89BwDr-9NXT-4SVqrC-jqcBC7-5hpVjw-8PbcKa-ec6hjg-6Kv6cY-bzd5ym-5xbAoC-vHNQj-mBMCAE">Flickr / Alessandro Baffa</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Travel-planning app Gogobot will help you find fun things to do, whether you are traveling for work, on vacation, or just hanging out in your home town.</p><p>The company just released a new version makes that's even smarter in finding out exactly what you might want to do. It's now using "artificial intelligence to predict what you are looking for and highlight recommendations before you even start typing," CEO <span>Travis Katz tells tells us.</span></p><p>Gogobot's claim to fame is a concept called "tribes" in which you match yourself to others with similar interests. This might be foodies, budget-conscious students, adventurer and/or families. (You can belong to many tribes.)</p><p>This, in turn, lets you get and make recommendations from folks with similar interests, be it someplace to eat, stay, or fun stuff to do. In many cases, you can book the reservation or buy the ticket right from the app, too.</p><p>The new version of the app takes the idea a step farther, Katz tells us.</p><p>It still factors in your tribes and your location, but now it responds to the weather (indoor things on rainy days, outdoors on a nice day) and the time of day (bars in the evenings, lunch spots mid-day). It knows if you are a tourist or a local, so it doesn't suggest tourist spots to locals, or ignore the best tourists spots for travelers.</p><p>It also factors in how far you will want to walk or drive: a couple of blocks for a coffee shop for city dwellers, many miles for a five-star restaurant in the 'burbs.</p><p>Here's some examples of the types of things Gogobot will unearth for you:</p>

This app makes sure you are never bored on a Friday night - or any other time

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image"></div><p></p></div></div>Travel-planning app Gogobot has become a secret weapon for having more fun in your daily life, the app's founder Travis Katz was surprised to learn.</p>
<p>Gogobot was born as a way to help you plan your vacation using your social networks. It taps your friends for recommendations for places to stay or eat, things to do. It also helps you build a network of like-minded travel peeps, people looking for outdoor adventure, shoestring travel, great places for kids, and so on.</p>
<p>About three months ago, the team launched a major revision of its mobile app and were pleasantly surprised when downloads started taking off. But what surprised them most was that people were suddenly using the app every week.</p>
<p>"On mobile, 70% of searches on Gogobot were for recommendations in their current location," Katz, CEO of the company, told us. "I'm standing here in this destination, right now. I'm looking for a bar, a good place to have a business lunch meeting, I've got a few hours to kill, where can I go now?" </p>
<p>They thought they were building an app that would be used a few times a year, maybe monthly, for planning travel. The team wound up building what they think of as an alternative to Yelp, at least for leisure time. (It doesn't cover everything Yelp does, like doctors or hairdressers).</p>
<p>And people were digging it. "Since we launched the new version, we are now seeing the majority of our users (56%) using the app every week, a 70% increase versus where we were a year ago."</p>
<p>The reason has something to do with the app's focus on what it calls "Tribes." When you sign up for the app, you join various tribes to find people with similar interests: adventure, art, history buffs, foodies, and so on.</p>
<p></p>
<p>"Our goal is to inspire people to get out and see the world. The app will alert you that the weekend is coming up, here's an amazing state park near you," Katz explains. "People tend to stay in same routine, not because they don't want to try something new, but because they don't want to waste money or time going out to say, a bad restaurant."</p>
<p>And one person's bad could be another's delight.</p>
<p>As more people use the app, the number of recommendations has grown. The app now has 720,000 reviews and 4 million photos for 60,000 destinations, Katz says. This has generated 580,000 tribe recommendations to date, he says.</p>
<p>The bigger the tribe, the more you're likely to discover cool new places. The three most popular tribes are outdoor adventure with 63,000 members, foodies at 61,000, and budget 55,000. But there's <a href="http://www.gogobot.com/tribes">a bunch of other tribes</a> that have  20,000-50,000 members, and many of these tribes are growing rapidly as people discover the app.</p>
<h2><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gogobot/id459590827?mt=8">Download the app</a> and share your location with it.</h2>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container click-to-enlarge" style="width:282px"><div class="image"><a title_source="Business Insider/Julie Bort" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53e55cf7ecad04be47c99648-960/14653263557_dafa508de5_o.png"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></a><p class="source"><span>Business Insider/Julie Bort</span></p></div><p></p></div></p>
<h2>Choose your tribes.</h2>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container click-to-enlarge" style="width:282px"><div class="image"><a title_source="Business Insider/Julie Bort" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53e55cf76da811282be2af84-960/14837447144_6b5c4850d2_o.png"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></a><p class="source"><span>Business Insider/Julie Bort</span></p></div><p></p></div></p>
<h2>Choose some experts to follow, too.</h2>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container click-to-enlarge" style="width:282px"><div class="image"><a title_source="Business Insider/Julie Bort" title_caption="Gogobot CEO Travis Katz" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53e55cf769beddf030572bab-960/14836725321_a42a90640f_o.png"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></a><p class="source"><span>Business Insider/Julie Bort</span></p><p class="caption">Gogobot CEO Travis Katz</p></div><p></p></div></p>
<h2>Then you can search for things or let it offer recommendations.</h2>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container" style="width:282px"><div class="image"></div><p></p></div></p>

