Business travel has long been overdue for a breakthrough.
Travelers need intuitive tools and easy-to-access, on-demand support. Travel Managers need real-time visibility and reduced complexity. Companies expanding globally need travel management platforms that don’t slow them down. For too long, these needs haven’t been addressed because the legacy systems that still dominate the space are siloed, rigid and built for a different era.
That’s why JTB Business Travel set out to do something different.
Teal is the result: a modern travel management platform built on next-generation infrastructure and backed by JTB’s century of global service expertise. It’s the product of a bold collaboration with Spotnana — one rooted in shared values, complementary strengths and a deep belief that business travel can be simpler, smarter and more human.
“Travel needed its own version of a cloud-native, API-first platform—a true operating system for the entire ecosystem—so we built Spotnana,” said Spotnana Founder, Co-Chairman and Chief Product Officer Sarosh Waghmar. “Seeing companies like JTB Business Travel adopt our platform and build on it to create differentiated products like Teal validates that we’re solving the right problem, not just for today, but for the future of travel.”
Here’s the story of how Teal came to life — and why it’s poised to reshape what business travel can be.
Why Teal, Why Now: From Market Shifts to Shared Vision
The travel industry isn’t short on platforms. But, for many companies, the experience still feels fractured. Booking tools that don’t talk to reporting systems. Inventory that varies by region. Clunky interfaces that frustrate Travelers and create more work for Travel Managers.
JTB Business Travel heard these pain points loud and clear in conversations with clients.
Our clients wanted more than incremental updates. They needed a travel management platform that unifies the travel experience, delivers real-time data and empowers users through intuitive self-service — all without sacrificing the high-touch service and global expertise JTB Business Travel is known for.
“Teal is our answer to the newest chapter in the evolution of business travel,” said Geert de Boo, General Manager and Vice President of Global Business Travel at JTB USA, Inc. “It’s tailored to each client’s needs, built for scale and designed to simplify the complex.”
That’s why JTB Business Travel entered into conversations with Spotnana, a company built to solve the infrastructure problems holding the industry back. From the earliest discussions, it was clear the partnership worked: Spotnana would provide the cloud-native technology, and JTB Business Travel would bring the global reach and service excellence.
Complementary skill sets and cultural alignment would serve as the partnership’s foundation. Spotnana’s intense focus on innovation met JTB’s legacy of trust, and both sides pushed each other to innovate faster and go further.
“It’s inspiring that a company with over a century of history, like JTB Business Travel, shares our passion for providing outstanding service and driving positive change in the travel industry,” Waghmar said.
The proof came quickly. Teal, powered by Spotnana, launched first in Europe, expanding to nearly 20 owned markets, then into the Asia-Pacific region with a strong presence in Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong and other countries. The rollout validated the model: powerful tech + trusted service = better travel.
“We don’t believe you have to choose between the best technologies or the best service,” said de Boo. “With Teal, we bring together next-generation cloud-based travel software with best-in-class service.”
What Makes Teal Different: Values in Action
Teal is both a product name and a philosophy. Each letter stands for a core value that guides the travel management platform’s development, shapes the partnership between JTB Business Travel and Spotnana, and continues to define the experience for clients and Travelers alike.
Here’s what T.E.A.L. really means:
- Tailored: Every travel program is different. Teal adapts to your structure, policy and goals — whether you’re operating in one country or 20.
- Efficient: Built for self-service, Teal gives Travelers and Travel Managers the tools they need to move quickly, book confidently and manage without friction.
- Agile: As the industry shifts, Teal responds. From new content sources to changing airline connections and sustainability tracking, agility is baked into the platform.
- Limitless: No borders, no bottlenecks. Teal supports global programs with speed and simplicity, handling multiple currencies, languages and configurations with ease.
“These values reflect how the platform was built,” said de Boo, “and what our clients experience every day.”
Whether you’re managing a regional rollout or a global transformation, Teal scales with you. It’s personalized where it matters, automated where it counts and flexible where the industry demands it.
From Vision to Reality: Building and Launching Teal
Creating Teal was a multi-market, multi-phase effort grounded in collaboration and iteration. From the start, JTB Business Travel and Spotnana set out to prove that a modern travel management platform can deliver real value across different regions, industries and company sizes.
The first major step came in Europe, where JTB launched Teal alongside sustainability-focused partner Goodwings. The region presented unique challenges, including fragmented content, low-cost carriers, complex payment ecosystems and more, but the results spoke for themselves. Teal worked, and clients responded.
Next came Asia-Pacific. Markets like Singapore, Australia and South Korea put Teal to the test again, with different sourcing requirements and Traveler expectations. The belief in the platform and what it could do for organizations was echoed in early client demos. When JTB Business Travel presented Teal to a multinational company seeking to consolidate travel management across five different providers, the first reaction from stakeholders was urgency rather than hesitation.
“Can we get Teal today?” one Travel Manager asked.
For Waghmar, those moments validated everything.
“From the very first conversations with JTB Business Travel, I saw a rare commitment to innovation and excellence that mirrored our own. It was clear we had the opportunity to change the game,” he said. “Combining their global reach and service excellence with our modern travel infrastructure creates something truly transformative for business travel.”
At the heart of it all is a shared mindset, one that embraces testing, learning and constant iteration.
“We have a try-fail-learn-succeed culture,” said de Boo. “That’s how we built Teal.”
The Future of Travel, Built Around You
Teal represents a new way forward for business travel.
“Teal is a leap forward for modern business travel, and I’m personally thrilled for more Travel Managers and Travelers to experience what it can do for them,” said Waghmar. “It empowers companies to launch their global travel programs faster and more smoothly than ever before. I’m very excited to watch Teal continue to grow.”
Companies around the world are already using Teal to consolidate fragmented programs, gain real-time visibility and deliver better experiences for their Travelers. The platform’s ability to scale across regions, currencies and teams is changing how global travel is managed—and it’s only just beginning.
With upcoming expansions into high-potential markets, Teal is poised to become a truly borderless solution—one that simplifies the complex and makes modern travel management feel effortless.
What makes it different is both the technology and the people behind it. Teal brings together Spotnana’s cutting-edge infrastructure and JTB’s trusted service, built over a century of global expertise. It’s the best of both worlds, and it’s built to evolve with you.
“One of Spotnana’s core values is ‘commit to excellence,’” said Waghmar. “We view our partners as an extension of ourselves and are passionate about understanding and solving their needs. We’re grateful that JTB Business Travel put their faith in us and our mission, and we’re excited to continue our collaboration as a trusted technology partner.” If you’re ready for a better way to manage global travel, Teal is ready for you. Contact us to learn more.
