Booking Holdings launches Seattle AI travel startup Vayo with planned $100 million investment

Led by Mike Fridgen, Vayo's AI agents monitor bookings and flag changes; a private beta waitlist opened Wednesday.

By West Coast News staff · October 14, 2026

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport's South Satellite terminal from the air.

Booking Holdings, parent of Booking.com, Priceline, Kayak and OpenTable, is launching a Seattle-based AI travel startup called Vayo, led by serial entrepreneur Mike Fridgen, GeekWire reported on Wednesday.

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Booking plans to invest $100 million in the venture, depending on Vayo's progress and market conditions.

Vayo's AI agents connect to a user's inbox to pull in flight, hotel and restaurant confirmations, then monitor them for price drops, openings at sold-out hotels and other changes. If a flight is delayed, Vayo flags what that means for a hotel check-in or dinner reservation.

The company opened a waitlist for a free private beta on Wednesday. Restaurant reservations are available now, with flight and hotel booking expected in the coming weeks.

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