The New Yelp? A Million People Are Using This App To Find Restaurants And Fun In Their Hometowns

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>The great American melting pot is in full force at most of the Valley's tech companies.<p>From startups to big companies, tech companies have been pressured over the past couple of years to increase their diversity, not decrease it.</p><p>At the same time, they need specialized, hard-to-find technical skills and have been hiring from a worldwide talent pool, <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/annual-race-for-tech-visas-is-under-way-1459503001">using&#xa0;H1B visas.</a>&#xa0;Tech CEOs have been pressuring Washington to increase the number of visas they issue each year.</p><p>President-elect Donald Trump has <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2016/11/11/13594172/donald-trump-immigration-silicon-valley-innovation-h1b-visas">threatened to disembowel the H1B program</a>. And he's also said a lot of divisive things about Mexicans, Muslims, and other racial groups while promising mass deportations and something called "extreme vetting." That's a vague term that seems to mean he's going to ask immigrants and visitors&#xa0;about their <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/16/politics/how-us-vets-immigrants-donald-trump-extreme-vetting/">religious and social beliefs</a>.</p><p>His election has lots of Valley employees, Americans and immigrants alike, very scared for their future as well as their safety.</p><h2>Safety first</h2><p>This is causing Valley CEOs to spend time reassuring their employees while also threatening that if anyone&#xa0;takes Trump's win as a license to intimidate people&#xa0;at work, they will be fired.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>A story on Fox News saying&#xa0;he was telling all Trump supporters to resign <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/11/10/boss-tells-pro-trump-employees-to-resign.html">went viral,</a> subjecting him to all kinds of online abuse and causing the the stock to drop 4% in a day. But Maloney <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/briansolomon/2016/11/10/grubhub-ceo-attacks-donald-trump-employees-hateful-attitudes-resign-matt-maloney/">told Forbes Brian Solomon</a>&#xa0;that the story was wrong.<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"I have no problem with an employee voting for Trump....I have no problem with an employee agreeing with Trump's hateful statements. However, I will not tolerate discriminatory activity or hateful speech at Grubhub, and I will stand up for our employees when they are demeaned or defamed."</p><p>Tech CEOs and CEOs in general have become increasingly involved in all sorts of social activism, in large part thanks to billionaire activist cheerleader Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce.</p><p>For instance, to protect his employees, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/benioff-makes-good-on-threat-to-indiana-2015-3">Benioff went to war in 2015</a> with vice president elect and Indiana governor Mike Pence over a law in Indiana that threatened to discriminate against gay people. He then went on to fight against similar laws in other states and just plain encourage CEO social activism generally.</p><p>Like most Silicon Valley executives, Benioff also <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2016/03/07/news/companies/salesforce-ceo-hillary-clinton/">publicly backed Hillary Clinton</a>.</p><p>Business Insider reached out to Benioff to ask if he had sent a message to his employees after the election. We were pointed to a single tweet that congratulated him on the victory.</p><p><div></div></p><p>But as Trump sets about enacting an agenda that could do everything from <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-fcc-net-neutrality-zero-rating-policy-future-2016-11">curtail internet access</a>&#xa0;to stymie international tech hiring,&#xa0;more tech CEOs may up their social activism, not shy away from it.</p><p>As Katz told us, instead of ramping up the economy some of Trump's policies look like they "will put a choke hold on the core growth engine in America, the tech industry."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/bird-of-prey-bicycle-stomach-faster-safer-cycle-lying-racing-speed-cycling-2016-10">You ride this bike on your stomach and it's meant to be healthier and safer</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="A1MjYyNzE67__AeQoVe2VBKVQT88jKUl" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Tech CEOs are both threatening and reassuring employees over Trump's election

