CarTrawler Acquires French Insurtech Koala

This acquisition strengthens CarTrawler’s position as a leading embedded travel services platform and allows the company to meet the rising global demand for flexible, customer-focused insurance products.

CarTrawler integrates car rental and mobility options into booking flows through its Connect Platform and partners with 250 global travel brands. The acquisition of Koala recognized for its API-first, automated insurance approach, represents CarTrawler’s first significant move into the insurtech sector.

“The demand for B2B travel ancillary solutions continues to increase, with our travel partners asking us to add these solutions to our offering,” said Peter O’Donovan, CEO of CarTrawler.

Integrating Koala’s insurance solutions, including Cancel For Any Reason and Parametric Flight Disruption Insurance, positions CarTrawler alongside a growing number of travel insurtechs simplifying coverage for customers.

Read Also - Danish Hospitality Tech Startup Grand PMS Raises €1.5M In Pre-Seed Round

Koala’s automated, documentation-free model eliminates traditional insurance hurdles like slow claims and limited refunds, providing instant decisions and flexible reimbursements. Its products are already used by 70+ travel partners in 17 countries.

CarTrawler sees Koala’s insurance solutions as a perfect fit for its goal of boosting conversion and ancillary revenue for partners. Adding insurance allows travel brands to offer more complete, embedded products during booking without heavy development work.

The travel insurance market is growing rapidly, driven by consumer demand for flexibility and post-pandemic travel trends. CarTrawler data shows airlines now earn nearly 15% of revenue from ancillary services, with insurance playing a key role, especially with flexible, “no-questions-asked” coverage.

Recent partners include American Airlines, Jet2.com, Qantas, and Virgin Australia, joining existing partners like easyJet, eDreams ODIGEO, Uber, United Airlines, and American Express. CarTrawler’s platform connects over 2,200 car rental and mobility suppliers across 50,000 locations in more than 150 countries.

About Koala

Founded in 2018, Koala was created out of frustration with the traditional travel insurance industry. The company replaces high commissions, low customer value, and poor practices with simplicity, fairness, and a focus on customer satisfaction.