Hopper across to APAC with STO model and remote playbook
APAC head Reno Wang talks workplace lessons from East and West
ONE of online travel’s fastest growing companies, Hopper, is expanding into Asia Pacific. We catch up with Reno Wang, vice president, APAC, to find out what led him to leave Alipay to join Hopper, how Hopper does things differently fo [...]
WiT and Phocuswright team up for Global Startup Pitch
“Time to unite around innovation”
AS part of the Northstar Global Travel Technology group, WiT and Phocuswright are kicking off 2022 with a round-the-world Global Startup Pitch. This combined effort is the next evolution of a relentless, ongoing 25-year search for startups that disrupt, innovat [...]
Klook wants to bring world of joy back to travellers
New brand timed with beginnings of recovery in South-east Asia as Klook steps up focus in region
KLOOK’s new branding, unveiled in Singapore today, is meant to bring joy back into the world through travel and experiences and co-founder and COO, Eric Gnock Fah, was certainly looking joyful when I [...]
The SPAC that didn’t happen – HotelPlanner focused on a future powered by “little guys”, gig economy and group bookings
On pace to double revenues second year running, says Tim Hentschel
ON February 11, a rocket mishap by a company named Astra Space led Astrea Acquisition Corp to issue a press statement clarifying that it wasn’t the same company when its stocks took a hit.
On February 14, the day before the thr [...]
“We are Astrea, not Astra”
Clarification sent to shareholders ahead of three-way merger between Astrea, HotelPlanner.com and Reservations.com
WHO knew that a rocket incident would affect the three-way business combination of Astrea Acquisition Corp with HotelPlanner.com and Reservations.com which has been scheduled for a sha [...]
Mystifly kicks off year with Universe and MystiPay
DETERMINED to kick off the year with a strong start, Singapore-based flight platform, Mystifly has launched two new products back to back – Mystifly Universe and MystiPay.
Mystifly Universe is a global flight data API which aims at bringing data-driven certainty to unlock new revenue opportunit [...]
Headout gets another $30m, looks for “travel, entertainment, AR” acquisitions
Headout has tapped existing investors to add an additional $30 million to the Series B investment round it originally secured in September 2021.
The additional funds were again led by Glade Brook Capital,
with participation from existing backers Nexus Venture Partners, FJ Labs and
500 [...]
“Womenomics” and ESG champion, MPower’s Matsui is preparing “teenager” startups for stardom
Venture capitalist advises travel to go on “attack mode management”
THOSE who still doubt the Covid pandemic will significantly change the way we will live and work in the future should listen to Kathy Matsui, formerly with Goldman Sachs and now general partner of Japan’s first ESG-focuse [...]
WIT Japan’s first start-up champion says travel investment can be best in the worst of times
Takaya’s second coming pauses for take-off
LOOKING in the rear-view mirror can reveal much about the future. Scrutinise the past performance of Japan’s Takaya Shinozuka and you see a young tech entrepreneur who won WIT’s very first start up in Japan in 2013, earning him a place in WIT hist [...]
Imagine new NFT world: How tech can bridge art, culture and travel to alter spaces and places
OVERHEARD while walking the dogs this week.
“I am an artist and now I can make my own
NFT.”
“So cool ya, can make our own art and
sell.”
Curious to find out the source of this
exchange, I turned around and saw two young boys – probably no more than 12
years old – striding alon [...]