<p>We first heard about <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/gogobot-travel-site-myspace-2012-7">Gogobot a year ago</a>, when it suddenly snagged 1 million users in a mere two months. Since then, the social <keyword id="6354692" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Travel">travel</keyword> website has really exploded.</p>
<p>It now has 3.7 million registered users and has become the fastest growing travel site on the web, according to data from Comstat and eMarketeer shared with us by cofounder and CEO Travis Katz.</p>
<p>In the summer-travel month of June, <keyword id="1056995" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Gogobot">Gogobot</keyword> was a more popular website than AirBnB, Bing Travel or Hipmunk, the data showed.</p>
<p>Granted, Gogobot is still less than half as popular as Frommer's and a fraction of the size of Lonely Planet and TripAdvisor. But it's also only 2.5 years old, Katz points out.</p>
<p><div class="image-container"><div class="image"><p class="source">Comscore via Gogobot</p></div></div></p>
<p>The site is popular because it helps you get travel recommendations from your own friends in your own social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and Foursquare. Instead of posting a status and asking friends, "Hey, where's a great place to eat in Denver?" it automates the process.</p>
<p>If your friends can't help, or you are going to some exotic location, it has expert travel writers that can. Or you can j<a href="http://www.gogobot.com/tribes">oin a "tribe"</a> and trade tips with people who have similar travel tastes (adventure, budget, backpackers, foodies, history buffs, etc.)</p>
<p>Naturally, the site will book your reservations. Then it keeps a travel log for you, including your photos, favorite restaurants, etc.</p>
<p>And it does it all from your smartphone.</p>
<p>Before founding Gogobot, Katz formerly ran the international business for Myspace. Cofounder Ori Zaltzman was the chief architect of an innovative Yahoo search service, Yahoo BOSS, and worked on Yahoo Answers, too.</p>
<p>Gogobot has raised $19 million over two rounds from investors like Battery Ventures, Redpoint Ventures, and Eric Schmidt's Innovation Endeavors.</p>

Gogobot, The Travel Site Where Friends And Experts Plan Your Vacation, Is Growing Really Fast

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right click-to-enlarge"><div class="image"><a title_source="Stephan Ridgway / Flickr, CC" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5548f1f76da8119e5b347b38-960/apple-android-15.jpg"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></a><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/stephanridgway/">Stephan Ridgway / Flickr, CC</a></span></p></div><p></p></div>Even though Android is the largest computing platform in the world, it still falls behind the iPhone in one specific area.</p><p>New apps still usually launch on iOS before they make their way to Android, with buzzy livestreaming apps Meerkat and Periscope being the latest examples (Periscope still isn't on Android, and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/meerkat-on-android-open-beta-sign-up-2015-4">Meerkat just launched for Android last week</a>).</p><p>But now, Google could be adding a new feature to its Google Play Store that may incentivize developers to side with Android right away.</p><p>Google is reportedly testing a system that would let developers try out different versions of their apps' profile pages in the Google Play Store, <a href="https://www.theinformation.com/Google-Sweetens-Android-for-App-Developers?token=809c9918b21d7742425c39147a6a0b13">according to The Information's Amir Efrati.</a></p><p>This would give developers the freedom to see if small price changes, such as switching from $1.99 to $2.99, would have an impact on how many people download the app. Or, they could experiment with different layouts, such as different color themes and video placement among other things to see if any of these factors affect how many people download their apps.</p><p>It might not seem like a significant change, but it gives developers a new level of flexibility they can't get through Apple. </p><p>It's costly to launch an app on both iOS and Android at the same time, which is why many companies choose one platform to start out with. Most people are compelled to develop for iOS before Android for two key reasons: Android is fragmented, so features may not work as well on low-end older phones, and people with iPhones are just willing to spend more money, according to Y Media Labs CEO Ashish Toshniwal.</p><p>"The main reason is that Android has all kinds of users," Toshniwal <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/y-media-labs-qa-with-ashish-toshniwal-2014-5">said in a previous interview with Business Insider</a>. "Android has a lot of like low-resolution phones as well. But iOS doesn't have anything like that. They come up with new versions of the same phone. The quality is just really consistent on iOS, and they don't have any cheap phones. Inherently they're [Android] trying to capture a market that's much less price conscious."<span><br /></span></p><p>But, if developers think a testing tool like the one Efrati described could help them make more money off their apps, it could give them a big reason to develop an Android version of their app at launch instead of iOS. </p><p>Travis Katz, the CEO of travel app Gogobot, even told Efrati that he believes the new feature could boost his apps' conversion rates by about 30-50%. </p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/iphone-power-user-hacks-2015-4">5 clever iPhone tricks only power users know about</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="huN2Zzczr6N8qz_gUrYzZxcxaCD8z5Sv" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Google may be giving developers a big reason to choose Android over the iPhone

