Montreal-based Stay22 has secured USD$122 million in minority growth funding from Summit Partners, as the company looks to expand globally and deepen its infrastructure connecting creators and publishers to commerce opportunities.
The investment marks a major milestone for Stay22, a fast-growing technology platform that enables travel creators, media companies, and event organizers to monetize their content by connecting audiences directly to booking and retail options. The funding will support product development, hiring, and expansion into new verticals, including retail categories such as food, fashion, lifestyle, and consumer technology.
Founded in Montreal, Stay22 has positioned itself at the intersection of the creator economy, travel, and commerce. Its platform uses AI-driven decisioning to analyze contextual and behavioral signals in real time, helping direct users toward relevant booking platforms such as Booking.com, Expedia Group, and Tripadvisor. The goal is to help creators and publishers turn audience engagement into measurable revenue.
The company has seen significant traction as consumer travel planning increasingly shifts toward creator-led discovery. Stay22 now works with more than 5,500 creators and publishers, including independent travel creator Nomadic Matt, media brands like Time Out and Lonely Planet, and transportation providers such as Travelier Group.
“Creators and publishers now shape how people discover experiences and products, but many lack the infrastructure to monetize that influence,” said Andrew Lockhead, CEO and Co-Founder of Stay22. “Stay22 was built to solve that problem. Summit’s experience investing in category-leading companies across the creator economy and marketing technology stack makes them an ideal partner to help scale our platform, grow our team and expand globally.”
The company’s growth has accelerated rapidly. Stay22 processed more than USD$1 billion in annual transactions in 2025 and generated USD$80 million in gross merchandise value from its newly launched retail vertical the same year. The expansion into retail represents a strategic shift as the company aims to evolve beyond its travel roots into broader creator monetization infrastructure.
Industry analysts estimate the global creator economy now exceeds USD$200 billion, creating growing demand for tools that help creators convert influence into revenue. Stay22’s platform is designed to serve as foundational infrastructure for this ecosystem, enabling creators and publishers to integrate monetization directly into their content.
Summit Partners said Stay22 stood out for its position at a critical intersection of digital media and commerce.
“We believe Stay22 is building essential infrastructure at the intersection of travel, content and commerce,” said Colin Mistele, Managing Director at Summit Partners. “As creators and publishers become more central to demand generation, the need for intelligent, scalable monetization tools has become critical. Stay22’s platform, team and execution stood out to us, and we’re excited to support the company as it continues to grow profitably and expand its global reach.”
As part of the investment, Summit Partners Managing Director Colin Mistele and Daniel Kim have joined Stay22’s board of directors.
The company has also expanded its workforce significantly, more than tripling its headcount over the past two years. Stay22 is currently hiring across product, engineering, and partner support roles, reflecting its push to scale globally and strengthen its partner ecosystem.
Stay22 has earned recognition for its rapid growth, ranking 12th on Deloitte’s Technology Fast 50 Canada list in 2024 and 31st in 2025, as well as appearing on Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500 North America list in both years.
The latest funding signals continued investor confidence in platforms that help creators monetize audiences, as the creator economy matures into a core channel for commerce, travel bookings, and product discovery.
