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Plusgrade Acquisition, Valuation, Funding & Investors
Plusgrade was acquired by Novacap in September 2021.
Plusgrade acquisition price
Undisclosed
Acquired by Novacap · Sep 2021
Cumulative funding Plusgrade raised
$152M
across 1 funding round
Key investors in Plusgrade
La Caisse
About Plusgrade
Plusgrade is a Montreal-headquartered provider of ancillary revenue technology for airlines worldwide. The company's SaaS platform enables dynamic upgrade offers, bid systems, and merchandising tools that generate over $1 billion in annual revenue for carriers including Air Canada, Delta, and Lufthansa. Founded in 2009, Plusgrade maintains offices in Singapore, New York, and London, supporting more than 60 airlines across six continents with real-time pricing and inventory management features.
Founded
2009
HQ
Website
Status
Acquired
Customer focus
B2B
Revenue model
Subscription
Valuation
$606M (Nov 2018)
Plusgrade Acquisition
Plusgrade was acquired by Novacap for an undisclosed price on 17 September 2021.
Before the acquisition Plusgrade had raised $152M across 1 funding round.
Plusgrade is a Montreal-based SaaS provider founded in 2009 that helps airlines, cruise lines, and rail operators generate ancillary revenue from seat upgrades, premium services, and unsold inventory through its white-labeled platform integrated into reservation systems. It serves over 70 partners in more than 50 countries and has generated billions in new revenue opportunities for travel suppliers. On September 17, 2021, Canadian private equity firm Novacap acquired a substantial equity interest in Plusgrade, gaining a foothold in the lucrative ancillary revenue market during the pandemic, with CDPQ remaining a major investor post-transaction. Novacap, which had tracked Plusgrade for years, viewed it as a leader in innovative niche solutions with growth potential into new geographies and verticals. The investment was part of Novacap's sector-focused approach in technology, media, and telecom. Legal advisors included Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP for Plusgrade and McCarthy Tétrault LLP for Novacap. Novacap later supported Plusgrade's M&A growth, deploying capital for acquisitions before exiting to General Atlantic in March 2024.
| Acquirer | Date | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 17 Sep 2021 | PE buyout |
Plusgrade Valuation
Plusgrade is currently valued at $606M, based on its undisclosed-stage round in November 2018.
The $152M round was led by La Caisse.
Plusgrade valuation by funding round
| Date | Stage | Valuation |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 2018 | Undisclosed stage | $606M |
Plusgrade Funding History
Plusgrade has raised a total of $152M across 1 funding round.
Plusgrade funding rounds
| Date | Stage | Investors | Raised | Valuation | Deal Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2018 | Undisclosed stage | La Caisse (lead) | $152M | $606M | Plusgrade is a Montreal-based provider of revenue-enhancing technology specializing in secondary market solutions for airlines, cruise lines, and other travel businesses, enabling customers to bid for seat upgrades and ancillary products. Over 50 carriers, including Air Canada, Lufthansa, and Singapore Airlines, had adopted its technology by 2018, with more than 70 airlines using its services by late 2018. Founded in 2009, the company operates offices in Montreal, New York, and Singapore, and partnered with Amadeus Altea in 2016 for broader distribution. On November 28, 2018, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ, or La Caisse) invested $150 million USD (CAN$200 million) in equity, valuing Plusgrade at $450 million USD (CAN$600 million). The transaction involved CDPQ acquiring a portion of shares from existing private equity investor TA Associates, which remained a major shareholder. This unattributed/secondary market round was aimed at fueling expansion into new markets and enhancing products and services. CEO Ken Harris highlighted the investment as validation of the team's value delivery to global travel suppliers. Later developments include Plusgrade's acquisition of Points in a US$385 million deal, projecting over US$3.5 billion in new revenue opportunities for partners through 2022, expanding to over 140 partners globally. |
Who has invested in Plusgrade?
1 investor has backed Plusgrade across its funding rounds, including La Caisse.
Lead investors include La Caisse.
Plusgrade Investors
| Investor | HQ | Rounds | Role | First check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
This data is available for Pro users. Sign up to see all 1 Plusgrade investors. Start Free Trial | ||||
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Start Free TrialAcquisitions by Plusgrade
Plusgrade has acquired 3 companies to date.
Last acquisition by Plusgrade was on October 1st 2025. Plusgrade acquired Oaky for undisclosed valuation.