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQebmygKq7A">CBS / 60 Minutes / YouTube</a></span></p><p class="caption">Apple CEO Tim Cook</p></div><p></p></div></div>One day after Georgia Governor Nathan Deal <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/salesforce-ceo-won-his-georgia-showdown-2016-3">agreed to veto a bill</a> that critics said would have encouraged discrimination against gay people, a similar fight in North Carolina has ramped up. </p><p>On Tuesday, over 80 CEOs and business leaders signed an open letter asking North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory to repeal a controversial law <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ap-nc-lawmakers-return-to-address-transgender-bathroom-measure-2016-3">passed last week.</a></p><p>Signatures included Apple CEO Tim Cook, IBM CEO Ginni Rometty, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and, naturally, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, who has been the Silicon Valley point-person speaking out against state-level laws that negatively impact the LGBT community.</p><p>The law, which was passed by North Carolina's legislature in a one-day session and immediately signed into law by the governor, has been called <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/nc-ag-wont-defend-controversial-transgender-law-2016-3">a "national embarrassment"</a> by North Carolina's <span>attorney general. </span></p><p>The law was in reaction to a regulation passed by the city of <span>Charlotte that allowed transgender people to use bathrooms based on their gender identity. </span><span>The new state law requires people to use the bathrooms based on their biological sex.</span></p><p><span>But it goes beyond regulating bathroom use and prevents local governments from passing regulations that eliminate discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity, according to a lawsuit <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/03/28/472164084/aclu-sues-over-north-carolinas-law-blocking-anti-discrimination-legislation">that's already been filed by the ACLU</a></span><span>.</span></p><p><span>The business community, particularly the tech community, and Hollywood are up in arms about the law.</span></p><p>Here's the letter:</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">Dear Governor McCrory,</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">We write with concerns about legislation you signed into law last week, HB 2, which has overturned protections for LGBT people and sanctioned discrimination across North Carolina. Put simply, HB 2 is not a bill that reflects the values of our companies, of our country, or even the overwhelming majority of North Carolinians.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">We are disappointed in your decision to sign this discriminatory legislation into law. The business community, by and large, has consistently communicated to lawmakers at every level that such laws are bad for our employees and bad for business. This is not a direction in which states move when they are seeking to provide successful, thriving hubs for business and economic development. We believe that HB 2 will make it far more challenging for businesses across the state to recruit and retain the nation's best and brightest workers and attract the most talented students from across the nation. It will also diminish the state's draw as a destination for tourism, new businesses, and economic activity.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">Discrimination is wrong and we believe it has no place in North Carolina or anywhere in our country. As companies that pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming to all, we strongly urge you and the leadership of North Carolina's legislature to repeal this law in the upcoming legislative session.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">Sincerely, <br />Karen Appleton, Senior Vice President, Box <br />Brandee Barker, Cofounder, The Pramana Collective <br />Marc Benioff, CEO, Salesforce <br />Chip Bergh, President and CEO, Levi Strauss &amp; Co.