New York duo moving Black-owned travel brand to Tulsa

SquadTrip, an automated payment solution for large and small group trips, announced a $1.3 millioni funding round led by Atento Capital.

The investment will support the startup’s mission to revolutionize the travel industry and provide enhanced experiences for both travelers and industry experts alike.

Founders Darrien Watson and Stevon Judd have generated $7 million in travel sales and 6,000 bookings.

The business partners, who were college best friends, began their entrepreneurial journey by establishing an event ticketing platform for Black entrepreneurs and founded SquadTrip last year.

An alum of Build in Tulsa Techstars Accelerator 2022, SquadTrip is making a company-wide transition from New York to Tulsa.

"With this investment deal, we can accomplish our goal of helping 50,000 group travel organizers boost sales and streamline operations,” said Watson, CEO of SquadTrip. “We are grateful for the confidence our investors have shown in us, and we are committed to delivering value to our growing user base."

The travel tech startup has achieved a significant milestone as one of the few, Black-owned travel software companies to secure an investment deal surpassing $1 million.

This investment builds on Atento Capital’s $100 million core fund launched in February 2023, which is focused on supporting the next generation of tech founders and helping to enable a more inclusive economy within Tulsa.

“With all the summer travel happening right now, it is more important than ever that we look to the companies working to solve inefficiencies and automate experiences,” Atento Capital’s Adele Weaver said.

“We are thrilled to stand behind SquadTrip and its founders on their entrepreneurial journey. The team is a vital part of our mission to build an inclusive economy and unlock new opportunities in Tulsa.”