Travel experiences platform KKday
has raised $95 million in Series C+ funding led by TGVest Capital.
Taipei-based KKday says it will use the financial injection
to boost hiring and tech innovation and expand its footprint throughout Taiwan,
Japan, Hong Kong, Korea and Southeast Asia.
Founded in 2014, the company plans to increase its global headcount more than 40% by 2023 across key markets
and roles, including software engineers, research and development, business
development and operations and marketing. KKday currently has more than 700
employees in 12 offices across Asia.
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Ming Chen, KKday founder and CEO, points to the company’s value proposition of “providing unique
hyperlocal experiences to travelers.”
“We plan to double
down on our current initiatives including partnering with our merchants and OTAs
to digitize their businesses in anticipation of pent-up demand for tourism and
travel,” Chen says.
Last year, KKday claimed it was the first tourism operator in Greater China to debut an experience with Apple's App Clip.
With this new
funding, KKday says it will scale and build new features on Rezio, its booking
and inventory management platform. The company is aiming for a 100% increase in
new merchant adoption of Rezio by the end of this year.
KKday says Rezio has partnered with major online travel agencies to enable merchants to manage their products on Viator and Tripadvisor on top of its existing sales channels.
KKday also plans
to relaunch its tours that provide curated local experiences.
“With this
funding round, KKday will be in a strong position to capture market share and
value as travel continues to reopen and digital transformation continues to be
a long-term trend,” says Claire Lai, managing director of TGVest Capital.
KKday raised $75
million in 2020.