# Steve Kaufer, CEO and Co-Founder at Angel

> Steve Kaufer, CEO and Co-Founder at Angel. 2 investments on record. The rounds they were named in and the filings that name them, each with its source.

Source: https://millionrounds.com/person/steve-kaufer (Millionrounds; every figure on the page links to its filing or article)

Newton, US · Angel

# Steve Kaufer

CEO and Co-Founder at [TripAdvisor](https://millionrounds.com/fund/tripadvisor)

Latest rounds

- **Cruisebound** Series B · $13M Nov 2024
- **BetterLesson** Series A · $1.6M Sept 2011

Backs *Travel & Hospitality* *Edtech*

Profile summary

- **Rounds named:** 2 last Nov 2024
- **Filings:** - with regulators
- **Podcasts:** 3 episodes

What this record rests on

- ✓ **Named in rounds** 2 rounds name them
- **On filings** No filing names them
- ✓ **Linked to a firm** At TripAdvisor
- **Claimed** Not claimed yet

Titles come from the investor lists this database was built from, so read them as of their date.

[Correct or remove](https://millionrounds.com/corrections?person=steve-kaufer)[Is this you? Claim it](https://millionrounds.com/claim?person=steve-kaufer)

## The firm

[**TripAdvisor** Corporate VC · US **0** cheques in 12 months **3** all time **0** led quiet](https://millionrounds.com/fund/tripadvisor)

## Rounds they were named in

- **Rounds:** 2
- **Led:** 0
- **Disclosed:** $14.6M
- **Active:** 2011–24

2024

- [Cruisebound](https://millionrounds.com/company/cruisebound) *Series B* **$13M** *US* Nov 2024 Joined · +8 investors

2011

- [BetterLesson](https://millionrounds.com/company/betterlesson) *Series A* **$1.6M** *US* Sept 2011 Joined · +5 investors · historical

By stage

- Series A **1**
- Series B **1**

What they backed

Travel & Hospitality **1** Edtech **1**

Alongside

- [Accomplice *1*](https://millionrounds.com/fund/accomplice)
- [Alumni Ventures *1*](https://millionrounds.com/fund/us-strategic-tech-fund-an-alumni-ventures-fund)
- [Flybridge *1*](https://millionrounds.com/fund/flybridge)
- [General Catalyst Partners *1*](https://millionrounds.com/fund/general-catalyst)
- [Highland Capital Partners *1*](https://millionrounds.com/fund/highland-capital-partners)
- [Jeff Boyd *1*](https://millionrounds.com/fund/jeff-boyd)
- [Link Ventures *1*](https://millionrounds.com/fund/link-ventures)
- Matt Greenfield *1*

Rounds where a report named this person rather than a firm, matched on name: read it as a strong hint, not proof, since people share names.

## Companies they are listed as backing

Portfolio

- [BetterLesson](https://millionrounds.com/company/betterlesson)

## Also at TripAdvisor

- [**Pai-Hsiang Hsiao** Director of Engineering *0 rounds*](https://millionrounds.com/person/pai-hsiang-hsiao)

## Hear them before you pitch them

- [Grit](https://millionrounds.com/podcasts/grit) · 28 Jul 2025 · 1h 13m The Travel Giant Built on Billions of Reviews | Steve Kaufer on TripAdvisor With [Steve Kaufer](https://millionrounds.com/person/steve-kaufer) Mentions [Dara Khosrowshahi](https://millionrounds.com/fund/dara-khosrowshahi)[Barry Diller](https://millionrounds.com/person/barry-diller) About this episode How did Tripadvisor become every traveler’s starting point? Steve Kaufer joins Joubin Mirzadegan on Grit to break down how Tripadvisor became the internet’s trusted travel companion, built on over a billion reviews and decades of trust. He also shares why early personalization fell short and how… More on the show's page Listen on Apple PodcastsThe show's page
- [The Logan Bartlett Show](https://millionrounds.com/podcasts/logan-bartlett-show) · 7 Jun 2024 · 1h 40m EP 107: Steve Kaufer (Co-Founder, Tripadvisor) - Why He Left & What He’s Building Now With [Steve Kaufer](https://millionrounds.com/person/steve-kaufer) About this episode Steve Kaufer led Tripadvisor to multi-billion dollar success over a 20+ year run as CEO. He discusses getting acquired and spun out from IAC, becoming a public company CEO, and his biggest operating lessons from his decades-long journey. Steve also shares behind-the-scenes of his new venture, Give… Listen on Apple Podcasts
- [How I Built This](https://millionrounds.com/podcasts/how-i-built-this) · 31 Oct 2022 · 1h 19m Tripadvisor: Steve Kaufer With [Steve Kaufer](https://millionrounds.com/person/steve-kaufer) About this episode Steve Kaufer got the idea for Tripadvisor in 1998 after spending way too many hours online, trying to figure out if a resort in Mexico was really as good as its brochure. When he launched a travel guidance site a few years later, his business plan failed spectacularly because he was trying to… Listen on Apple Podcasts

Episodes of [the shows we follow](https://millionrounds.com/podcasts), matched by name. Not them? [Tell us](https://millionrounds.com/corrections?person=steve-kaufer).

## Find people like Steve

Filter every partner and angel by firm, kind, market and whether we watched them invest. Free with an account.

Search people[How we know what we know](https://millionrounds.com/methodology)