<br />Michael Birch, Founder, Blab <br />Ed Black, President and CEO, Computer &amp; Communications Industry Association <br />Nathan Blecharczyk, Cofounder and CTO, Airbnb <br />Steven R. Boal, CEO, Quotient Technology Inc. <br />Lorna Borenstein, CEO, Grokker <br />Brad Brinegar, Chairman and CEO, McKinney <br />Lloyd Carney, CEO, Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. <br />Brian Chesky, CEO, Airbnb <br />Ron Conway, Founder and Co-Managing Partner, SV Angel <br />Tim Cook, CEO, Apple <br />Dean Debnam, Chairman and CEO, Workplace Options <br />Jack Dorsey, CEO, Square and Twitter <br />David Ebersman, Cofounder and CEO, Lyra Health <br />Jared Fliesler, General Partner, Matrix Partners <br />Joe Gebbia, Cofounder and Chief Product Officer, Airbnb <br />Jason Goldberg, CEO, Pepo <br />Alan King, President and COO, Workplace Options <br />Kristen Koh Goldstein, CEO, BackOps <br />Mitchell Gold, co-founder and chair-man, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams <br />John H. Graham IV, President and CEO, American Society of Association Executives <br />Logan Green, CEO, Lyft <br />Paul Graham, Founder, Y Combinator <br />David Hassell, CEO, 15Five <br />Charles H. Hill III, Executive Vice President, Worldwide Human Resources, Pfizer Inc. <br />Reid Hoffman, Chairman, LinkedIn <br />Robert Hohman, Cofounder &amp; CEO, Glassdoor <br />Drew Houston, CEO, Dropbox <br />Chad Hurley, Cofounder, YouTube <br />Dave Imre, Partner and CEO, IMRE <br />Dev Ittycheria, President &amp; CEO, MongoDB <br />Laurene Powell Jobs, President, Emerson Collective <br />Cecily Joseph, VP Corporate Responsibility and Chief Diversity Officer, Symantec Corporation <br />David Karp, Founder and CEO, Tumblr <br />Travis Katz, Founder and CEO, Gogobot <br />Brian Krzanich, CEO, Intel <br />Joshua Kushner, Managing Partner, Thrive Capital <br />Max Levchin, CEO, Affirm <br />Dion Lim, CEO, NextLesson <br />Shan-lyn Ma, CEO, Zola <br />Marissa Mayer, President and CEO, Yahoo <br />Melody McCloskey, CEO, StyleSeat <br />Douglas Merrill, CEO, Zestfinance <br />Dyke Messinger, President and CEO, Power Curbers Inc. <br />Hari Nair, Vice President and General Manager, Orbitz.com &amp; CheapTickets.com <br />Michael Natenshon, CEO, Marine Layer <br />Alexi G. Nazem, Cofounder and CEO, Nomad Health <br />Laurie J. Olson, EVP, Strategy, Portfolio and Commercial Operations, Pfizer Inc. <br />Bob Page, Founder and CEO, Replacements, Ltd. <br />Michelle Peluso, Strategic Advisor and former CEO, Gilt <br />Sundar Pichai, CEO, Google <br />Mark Pincus, Founder and Executive Chairman, Zynga <br />Hosain Rahman, CEO, Jawbone <br />Bill Ready, CEO, Braintree <br />Evan Reece, CEO, Liftopia <br />Stan Reiss, General Partner, Matrix Partners <br />John Replogle, CEO, Seventh Generation <br />Virginia M. Rometty, Chairman, President and CEO, IBM Corporation <br />Dan Rosensweig, CEO, Chegg <br />Kevin P. Ryan, Founder and Chairman, Alleycorp <br />Bijan Sabet, General Partner, Spark Capital <br />Julie Samuels, President, Engine <br />George A. Scangos, PhD, CEO, Biogen <br />Dan Schulman, President and CEO, PayPal <br />Adam Shankman, Director and Producer <br />Gary Shapiro, President and CEO, Consumer Technology Association <br />David A. Shaywitz, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer, DNAnexus <br />Ben Silbermann, CEO, Pinterest <br />Brad Smith, President and Chief Legal Officer, Microsoft <br />Arne Sorenson, President and CEO, Marriott International <br />David Spector, Cofounder, ThirdLove <br />Jeremy Stoppelman, CEO, Yelp <br />Bret Taylor, CEO, Quip <br />Todd Thibodeaux, CEO, CompTIA <br />David Tisch, Managing Partner, BoxGroup <br />Nirav Tolia, Cofounder and CEO, Nextdoor <br />Kevin A. Trapani, President and CEO, The Redwood Groups <br />Ken Wasch, President, Software &amp; Information Industry Association <br />Bob &amp; Harvey Weinstein, Co-Founders and Co-Chairmen, The Weinstein Company <br />Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO, Facebook</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/peter-bergen-terrorists-reasons-isis-brussels-2016-3">Terrorism expert reveals 4 key reasons people become violent extremists</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="E3eW5hMjE6SgUisggnJ72OAAAoK05LjG" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

You Searched For "travis katz" and got 8 results

Tiny startup Trip.com has been acquired by Chinese travel giant Ctrip - a move that could shake up the travel industry

Julie Bort

Weedmaps CEO isn't afraid of Amazon

Jeremy Berke,Yeji Jesse Lee

This app makes sure you are never bored on a Friday night - or any other time

Julie Bort

The New Yelp? A Million People Are Using This App To Find Restaurants And Fun In Their Hometowns

Julie Bort

Tech CEOs are both threatening and reassuring employees over Trump's election

Julie Bort

Gogobot, The Travel Site Where Friends And Experts Plan Your Vacation, Is Growing Really Fast

Julie Bort

Google may be giving developers a big reason to choose Android over the iPhone

LISA EADICICCO

Tim Cook, Mark Zuckerberg, Ginni Rometty, others are asking North Carolina to repeal its 'discriminatory' law

Julie Bort

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides