# Despegar

> Despegar is a Buenos Aires-born travel technology company that lets Latin American consumers compare, finance, book and manage flights, lodging, packages, cars and experiences. Its regional brands, local payment expertise, supplier network and Sofia AI assistant turn a fragmented trip into one checkout, while its Koin fintech arm, white-label business and software products extend the same infrastructure to merchants and travel partners. Prosus acquired the company for about $1.7 billion in May 2025 and is connecting it to a larger Latin American commerce ecosystem.

- **Founded:** 1999
- **Headquarters:** Buenos Aires, Argentina
- **Founders:** Roberto Souviron (Co-founder and former CEO), Martín Rastellino (Co-founder), Christian Vilate (Co-founder), Mariano Fiori (Co-founder), Alejandro Tamer (Co-founder and former marketing leader)
- **Team size:** 3,956 employees at the end of 2024; LinkedIn places the company in the 1,001-5,000 employee range.
- **Products:** Despegar and Decolar marketplace, Dynamic packages, Koin, Stays.net, Pasaporte Despegar
- **Notable:** Built one of Latin America's earliest regional internet businesses after launching in 1999., Expanded operations to 19 Latin American countries under brands including Despegar, Decolar, Best Day, Viajes Falabella, Viajanet, HotelDo, Stays and Koin., Listed on the New York Stock Exchange in September 2017 after a $332 million IPO.

## Products & services

- **Despegar and Decolar marketplace** — Consumer websites and apps for comparing, booking and managing flights, hotels, packages, vacation rentals, cars, buses, cruises, transfers, activities and travel assistance; Decolar is the principal brand in Brazil.
- **Dynamic packages** — Bundles flights with lodging and other trip components in one purchase, creating convenience for travelers and a higher-value basket for Despegar.
- **Koin** — A Brazilian fintech offering payment gateway, fraud-prevention, alternative payment and consumer-lending capabilities, including buy-now-pay-later options.
- **Stays.net** — Vacation-rental channel-management software that connects property managers with booking platforms and supports Despegar's short-term rental inventory.
- **Pasaporte Despegar** — A loyalty program that rewards bookings and repeat use; membership reached 32.5 million at the end of 2024.
- **Sofia** — A generative-AI travel assistant that helps users discover destinations and plan personalized trips in conversational form; Despegar also licenses the technology to hospitality partners.
- **B2B, white-label and SaaS services** — Inventory, booking technology, branded storefronts and software capabilities for banks, retailers, airlines, hotels, travel agencies and other partners.

## Achievements

- Built one of Latin America's earliest regional internet businesses after launching in 1999.
- Expanded operations to 19 Latin American countries under brands including Despegar, Decolar, Best Day, Viajes Falabella, Viajanet, HotelDo, Stays and Koin.
- Listed on the New York Stock Exchange in September 2017 after a $332 million IPO.
- Reached $5.5 billion in gross bookings and $774.1 million in revenue in 2024.
- Grew Pasaporte membership to 32.5 million by the end of 2024.
- Recorded 53.6% of fourth-quarter 2024 transactions through its mobile app.
- Launched Sofia, described by the company as the region's first generative-AI travel assistant from a major sector player, in 2024.
- Was acquired and taken private by Prosus for approximately $1.7 billion in May 2025.
- Prosus reported FY2026 gross bookings of $5.9 billion, revenue of $804 million and a 16% adjusted EBITDA margin.

## Latest updates

- **2025-05** — Prosus completed its acquisition of Despegar for $19.50 per share, taking the company private at an enterprise value of approximately $1.7 billion.
- **2026-04** — Former CTO and chief commercial officer Gonzalo Estebarena became CEO, succeeding Damián Scokin.
- **2026-06** — Despegar and Civitatis announced an agreement to bring Civitatis's tours, excursions and guided activities to Despegar customers across the region.
- **2026-06** — Prosus reported FY2026 Despegar revenue of $804 million, gross bookings of $5.9 billion and a 16% adjusted EBITDA margin, with Brazil benefiting from iFood referrals and loyalty links.

## Links

- Website: https://www.despegar.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/despegar
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/DespegarAr
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@despegar
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/despegar.ar
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DespegarArgentina
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@despegar.ar

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/despegar
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-15