Latest Acquisitions by Plusgrade
| Description | Oaky is an Amsterdam-headquartered software platform that enables hotels to increase revenue via personalized upsell offers for room upgrades, late check-outs, and experiences. The tool integrates with property management systems like Opera and Mews for automated guest segmentation and dynamic pricing. Oaky serves over 4,000 properties worldwide including Radisson Hotel Group, ONYX Hospitality, and citizenM. Hotel Tech Report named it the top upselling solution from 2019 through 2023. | UpStay is a Tel Aviv-headquartered platform that enables hotel chains to monetize unsold rooms through short-term rental channels like Airbnb. Launched in 2019, it automates listing management, dynamic pricing, and guest communication to boost occupancy and revenue without cannibalizing direct bookings. Integrated with property management systems from Oracle and Mews, UpStay serves properties in Europe and the Middle East. | Points International is a Toronto-headquartered leader in loyalty program technology, powering currency management and e-commerce for airlines, hotels, and financial services. The LoyaltyCommerce platform enables points issuance, redemption, and retailing through APIs integrated with partners like United Airlines, Hilton, and Barclays. Founded in 1983, it processes billions in loyalty transactions annually. |
| HQ Country | |||
| HQ City | Amsterdam | Tel Aviv | Toronto |
| Deal Date | 1 Oct 2025 | 31 Jan 2023 | 9 May 2022 |
| Valuation | undisclosed | undisclosed | $385M |
| EV/Revenue | |||
| EV/EBITDA | |||
This data is available for Pro users. Sign up to see all Plusgrade acquisitions and their M&A valuation multiples. Start Free Trial | |||
Plusgrade Competitors
Plusgrade competitors include listed companies like SiteMinder and LES Info, and private ones like Upside Business Travel, Canary Technologies, Scapia and FLYR.
| Company | HQ | Status | Revenue | EBITDA | Valuation | Revenue Multiple |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private | - | - | $200M | - | ||
| Private | - | - | $600M | - | ||
| Publicly listed | $189M | $17M | $554M | 2.7x | ||
| Private | $3M | - | $500M | - | ||
| Private | - | - | $800M | - | ||
| Publicly listed | $190M | $10M | $895M | 3.8x |
Plusgrade Public Comps
Plusgrade is no longer listed, but its public comps include Movida, H.I.S. Group, SiteMinder, Rank Group, Issta, Rainbow Tours, Lotte Tour Development, eDreams ODIGEO, Thomas Cook India and Kambi Group.
| Last FY | EV/Revenue | EV/EBITDA | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | EBITDA | Last FY | LTM | 2027E | Last FY | LTM | 2027E | |
| $2.9B | $984M | 1.6x | 1.5x | 4.7x | 3.8x | |||
| $2.4B | $125M | 0.4x | 0.4x | 8.2x | 7.1x | |||
| $189M | $17M | 2.9x | 2.7x | 31.1x | 22.9x | |||
| $1.1B | $156M | 0.7x | 0.7x | 4.8x | 4.1x | |||
| $193M | $84M | 7.0x | - | 16.2x | - | |||
| $1.2B | $89M | 0.4x | 0.4x | 5.3x | 5.5x | |||
| $476M | $167M | 3.2x | 2.9x | 9.2x | 8.0x | |||
| $770M | $161M | 1.1x | 1.1x | 5.4x | 5.3x | |||
This data is available for Pro users. Sign up to see all Plusgrade competitors and their valuation data. Start Free Trial | ||||||||
Common questions about Plusgrade
| When was Plusgrade founded? | Plusgrade was founded in 2009. |
| Where is Plusgrade headquartered? | Plusgrade is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. |
| Is Plusgrade publicly listed? | No, Plusgrade was acquired by Novacap in September 2021. |
| Who acquired Plusgrade? | Plusgrade was acquired by Novacap in September 2021. |
| What is Plusgrade's valuation? | Plusgrade was last valued at $606M in its undisclosed-stage round in November 2018. |
| How much funding has Plusgrade raised? | Plusgrade has raised $152M across 1 funding round. |
| What was Plusgrade's last funding round? | Plusgrade's last funding round was a $152M undisclosed-stage round in November 2018, led by La Caisse. |
| Who are Plusgrade's investors? | Plusgrade's investors include La Caisse. |
| Which companies are comparable to Plusgrade? | Companies comparable to Plusgrade include Upside Business Travel, Canary Technologies, SiteMinder, Scapia, FLYR and LES Info. |
| How many companies has Plusgrade acquired? | Plusgrade has acquired 3 companies, including Oaky, UpStay and Points International. |
| What was the largest acquisition by Plusgrade? | The $385M acquisition of Points International in May 2022 is the largest acquisition Plusgrade has made to date. |
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