Proximal Ventures secures $27.5 million for debut AI healthcare fund
Founder Sahir Raoof is targeting early-stage businesses that use AI to improve pharmaceutical services, with seven startups already in the portfolio.
OpenAI acquires travel AI startup Odessia, founder says
Founder Francis Davidson has joined OpenAI, which confirmed his hiring but has not announced any new travel-specific products or plans.
OpenAI has bought Odessia, an AI travel agent startup, founder Francis Davidson said in a post announcing the acquisition. Davidson said he had joined OpenAI to work on travel, while an OpenAI spokesperson confirmed his hiring.
Financial terms were not disclosed. Odessia raised $6 million in pre-seed funding in a round led by Sequoia. Its travel tool has since closed, after helping early users plan travel worth millions of dollars, according to Davidson.
OpenAI has not outlined new products or plans specifically for travel. A spokesperson said travel is a frequent subject of chatbot users’ questions. The company also identified travel as a possible application when it introduced its ChatGPT agent in July 2025.
Davidson previously founded Sonder in 2014 while a college student. The company focused on short-term rentals of upscale apartments in major cities. He stepped down as chief executive in June 2025.
Sonder later entered bankruptcy and wound down after a key Marriott partnership collapsed. In 2026, its bankruptcy trustee sold the company’s name, trademarks and website domain to TravelAI.