Asia

GetYourGuide claims highest-ever funding round for ‘travel experiences’ firm

Berlin-based tourism discovery and booking startup GetYourGuide has gained $484m (£379m/€433m) in a Series E round of funding, in what it claims as the highest-ever round of funding for a company in the area of ‘travel experiences’.

The investment, led by SoftBank, will see the firm’s valuation skyrocket to above the $1bn mark, with this Series E round being one of the biggest-ever growth rounds for any European startup, according to Tech Crunch.

GetYourGuide has shifted more than 25 million tickets for tours, attractions and other experiences to date with a portfolio of 50,000 experiences available.

In 2017, GetYourGuide shifted 10 million tickets and had a catalogue of 35,000 experiences, showing the significant growth it has seen over the past couple of years.

The funding will support the startup’s move to build more of its own “Originals” tour experiences, which have already surpassed the 40,000 mark for tickets sold.

It will also help to drive its expansion in Asia and the US, two of its most prolific markets.

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