Somewhere in one of UberOffices Dupont’s cramped workspaces, David Aidekman is helping Average Joes satisfy their itch for adventure.
Aidekman’s startup, Adventurati, just raised $477,000 in equity funding, according to an SEC filing, bringing its total raised so far to more than $1.6 million.
Its newest iteration, The Trip Tribe, was launched in 2013 and helps match vacation buddies together. After users create a profile, it advises them on the destination — from Europe and Asia to Latin America and the Caribbean — and groups — from 8 to 150 people — that might best suit them.
Aidekman’s own voyage to becoming a startup founder winds through D.C.’s halls of power. While working his way up in the George W. Bush administration, Aidekman, a Harvard alum, developed a reputation for organizing group getaways. Eventually, he decided to offer his services to a broader clientele than his friends-and-acquaintances circle — and took the entrepreneurial route.