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§ Private Profile · Seattle, WA, USA
Cloud-based digital marketing software for hotels, offering website creation, online booking, and SEO to attract direct bookings.
Based in Seattle, Washington, buuteeq provides cloud-based digital marketing and reservation software designed to help independent hotels manage their online presence and secure direct bookings. Operating on a software-as-a-service model, the platform offers website creation tools, search engine optimization, and booking engines to a global customer base that reached 6,000 hotel properties by early 2014. The company has served hospitality clients ranging from small bed and breakfasts to large operators like MGM Grand, and was ultimately acquired by Priceline in June 2014. Prior to its acquisition, the enterprise grew its workforce to approximately 130 employees and secured roughly $17 million in total venture funding. Its financial backers included prominent institutional investors and corporate venture arms such as Madrona Venture Group and Concur Technologies. buuteeq was founded in 2010 by Forest Key, Adam Brownstein, and Brian Saab.
buuteeq has raised $14.0M across 2 funding rounds.
buuteeq has raised $14.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
buuteeq has raised $14.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $10.0M Series B in September 2012.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2012 | $10M Series B | Madrona Venture Group, Steve Singh | — | Announced |
| Jun 1, 2011 | $4M Series A | Geoff Entress, Mike Galgon | Pioneer Square Labs, Benaroya Capital | Announced |
Buuteeq was a technology company that built a comprehensive, cloud-based digital marketing system (DMS) tailored for independent hotels, enabling them to manage booking operations, websites, mobile channels, social media, and promotions.[1][2][3][4] It served independent hotels worldwide, solving the challenge of competing with larger chains by providing an integrated platform that optimized online guest search behaviors and improved SEO, bookings, and digital presence.[1][3][4] Founded in 2010 in Seattle, Washington, Buuteeq raised $16.9M before being acquired by Booking Holdings (then Priceline Group) in June 2014, marking a successful exit in the hospitality tech space.[1]
Buuteeq emerged in 2010 from a passion for travel and revolutionizing the hotel industry, headquartered at 220 West Mercer Street in Seattle.[1][5] While specific founders are not detailed in available records, the company quickly gained traction with its DMS, launching as the first integrated system designed for how guests search for hotels online.[4] Early momentum included rapid product development—former product leader Amy Hutchins shipped features within weeks—and a unique company culture highlighted by the "Trotamundo" employee travel stipend, which won Geekwire's Perk of the Year in 2014 and embodied the travel-inspired ethos.[1][5] By 2013-2014, Buuteeq expanded globally, adding leadership for international growth, setting the stage for its acquisition.[6]
Buuteeq stood out in hospitality tech through these key strengths:
Buuteeq rode the early 2010s wave of digital transformation in hospitality, where independent hotels needed tools to counter OTA dominance like Booking.com and Expedia amid rising mobile bookings and social discovery.[3][4] Its timing was ideal post-2008 recession, as hotels sought cost-effective, cloud-based solutions for direct bookings during a shift to SEO-driven, multi-channel marketing.[1][2][5] Market forces like exploding online travel searches favored Buuteeq's guest-behavior-focused DMS, influencing the ecosystem by proving acquirers like Booking Holdings valued specialized indie hotel tech—paving the way for later players in hotel tech stacks.[1][3]
Post-2014 acquisition, Buuteeq's tech integrated into Booking Holdings, amplifying its legacy in hotel digital marketing, though as a standalone entity it no longer operates independently.[1] Looking ahead, its model foreshadows AI-enhanced personalization and direct-booking tools in a post-pandemic world of experiential travel and revenue management software. Trends like hyper-local SEO, Web3 loyalty, and sustainability-focused platforms could evolve its influence, empowering independents against consolidators—much like Buuteeq's original mission to level the digital playing field for hotels.
buuteeq has raised $14.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
buuteeq's investors include Madrona Ventures, Steve Singh, Geoff Entress, Mike Galgon, Pioneer Square Labs, Benaroya Capital.