Ritesh Raj, who is one of the co-founders and also CEO of CuddlyNest, had a lifelong passion for traveling, which he turned into a contemporary online travel agency (OTA) with AI support that now manages over 22 million listings across 188 nations.
From Bihar to Global Horizons
Originating from a tiny village in Bihar, India, Ritesh was always a different thinker. While the majority of his friends were still enjoying their time in the village, Ritesh was looking for the biggest exposure one could get. After taking his first steps into the corporate world through Wipro in 2007 and going through different roles in marketing, customer support, and travel, he started his co-living experiment in New Delhi, the city of travelers.
“Over the years, I had seventy guests from different corners of the world staying at my place. Their stories, accents, and viewpoints helped me widen my own view,” Ritesh opines.
The decision to walk the path of learning was made by him in 2013. The following six years were the time when he went on doing the impossible—travelling to over 100 countries, flying more than 700 times, and living in more than 400 cities around the globe. All these travels were just for him to see the various cultures, different places of lodging, and traveling methods of different people.
“It wasn’t merely sightseeing—it was a study. I encountered the difficulties that every traveler encounters, and I started to come up with ideas on how to enhance the booking process,” he explains.
The Birth of CuddlyNest
In December 2019, Ritesh, while having a cup of coffee at Sightglass Coffee in San Francisco, met Haitham Saead, an experienced person in IT, finance, and consulting. Both of them talking about their common grievances with the traditional travel platforms, decided to start CuddlyNest in January 2020.
The objective of CuddlyNest was quite clear: to make the process of travel booking simple, honest, and tailored made for travelers, landlords, and suppliers.
“We wanted to build an OTA that prioritized users, not algorithms,” says Haitham Saead, co-founder and CFO.
Challenges and Resilience
The timing, nevertheless, proved to be a difficult one. To make matters worse, just a few months later, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic occurred, cutting off all global travel. The situation in Ukraine, where CuddlyNest had one of its main hubs, was such that the company had to face extremely complicated operations. The founders, however, were undeterred by the difficulties; they channeled their resources into in-house AI model development, inventory growth, and technology enhancement.
Come 2023, the pandemic had no longer been a factor in the travel industry, and CuddlyNest was all set. The company’s AI-supported platform which had been incorporated from day one allowed smart filtering, results based on relevance, and various payment methods, including the use of cryptocurrencies, thus eliminating decision fatigue and the inefficiencies associated with the platform.
A Truly AI-Powered OTA
CuddlyNest addresses major pain points in online travel:
- Low commission rates: The flat 5% fee, which is quite low when compared to 12-20% on some other platforms, guarantees the affordability of the service for the travelers and rightful income for the hosts.
- Smart filtering: Machine learning surfacing immediately most relevant options of avoiding endless scrolling.
- Unified experience: Indeed, one can book accommodations, airlines’ travel, and enjoy attractions all in one place and under one transparent pricing.
Today, the platform offers:
- 22M+ properties in 32+ categories, including hotels, hostels, serviced apartments, villas, cabins, and more
- Access to 600+ airlines covering 50,000+ global routes
- Presence in 188 countries and 80,000 cities
- A remote team of 50+ experts across Europe, Asia, the US, and the Middle East
- Over USD 27.9 million in gross transaction value since 2023
Looking Ahead
In Q1 2026, CuddlyNest is seeking funds from the angel investors and preparing for its first major funding round.
“This is just the beginning. Our goal is to redefine global travel booking and position CuddlyNest as a leader. My advice to entrepreneurs? Take the leap. Travel. Explore. Persist,” Ritesh Raj concludes.
