Travelstart, an OTA headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa, has acquired Satisfly, a Hong Kong based social intelligence company, for an undisclosed sum.
Sergio Mello cofounded Satisfly.
With the acquisition Sergio Mello, who founded Satisfly with Edoardo Serra, joined Travelstart as head of innovation while remaining as Satisfly CEO.
Additionally, Satisfly will retain its brand and its management will remain independent.
In a press statement Satisfly said Travelstart’s latest acquisition empowered the company to create more meaningful experiences for its customers through social media data, as it continued it expansion in the African and Middle-Eastern markets.
Through Satisfly, Travelstart will implement social login functionality (such as Facebook login) on the company’s websites allowing them to gain valuable insights into the way customers interact with the site across various channels, as well as be more relevant with client-facing deals.
Satisfly is also currently rolling out mobile apps for Travelstart.
Stephan Ekbergh, Travelstart’s founder, said: “Satisfly’s technology will allow us to make sense of our immense social data. Going forward, we will know where our customers normally want to go even before they ask, giving us the ability to cut through the clutter and provide them with personalised offers.”
Mello said Satisfly invented the concept of “intelligent seating”, a solution which pairs social data with airline seat assignments.
“The acquisition is important as it allows Travelstart to capitalise on the data part of social media in addition to the direct marketing part of it. Travelstart will have access to Satisfly’s technology to create relevant experiences for their customers.”
Satisfly has a research and development centre in Taiwan.
