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§ Private Profile · New York City, NY, USA
Direct-to-consumer travel lifestyle brand selling premium luggage and accessories for modern travelers, known for built-in chargers.
Away has raised $182.0M across 5 funding rounds.
Key people at Away.
Away was founded in 2015 by Steph Korey (Co-Founder and CEO).
Away has raised $182.0M in total across 5 funding rounds.
Away is a direct-to-consumer travel lifestyle brand based in New York City that designs and manufactures premium luggage, bags, and travel accessories. The company primarily sells its signature hard-shell suitcases, which originally featured built-in ejectable USB chargers, through its proprietary e-commerce platform and physical retail stores. To diversify its product offerings, the firm expanded beyond traditional luggage in 2022 by launching a line of outdoor-focused travel bags. After generating $10 million in revenue during its first year of operations, the business reached profitability by late 2017 and has since sold millions of luggage units globally. The enterprise achieved a $1.4 billion valuation in 2019 following a $100 million Series D venture funding round backed by Wellington Management, Baillie Gifford, Lone Pine Capital, and Forerunner Ventures. Away was founded in 2015 by Jen Rubio and Steph Korey.
Away is a New York-based lifestyle brand founded in 2015 that designs and sells premium luggage and travel accessories online and in retail stores.[1] It builds durable, stylish suitcases equipped with features like built-in USB chargers, targeting frequent travelers seeking convenience and aesthetics over traditional bulky options.[1][3] Away solves the problem of unreliable, uninspired luggage by offering direct-to-consumer products that emphasize quality materials, lifetime warranties, and seamless e-commerce integration, serving millennials and Gen Z who prioritize experiential travel.[1][3] The company has raised $221 million across six funding rounds, with the latest at $40 million, achieving $53.4 million in revenue and employing around 190 people, signaling strong growth momentum in the post-pandemic travel rebound.[1]
Away was co-founded in 2015 by Jen Rubio and Steph Korey, who identified a gap in the luggage market after experiencing lost bags on a trip to South Africa—highlighting the need for reliable, modern carry-ons.[1] Drawing from their backgrounds in e-commerce and branding (Rubio from Warby Parker, Korey from Rent the Runway), they bootstrapped the idea into a direct-to-consumer model, launching with a viral Kickstarter-like buzz and rapid retail expansion.[1] Early traction came from innovative features like ejectable batteries and minimalist design, propelling Away to unicorn status by 2019 amid explosive DTC growth, though it later navigated leadership changes and supply chain hurdles.[1]
Away rides the DTC travel tech wave, leveraging e-commerce platforms, data analytics, and supply chain tech (e.g., Salesforce, Google stacks) to disrupt a $30 billion luggage market fragmented by outdated incumbents.[1] Timing aligns with travel's 2025 resurgence—projected to add $11.7 trillion to global GDP—fueled by smartphone bookings (74% of millennials research trips this way) and hybrid work enabling "workations."[2] Market forces like Asia-Pacific tourism boom and experiential spending favor Away's blend of hardware and digital content, influencing the ecosystem by popularizing tech-infused lifestyle brands (e.g., inspiring Allbirds in apparel).[1][2][3] It exemplifies how consumer tech startups scale physical goods via online communities, accelerating DTC adoption in non-digital categories.
Away is poised to expand into smart luggage with AI itinerary integration and subscription accessories, capitalizing on AR try-ons and global retail partnerships amid 2026's projected travel tech surge.[1][2] Trends like sustainable materials and metaverse trip planning will shape its path, potentially evolving it from luggage maker to full travel platform—much like how it transformed suitcases from commodities to status symbols. Watch for IPO momentum as funding fuels international growth, solidifying its role in get-away culture.[1]
Key people at Away.
Away was founded in 2015 by Steph Korey (Co-Founder and CEO).
Away has raised $182.0M in total across 5 funding rounds.
Away's investors include Wellington Management, Global Founders Capital, Lone Pine Capital, Daniel Gulati, Eurie Kim, Ludwig Ensthaler, Blockchange Ventures, Forerunner Ventures, Moonshots Capital, Amit Mukherjee, Background Capital, Kevin Ding.
Away has raised $182.0M across 5 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $100.0M Series D in May 2019.
