CarTrawler Expands Travel Ancillary Offering with Acquisition of Insurtech Koala

CarTrawler, the leading B2B technology platform for car rental and mobility solutions to the global travel industry, has acquired Koala, a Paris-based B2B travel insurtech business specialising in innovative, customer-centric, travel insurance solutions designed to deliver peace of mind for travellers. The deal marks CarTrawler’s strategic entry into the insurtech vertical as the company further expands its multi-product travel ancillary platform in response to growing partner demand for ancillary products, including integrated insurance offerings.

Koala’s API-first technology and customer-centric approach complement CarTrawler’s core strengths and support its plans to expand offerings beyond car rental and mobility. The acquisition builds on CarTrawler’s track record of delivering high-conversion products that add value across the travel journey and create revenue-generating opportunities. Koala’s insurtech options, such as ‘Cancel For Any Reason’ and automatic trip disruption cover — both of which remove the need for customers to justify claims and are already used by more than 70 travel partners in 17 countries — deliver on that promise to drive measurable value to travellers and brands.

CarTrawler’s partners will have access to flexible travel insurance products that are embedded directly into the booking flow and require minimal development effort while driving higher attach rates. These high-margin, ancillaries introduce new revenue potential and bring travel brands closer to achieving a truly connected journey for travellers.

CarTrawler’s proven data science and revenue optimisation capabilities, combined with Koala’s innovative insurtech products, will help partners drive valuable ancillary revenue and improve their customers’ experience. With this acquisition, travellers can expect faster claims processing, more flexible refund options, and an enhanced travel booking experience.

“The demand for B2B travel ancillary solutions continues to increase, with our travel partners asking us to add these solutions to our offering,” said Peter O’Donovan, CEO of CarTrawler. “The acquisition of Koala is a further step toward fulfilling our ambition of becoming the leading multi-product ancillary platform for the global travel industry. Koala’s product innovation and customer-centric approach make them a natural fit. Together, we’ll unlock more value for travel partners and travellers alike.”

A Leader in Insurtech

Koala is recognised as a pioneer in the insurtech sector, having developed several industry-first travel insurance products, including the world’s first Parametric Flight Disruption Insurance and Modify for Any Reason. Its solutions, which also include traditional travel insurance products, have been purchased by travellers from more than 140 countries. Travel brands that partner with Koala experience, on average, a nearly 77% increase in insurance sales volume within the first year of launch.

As more airlines target growth of high-margin ancillary revenue (which accounts for an average of 14.9% of their total revenue, according to CarTrawler’s Yearbook of Ancillary Revenue), the value of travel insurance as an offering is magnified. Products like Cancel For Any Reason are also growing in popularity among travellers, with a 34% year-over-year increase in purchases in 2024. Behind that momentum lies a broader market trend: global travel insurance is projected to double in value by 2030, from $25.98 billion today to $50.77 billion. With conversion-focused products built for flexibility and ease, Koala — and now CarTrawler — are well-positioned to help travel brands capture a greater share of that growing demand.

Investing in What Customers Need

The acquisition reinforces CarTrawler’s commitment to scaling its platform, expanding into high-growth verticals and delivering more value to partners. With Koala’s API-first, automated insurance technology, CarTrawler will be able to offer fair and simple travel flexibility products designed to generate revenue for partners while giving travellers peace of mind.

“This is just the beginning,” added O’Donovan. “We are strengthening the Connect Platform and expanding our proposition to become a multi-product platform. Between this acquisition and capitalising on recent major partner wins, we are positioned for phenomenal growth in the years ahead.”

CarTrawler’s new partner additions this year included American Airlines, Qantas, Jet2.com, and Virgin Australia, which joined established partnerships with easyJet, eDreams ODIGEO, Uber, United Airlines, and American Express. With a global network of over 2,200 car rental and mobility suppliers across more than 50,000 locations in over 150 countries, CarTrawler now powers ancillary revenue for over 250 travel brands and 70 airline partners.