Overview

Guidesly is a workflow and marketplace platform for outdoor recreation guides — fishing, hunting, snow sports, and water sports — combining booking tools for guides with a consumer marketplace for outdoor trips. Founded in 2019, the company won $1M from 43North in 2023 and moved headquarters to Buffalo, NY in early 2024 from Topsfield, Massachusetts. In January 2025 Guidesly closed a $9.5M Series A led by Aspen Capital Group, with participation from YETI Capital, HalfCourt Ventures, Derive Ventures, and existing investors Elysian Park Ventures and Marquee Ventures. Funds support vertical AI product expansion and global marketplace growth.

Why Guidesly is interesting

43North 2023 winner that relocated to Buffalo in early 2024, then closed a $9.5M Series A in January 2025 led by Aspen Capital — a concrete Upstate relocation-to-Series-A path.

Product & use cases

Cloud platform for outdoor guides (scheduling, bookings, customer experience) plus a consumer marketplace connecting enthusiasts to vetted outdoor recreational guides.

• Independent fishing or hunting guides managing bookings and clients
• Consumers discovering and booking guided outdoor trips
• Guide businesses using vertical AI tools for operations

Key facts

• 43North (2023): $1M prize; relocated HQ to Buffalo early 2024
• Series A (Jan 2025): $9.5M led by Aspen Capital Group; YETI Capital, HalfCourt, Derive, Elysian Park, Marquee participated
• Vertical AI and SaaS tools for outdoor guides plus consumer booking marketplace
• Founded 2019; HQ Buffalo, NY

Fundraising history

Investors in our directory

Funds linked from Guidesly's profile — open a fund page for stage focus and related deal articles.

Competitive landscape

Edge: Vertical SaaS plus marketplace focused on outdoor guides — not a generic travel OTA — with 43North-backed Buffalo HQ after relocation.

Outdoor guide booking is fragmented. Guidesly competes by bundling guide operations software with a consumer marketplace rather than only listing trips on generic experience marketplaces.

• Booking platforms (Viator, GetYourGuide) adjacent

  Broader tours/experiences; less guide-operations SaaS depth.

• Guide-specific booking tools direct

  Niche outdoor guide software competitors vary by sport vertical.

• Direct guide websites / Instagram booking incumbent

  Many guides still book manually or via social media.

Notable stories

• After winning 43North in 2023, Guidesly relocated to Buffalo in early 2024 and closed a $9.5M Series A in January 2025 (43North / company announcement).

Industries

Related funding articles

Venture Capital Tracker pieces that cover Guidesly's financing or category context.

• Buffalo Startups and VC Firms in 2026: ACV Auctions, 43North, and Life Sciences Capital