HONG KONG, March 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Klook, Asia's largest attractions, tours, and activities booking platform, today announced it has raised US$30 million in Series B funding led by Sequoia Capital China. Existing investors including Matrix Partners, ex-Tencent executive-backed Welight Capital also participated with follow-on investments. The funds will further Klook's global expansion efforts to offer one-stop booking for travelers to enjoy everything from attractions, tours and activities to local transfers, dining experiences, shopping, etc. Founded in late 2014, Klook's team of investors already includes some of the world's leading venture capitalists.
"Scale advantage is a prominent element in the travel industry, especially within the highly fragmented in-destination sector," said Neil Shen, Founding and Managing Partner of Sequoia Capital China. "With combined strengths in transaction and community, Klook has become a proven leader in Asia. We're happy to join the company on this exciting journey going forward."
"Ever since our initial investment, the Klook team has demonstrated great business judgment backed by sound execution," added David Zhang, Founding Managing Partner of Matrix Partners. "Having witnessed the rapid growth of the business, we are convinced that Klook has firmly established itself as the clear winner in this space and we're pleased to continue our support."
Klook's platform covers over 80 popular destinations in Asia and beyond, providing more than 10,000 attractions, tours, and activities. Last year, the company helped travelers book a record 5 million trips. To support this growth, Klook has developed into a team of over 200 staffers based in 8 offices across Asia.
"Klook is shaping the way people discover destinations and customize itineraries," said Ethan Lin, CEO & Co-Founder of Klook. "Over the past two years, we've been tirelessly reinventing the supply chain and innovating our UI to create a seamless booking experience for millions of users. Now with a few clicks or taps, the travel services you need and the activities you seek will all be at your fingertips."
Looking ahead, Klook will be broadening its scope of operations beyond Asia to meet the spending power and growing appetite of Asian travelers. The company is confident that as travelers make more mid to long-haul journeys out of the region, there will be a significant demand to access everything a destination has to offer on one consolidated platform.
"We are proud of our achievements in the attractions, tours and activities segment, and now we are expanding the spectrum of our in-destination offers," said Eric Gnock Fah, COO & Co-Founder of Klook. "After seeing great results in our newly launched local transfer & wifi vertical, we are enthusiastically diving deeper into the in-destination ecosystem to offer a wider array of services, from dining and wellness experiences to shopping deals, for travelers to enjoy wherever they go."
Besides building a bigger portfolio of experiences and services, Klook is also developing the largest collection of travel videos in the industry. From original content to exploring new formats like 360 or VR videos, the team at Klook will be focused on creating an engaging discovery and booking experience on all of its platforms.
About Klook
Klook is Asia's largest platform to book a wide array of in-destination services at the best prices. We give travelers the chance to discover and enjoy every memorable moment from adventure thrills at Universal Studios Japan, one-of-a-kind experiences like shipwreck diving in Bali, gourmet dining aboard the Singapore Cable Car, to the airport express and Pocket WiFi at Hong Kong Airport. Klook was named Best Internet & Communications Technology Startup by the Hong Kong Government in 2015, and won the Future Commerce Award hosted by Taiwan's largest tech media Digitimes in 2016. Klook's mobile platform was featured and awarded "Best of 2015" by Apple and "Best App of the Year" by Google Play.
About Sequoia Capital China
As "The Entrepreneurs Behind The Entrepreneurs", Sequoia Capital China focuses on four sectors: TMT, healthcare, consumer/service, and new energy/advanced manufacturing. Over the past 12 years, we've had the privilege of working with more than 300 companies in China, including Alibaba, Ali Pictures, AutoNavi, Beta Pharma, BGI, Deppon Logistics, Dianping, Didi, DJI, Ganji.com, Hero Entertainment, JD.com, Jumei, Meituan, Meilishuo, Momo, Noah, Ourpalm, Plateno Hotels Group, Qihoo 360, Sina.com, SINNET, Snibe Diagnostic, Toutiao, VanceInfo, VIPshop, Wanda Cinemas, Weigao Group, Yuwell Medical, ZTO Express. Sequoia has operations in China, India, Israel, and the United States.
About Matrix Partners
Matrix Partners is a venture capital firm with offices in Silicon Valley, Boston, Beijing and Shanghai. Matrix China invests in early stage companies, particularly in following sectors: mobile, online finance, enterprise service and health care. Notable investments include Didi-Kuaidi, Cheetah mobile, Momo, Qihoo, etc.
Financial advisor: Zuoyu Capital
To learn more about our investors, please visit:
Sequoia Capital China https://www.sequoiacap.com/china/en/
Matrix Partners www.matrixpartners.com
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Klook
press@klook.com
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