Klook raises $225m in extended Series D funding led by SoftBank Vision Fund

Klook’s Co-Founders (from left to right): COO Eric Gnock Fah, CEO Ethan Lin and CTO Bernie Xiong

By Kristie Neo

April 9, 2019

Klook, an online travel startup based in Hong Kong, has secured $225 million in an extended Series D funding round led by SoftBank Vision Fund.

According to a statement, this brings Klook’s Series D round total to $425 million. The investors participating in this round include Sequoia China, Matrix Partners, TCV and OurCrowd.

Klook last announced raising $200 million in its Series D round in August, which included investors such as Goldman Sachs, Boyu Capital, an unnamed Asia-based sovereign wealth fund and family offices.

“Our vision is to bring the world closer together by connecting the best of what a destination has to offer with travelers from all over the globe,” said Klook CEO and co-founder Ethan Lin.

Klook will use the extra funding to scale its operations in new geographies and deepen its reach into existing Asian markets. Japan will be a key market for the firm ahead of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Klook said it plans to expand into additional Japanese cities to serve inbound and outbound tourists.

“We believe Klook is a leader in taking a mobile-first approach to the travel activities and services industry,” said Lydia Jett, Partner at SoftBank Investment Advisers. “The company has seen great success in scaling its business across different geographies and cultures, and we are excited to help them drive further innovation in the global travel industry.”

Over the last year, Klook has expanded its footprint into Australia, Europe and the United States.

It currently has users in over 100 markets including Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Japan, Philippines, Taiwan and Mainland China.

Singapore Reporter/s

In Singapore, we are looking to double our reporting team by this year-end to comprehensively cover the fast-moving world of funded startups and VC, PE & M&A deals. We want reporters who can tell our readers what is really happening in these sectors and why it matters to markets, companies and consumers. The ability to write precisely and urgently is crucial for these roles. Ideal candidates must have to ability to work in a collaborative, dynamic, and fast-changing environment. We want our new hires to be digitally savvy and ready to experiment with new forms of storytelling. Most importantly, we are looking for hard-hitting reporters who work well in a team. Collaboration and collegiality are a must.

Following vacancies can be applied for (only in Singapore).

Following vacancies can be applied for (only in Singapore).   

  • A reporter to track companies/startups that have raised private capital, and have the potential to become unicorns. SEA currently has over 40 companies with a valuation of over $100 million and under $1 billion.
  • A reporter who can get behind the scenes and reveal how funding rounds are put together, or why they’ve failed to materialise. She/he in this role will largely focus on long-format stories. 
  • A journalist to track special situations funds, distressed debt and private credit (from the PE angle) across Asia.
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Singapore Reporter/s

In Singapore, we are looking to double our reporting team by this year-end to comprehensively cover the fast-moving world of funded startups and VC, PE & M&A deals. We want reporters who can tell our readers what is really happening in these sectors and why it matters to markets, companies and consumers. The ability to write precisely and urgently is crucial for these roles. Ideal candidates must have to ability to work in a collaborative, dynamic, and fast-changing environment. We want our new hires to be digitally savvy and ready to experiment with new forms of storytelling. Most importantly, we are looking for hard-hitting reporters who work well in a team. Collaboration and collegiality are a must.

Following vacancies can be applied for (only in Singapore).

Following vacancies can be applied for (only in Singapore).   

  • A reporter to track companies/startups that have raised private capital, and have the potential to become unicorns. SEA currently has over 40 companies with a valuation of over $100 million and under $1 billion.
  • A reporter who can get behind the scenes and reveal how funding rounds are put together, or why they’ve failed to materialise. She/he in this role will largely focus on long-format stories. 
  • A journalist to track special situations funds, distressed debt and private credit (from the PE angle) across Asia.
APPLY NOW