# Varun Khona

> Varun Khona is the Bengaluru-based co-founder and CEO of Headout, a global managed marketplace for tours, attractions, live shows and local activities. After studying business management and interning at Goldman Sachs, he founded Trippy before building Headout with Suren Sultania and Vikram Jit Singh. His public work centers on making experiences easier to discover and book, improving their delivery, and sharing company ownership with employees.

- **Role:** Co-Founder & CEO at Headout
- **Organizations:** Headout, Trippy, Goldman Sachs
- **Nationality:** Indian
- **Education:** Bachelor of Business Management, Finance, Bangalore University
- **Known for:** Forbes India 30 Under 30, 2020., Runner-up on Bloomberg TV India’s The Pitch, according to his public résumé., Won Startup Weekend Bangalore with the idea that became Tourlandish.

## Career timeline

- **2010** — Worked in listed derivatives at Goldman Sachs as an intern; later declined a pre-placement offer.
- **2011–2013** — Founded and ran Trippy, a bespoke travel-planning business, as a solo founder.
- **2013** — Began Tourlandish with Suren Sultania and Vikram Jit Singh in May, according to his January 2014 interview.
- **2014** — Headout launched; the company and Forbes use 2014 as its launch year.
- **2015** — Headout raised $1.8 million in seed financing from investors including Version One Ventures, 500 Startups and Nexus Venture Partners.
- **2020** — Named to Forbes India 30 Under 30.
- **2024** — Headout acquired Dabble and reported $130 million in revenue for the year.
- **2025** — Headout completed its second employee stock-option buyback.
- **2026** — Published an article on Headout operating principles, including “If AI can, AI should.”

## Achievements

- Forbes India 30 Under 30, 2020.
- Runner-up on Bloomberg TV India’s The Pitch, according to his public résumé.
- Won Startup Weekend Bangalore with the idea that became Tourlandish.
- Built Headout with Suren Sultania and Vikram Jit Singh; the company reported $130 million in 2024 revenue.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — Headout signed a memorandum of understanding with Miral Destinations to jointly promote Abu Dhabi leisure and cultural experiences.
- **2026-09** — Headout expanded its Merlin Entertainments partnership with direct integrations for four attractions in Asia.
- **2026-08** — Headout launched US experience discovery and bookings within TikTok GO and joined the Australian Tourism Export Council.
- **2026-05** — Khona published “If AI can, AI should”. And five other operating principles at Headout on LinkedIn, dated May 14.

## Links

- Website: https://www.headout.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/varunkhona
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/varunkhona

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/varun-khona
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-07