Travel platform Klook has won a $200 million Series D funding round, as the Hong Kong-headquartered firm looks to expand beyond its strong Asian base. The round, led by firms including Sequoia China, Matrix Partners, Boyu Capital, TCV and Goldman Sachs, brings Klook’s total backing to $300m, making it the world’s best-funded tours and activities company.
Today’s round will help Klook expand into the US and European travel markets, where it is already making headway. Last year it opened offices in London and Amsterdam, bringing its number of staff above 600, in 16 offices globally. The company plans to open an American office before the end of 2018.
Founded in 2014 by Eric Gnock Fah and Ethan Lin, the company now offers over 50,000 activities in more than 200 destinations. It is on track to achieve $1bn annual bookings in 2018, a figure accelerated by changing trends in independent travel, and integration with technology like QR-codes and e-vouchers. Klook also hopes to boost its sales by encouraging more travelers to visit Asia, where it has a solid and growing user base.
“Our mission is to empower travelers to build their own unique journey,” said Lin. “This round of funding marks an important milestone for us. The funding and extensive experience from our new investors will let us to further solidify our merchant portfolio and provide travelers with even more activities and destinations to explore around the world.”