Katherine Grass

Based in San Francisco, Thayer Ventures (Thayer) invests in technology companies that focus on the hospitality industry. This industry, which represents over $10 trillion in annual global economic activity, is thriving with entrepreneurial activity due to the disruptive changes within the sector which began over a decade ago. Recent consumer trends have accelerated this disruption for operators across the hospitality and travel world, creating unprecedented opportunities for technology providers to make significant inroads into what was previously a closed market. Additionally, hospitality suppliers are dealing with massive shifts in travel planning, organizing and booking driven by the Internet and social media platforms. As a result, the hospitality industry is being forced to rapidly deploy new technologies in order to exploit the opportunities created by this shifting consumer behavior. The combination of these factors has created a unique environment for innovative technology providers to make significant inroads into this massive, growing, and evolving marketplace. Thayer’s objective is to provide portfolio companies with unequaled counsel, strategic insights and industry connections that drive significant revenue and enable sustainable growth.