Busbud
 Busbud | |
Type of site | Travel and accommodation services |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2011 |
| Headquarters | |
| Founder(s) | LP Maurice (CEO), Michael Gradek (CTO), and Frederic Thouin (CAO). |
| Industry | Travel |
| Employees | 60+ (2019) |
| Subsidiaries | Recorrido, (Buson), Betterez Inc., and Retality Solutions. |
| URL | www |
Busbud is a travel website specializing in intercity bus tickets as well as travel by trains, shuttles, ferries and carpooling.[1] As of 2017 Busbud covered services in North America, South America, Central America, Europe, Africa, Oceania and Asia.[2]
History
[edit]In May 2013, Busbud completed a seed round financing of $1.2 million US dollar.[3] In February 2022 Busbud announced an US$11 million funding round.
Still in 2022 Busbud merged with Recorrido, an intercity bus marketplace based in Santiago[4] and acquired Betterez, a reservation and ticketing management platform for ground transportation operators.[5]
Product and Features
[edit]Busbud serves local and international travelers by offering intercity bus tickets for routes in 80 countries. The Busbud platform is available on the web for desktop and mobile devices, and through its smartphone app, available on iOS via the Apple App Store and Android via the Google Play Store. The iOS app was launched in April 2013 and the Android app was launched in June 2015. [6]
In January 2017, Busbud added six new currencies to its platform, bringing the total number of currencies available for payment processing to 30. [7]
In February 2017, Apple Pay was made available on Busbud's mobile and desktop platforms. Following the success of Apple Pay, Busbud also began offering Google Pay in 2019, allowing users to purchase intercity bus tickets using their preferred payment methods across 80 countries.
In January 2018, interconnected bus routes were launched on the Busbud platforms, allowing travelers to find and book itineraries with multiple bus connections from different operators. This feature allows travelers to combine different routes and operators, further expanding the available offering of bus routes.[8]
In February 2026, Busbud expanded its digital ecosystem by being the first bus ticketing platform launching a dedicated ChatGPT application, further integrating artificial intelligence into the ground transportation booking process. This release followed a broader industry trend of "agentic AI" in travel, designed to transition from simple search-and-filter interfaces to conversational "concierge" models.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ "Revolution co-leads investment in Busbud, an online portal to purchase bus tickets". Washington Post.
- ^ "Busbud Opens Platform to Asia with Launch of Routes Connecting 600 Cities". Techvibes. 2017-07-19. Retrieved 2018-02-09.
- ^ "Busbud, The Kayak For Intercity Bus Travel, Raises $1M Round Led By iNovia Capital And Real Ventures". TechCrunch. AOL. 29 May 2013.
- ^ "Busbud expands in Latin America with fresh funding, acquisition". www.phocuswire.com. Retrieved 2025-05-13.
- ^ Dawes, Justin (2022-11-09). "Bus Ticket Marketplace Busbud Makes 2nd Acquisition of 2022". Skift. Retrieved 2025-05-13.
- ^ Khan, Humayun (2013-01-31). "Busbud Launches iPhone App, Helps Travelers Find & Book Bus Trips On The Go | BetaKit". Retrieved 2026-03-10.
- ^ Maurice, L. P. (2018-01-30). "The Next Leg of the Journey: An Inside Look at Busbud's Vision to Build a More Connected World". Busbud blog. Retrieved 2026-03-10.
- ^ Busbud (2025-02-12). "Hacks to save money when booking your bus tickets online". Busbud blog. Retrieved 2026-03-10.
- ^ Desk, LnT (2026-02-18). "Busbud Becomes First Ground Transport Platform to Launch Global Booking Integration Inside ChatGPT". Lifestyle & Tech. Retrieved 2026-03-10.
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