Startups

Leaving a pet with a stranger may not be ideal, but owners' reluctance to board pets at traditional kennels in order to travel has created an excellent opportunity for companies that can connect owners with trusted watchers.

Pictures are worth 1,000 words and there seems to be that many social travel apps and sites. Most of them feature photo boards and images, and Jetpac is one of the latest entries.

Set in the Villa Borghese's Globe Theatre, Italian startups will have the chance to rub shoulders with U.S. counterparts and leaders, as well as learn what a hat tip from TC can do for a young company.

For those of us who aren't named Branson, the $200k price tag isn't really all that much money for the ultimate bucket list check-off.

The D.C. taxi lobby's effort to force Uber to charge five time the taxi rate makes for the first time the car service startup's rates have looked inexpensive.

There is a ton of skepticism here about whether the startup, acquired by Microsoft/Skype, can really build a seamless, mobile, group-travel planning experience and whether or not people will care if it does.

A dream deferred no longer -- maybe. Kayak can almost taste the public markets now, but as its IPO roadshow kicks into gear, this is not yet a done deal.

CasaHop might be called social tech rather than social travel because it is a heavy tech play in the home-exchange arena.

Give Gogo credit. The WiFi provider has to get working on its international expansion and can't wait for its IPO try to be sorted out. That may be the reason behind a $135 million debt-financing agreement.