It’s official. Rumours had been circulating for a while and today, Rakuten, Inc., Japan’s leading ecommerce site, announced that it has acquired a majority share in Voyagin, Asia’s leading platform to discover and book tours and activities.
The Voyagin co-founders
Cofounded by Masashi Takahashi, Hiroyuki Hayashi, and Tushar Khandelwal and launched in late 2012, Voyagin made its debut at the WIT Japan Start-Up Pitch in 2013 and became the team to watch. It launched initially in Japan and then expanded to South-east Asia, and started actively seeking investors in May.
It was part of the third batch of start-ups from the Japanese incubator Open Network Lab; early investors and advisors include Digital Garage, Jungle Ventures, Singapore’s National Research Foundation, and other private individuals, including Dan Neary, VP APAC at Facebook, Sachin Bhatia, cofounder of MakeMyTrip (India’s leading OTA), Turochas Fuad and Prashant Kirtane, co-founders of Travelmob, now HomeAway.
Voyagin’s mission is to help travelers discover and book the best travel experiences across Asia. Its website features over 1,800 things to do including tickets to museums and shows, cultural activities, romantic dinners, adventure experiences, and private guides bookable in English, Japanese, and Chinese in over 50 destinations in Asia, in advance or in destination via its mobile optimized website. With more than 30,000 guests in the past year alone, Voyagin has quickly become the top marketplaces for tours and activities in Tokyo, Kyoto and Bali, and is rapidly growing in other Asian destinations too.
The number of foreign visitors to Japan is expected to increase in the future due to various factors such as the depreciation of the yen, an increase in the number of new international flight routes being opened primarily by lowcost carriers (LCC), and the easing of visa requirements for South-east Asian nations. Through this acquisition, Rakuten will work with Voyagin to strengthen its services related to inbound tourism for foreigners visiting Japan in preparation for the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“We are thrilled to join Rakuten. With their support, knowledge of marketplaces, and contacts, Voyagin will be in a position to help even more travelers discover and book authentic, amazing experiences all over Asia” said Masashi Takahashi, CEO of Voyagin. “Together, with a shared vision and innovation, we look forward to pioneering the future of the tours and activities space in Asia, including instantly bookable experiences and personalized recommendations catered to travelers’ individual interests.”
Voyagin and its 13 employees will continue to operate from its Tokyo-based headquarters under the leadership of CEO Masashi Takahashi with its own distinct brand identity. With the new investment, Voyagin is rapidly hiring for various positions, including engineering, sales, operations and more.
