Okarito founders launch Vantly for corporate events

The founders of Okarito have launched Vantly, a New York-based company that connects businesses with local expert planners for small and medium-sized corporate events. The startup aims to reduce the time and friction involved in organizing venues, suppliers and on-the-day logistics.

Why it matters: - Corporate events often break down on local details, from venue selection to supplier coordination. - Vantly is targeting that gap for smaller and mid-sized events, where companies want speed and local expertise without giving up control. - The model could save time for event teams that already manage multiple gatherings across a company.

What happened: - Remi Duvoux and Brice launched Vantly in 2026 in New York. - The company matches businesses with local expert planners in the destination where an event is taking place. - Vantly is built for small and medium-sized corporate events. - More information

The details: - The local planner handles venues, suppliers and bookings. - The planner also supports the event on the day. - The company’s own organizer remains in charge of the event. - Many Vantly customers are event professionals who manage events ranging from very small to very large. - Vantly focuses on the smaller and mid-sized events where a local expert can reduce surprises. - Duvoux said the hardest problems in company events are often local. - Duvoux pointed to a client retreat in Prague where preferred hotels were not listed on common venue platforms, and the team negotiated terms by email and phone in broken English.

Between the lines: - The launch extends the founders’ work from business travel into corporate events. - Duvoux and Brice co-founded Okarito in 2018 as a travel agency for startups and growing companies. - Okarito reached 500 customers by 2022, when Swile acquired the business and renamed it Swile Travel. - Swile Travel later grew to 2,500 customers. - The founders also supported clients with retreats and offsites while building the travel business. - Brice is CEO of Vantly. - Duvoux leads product and marketing.

What's next: - Vantly appears to be positioning itself as a support layer for event teams that want local execution help without handing over ownership of the event. - The company’s growth will likely hinge on whether it can consistently match clients with planners who know each destination well.