Sékr , a startup that provides mobile apps for outdoor enthusiasts and campers, is launching a new AI tool for planning road trips. The new tool, called CoPilot, is available on the startup’s updated website and app, which is used by more than 100,000 users.
Seeker was founded in 2016 with the goal of helping the “van life” community find campsites based on their needs, such as shower facilities, toilets, overnight van parking or free Wi-Fi. The app also allows users to connect with fellow travelers who want to participate in outdoor activities together, such as rock climbing or skiing.
Sékr : The startup is under new leadership, after being acquired by Vans company Peace Van in December 2023. Sekar and Peace Van CEO Harley Sittner were users of the app for seven years, but last year they noticed that the app had become inactive. They learned that the startup’s founders were going to shut down the app at the end of 2022 due to a sudden change in the global fundraising environment, despite having a strong user base. Sittner, a former product manager at Microsoft, was approached to acquire Sekar in November 2023.
Eight months later, the startup now wants to help people better plan their journey to their destination, as well as update the app with advanced features that stay in line with Seeker’s original mission.
With the new AI-powered road trip planning tool, Sékr is combining natural language processing with proprietary data from its community of users who have left reviews and ratings about specific locations. Copilot also looks at publicly available data when creating road trip itineraries. The tool leverages OpenAI’s GPT, Meta’s Llama, and more.
“For the millions of people traveling by van, car, or RV this summer, Sékr CoPilot will help you quickly create a better itinerary than you would otherwise spend hours of hard work planning a trip,” Sittner said in a statement. “The AI won’t create a picturesque sunset, but it will help you overcome the infamous planner’s block, prepare you for unexpected moments, and connect you to an authentic road trip experience co-created by Seeker’s incredible community of dedicated users.”
CoPilot can be accessed through a new “Trip Planning” tab on the startup’s website or app. Once users open the tool, they’ll be asked to respond to a variety of prompts about where they’re going and what they’re looking for. The tool will then provide an itinerary with editable travel steps that include camping destinations, meal stops, and outdoor activities.
Sékr is available on iOS and Android. The app’s basic features are free to use. Users can unlock premium features like offline maps, event discount codes, and unlimited messaging and searching for $4.99 per month.
The startup previously received $2.25 million in seed funding led by Storyteller Overland, with participation from Backstage Capital, Techstars, Ad Astra Ventures, Crescent Ridge Ventures, and GoFundMe co-founder Andy Ballester. Travel app Sēkr raises $2.25M to bring campsite inventory into the digital age