Reflecting on the Last Decade With Navan's Co-Founders Ariel Cohen and Ilan Twig
While we don't usually write reflective posts, this incredible milestone calls for taking time to look back and share our thoughts with you.
Our journey together began at Mercury Interactive in the early 2000s, where an interesting twist of fate had us working in different buildings. While Ilan was in M2, Ariel was making waves in M1 — we kept hearing stories about each other long before we actually met! When we finally collaborated on a project together, it was clear we shared the same vision and drive. Our paths continued to cross through Mercury’s acquisition by HP and our subsequent roles at Opsware, the innovative company founded by tech legends Ben Horowitz and Marc Andreessen.
The stars truly aligned when Ilan moved to the U.S. in 2006, followed by Ariel in 2009. From the moment we reconnected, we knew we had to build something extraordinary together — a vision that would eventually become Navan.
In August 2012, we embarked on our first venture together — StreamOnce. Fueled by relentless determination and innovative spirit, we achieved remarkable success, reaching $1M in revenue and getting acquired by Jive Software in just 9 months. But we knew this was just the beginning. During our extensive business travels post-acquisition, we encountered a glaring problem in corporate travel that desperately needed solving. The booking process was painfully antiquated, requiring hours of frustration to complete simple reservations. Even worse, travelers were left stranded without support when things went wrong. We saw an opportunity to revolutionize an industry that hadn’t seen meaningful innovation in decades.
Exactly two years after the StreamOnce acquisition, we started our TripActions/Navan journey together.
Founding a company is quite a journey. It almost always starts with building desks, but then it takes you to the most unexpected places.
On May 15, 2015, we embarked on an extraordinary journey that would redefine business travel. What followed was nothing short of remarkable — a rollercoaster of triumphs and challenges that pushed us to new heights. From celebrating major milestones to navigating unprecedented obstacles, each moment has shaped our story.
We’ve witnessed breathtaking growth: becoming one of the Valley's fastest-growing B2B companies, quickly welcoming 1,000 new team members, while achieving growth that we never thought possible. Even when faced with the unthinkable — our revenue dropping to zero during the pandemic with global air travel at a standstill — we emerged stronger and more innovative than ever. Through media spotlights, industry awards, and recognition as a top employer, we’ve continued to push boundaries and redefine what’s possible. Each partnership formed, every customer onboarded, each product launched, and each crisis overcome has been a stepping stone in this incredible journey.
One of the most remarkable aspects of Navan is our extraordinary ability to handle crises. It’s unlike anything we’ve ever witnessed — we don’t just survive challenges, we thrive in them! When faced with adversity, our team transforms into a unified force of problem-solvers. Titles and roles fade away as everyone jumps in to do whatever is needed in order to deliver for our customers. Throughout our journey, we’ve weathered numerous storms — some threatening our very existence, others challenging our competitive edge. Yet through it all, our incredible team’s talent, resilience, and unwavering unity proved unstoppable. This “crisis superpower” has become a defining part of our DNA, and it’s absolutely extraordinary to witness!
🚀 A Decade of Game-Changing Milestones!
From a bold dream in Palo Alto to revolutionizing the global corporate travel landscape, Navan’s extraordinary journey has been nothing short of phenomenal:
- 🌎 Lasting global growth: We’ve built an incredible international powerhouse through strategic acquisitions of industry leaders: Reed & Mackay (UK), Comtravo (Germany), Resia AB (Sweden), and Tripeur (India)!
- 💪 Record-breaking financial success: Our remarkable rise has been breathtaking — from achieving unicorn status in 2018 to processing over $15 billion in bookings, with more than 10,000 customers across the Navan group.
- ⚡ Revolutionary product innovation: The game-changing launch of TripActions Liquid (now Navan Expense) in 2020 showcased our ability to innovate fearlessly, creating a revolutionary T&E powerhouse that transformed the industry!
- 🛡️Unbreakable resilience: When COVID-19 brought travel to a halt, we didn’t just survive — we thrived! We boldly pivoted our business model, emerging stronger than ever!
- 🚄 Cutting-edge tech leadership: We’ve blazed new trails with the integration of generative AI across our products, redefining standards in travel search and customer service.
- 🤝 Unwavering commitment to customers: Through every challenge, our customers’ feedback and loyalty have served as our compass — pushing us to innovate and deliver, no matter the circumstances.
In 2023, we unveiled our evolution into Navan — a revolutionary ”super app” that’s redefining the future of business software. This isn’t just a rebrand — it’s a declaration of our commitment to pushing boundaries and shattering expectations!
It’s absolutely incredible that after a decade of groundbreaking achievements, revolutionary innovations, and extraordinary milestones, we still wake up every morning bursting with energy and excitement to push boundaries even further. The fire that drives us has never burned brighter! Navan's spirit of relentless innovation continues to amaze us — from our pioneering embrace of Generative AI to our bold vision of the future. We’re not just following trends; we’re setting them. We’re showing the world what’s possible when you dare to dream bigger and move faster. The energy and momentum we’ve built is nothing short of extraordinary!
To each and every customer — from those who believed in us in the early days to the many who have joined us along the way — we are so grateful for your support. Your ambitions, your feedback, and your trust have shaped every bold step we’ve taken. Your successes are our proudest moments, and serving you continues to be our greatest honor.
Let us share something profound that we tell every new hire: While Navan may legally exist as just a document in some IRS filing cabinet, its true essence — its beating heart — is
To each member of our incredible team — whether you joined us yesterday or have been here since day one — you are the cornerstone of Navan’s success. You’ve shaped our journey, breathed life into our vision, and continue to push us toward even greater heights. Your passion, creativity, and dedication have turned our dreams into reality. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for being the true spirit of Navan.
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