In October 2012, Secret Escapes raised £8m in a venture funding round led by Index Ventures, adding to a seed round led by Atlas Ventures in the previous year. The judges were impressed by the business model of capitalising on the ‘secret’ that even the best hotels don’t want empty beds, allowing properties to reach maximum occupancy by offering exclusive deals to its 2 million members. The private travel club is free to join and once a member is on the mailing list they will receive regular updates by email of all sales.
