travelmob Raises US$1M in Seed Funding from Jungle Ventures
travelmob, a social stay marketplace where people can find, offer and book unique accommodation in Asia Pacific, announced today that it has raised US$1 million in seed funding.Leading the funding round for the Singapore-based company, which was launched in July 2012, is Jungle Ventures, with participation from other prominent, private investors in the region.
Turochas Fuad, CEO and co-founder of travelmob, said, "In raising this seed round of funding, we sought investors who would not only be a good fit but can also add value to travelmob's growth. Our mission is to lead the social stay market in Asia Pacific and since launch, we've been making tremendous progress towards that goal. travelmob is delighted to have Jungle Ventures lead this round of funding and look forward to working with our investors to drive further growth and expansion across the region."
Anurag Srivastava, Founder and Managing Partner of Jungle Ventures, said, "We are excited to lead in this round of funding. Asia Pacific is the fastest growing region for tourism and the region's online vacation rental market is set to soar over the next few years. travelmob is in the right place, at the right time. Coupled with a solid business plan and a seasoned team with strong regional experience, travelmob has the right ingredients to be successful and is well poised to be a market leader."
In addition to announcing its seed funding, travelmob introduced a new feature called "Experience Tags", allowing travellers to pick from a list of "keyword tags" to see search results based on the type of holiday experience they seek.
The new feature enables Guests to now further refine Search results by selecting from a list of keyword tags that filter accommodation options that offer the holiday experience they would like to have. Guests can also take advantage of existing search functions, including the ability to search by location, type of lodging, price range and amenities.
Hosts (property owners and managers) can also benefit from the new Experience Tags. They can now better categorize and highlight their listings to a targeted audience using the new tags.
"When planning for a trip, most travelers have an idea of the type of experience they hope to have. For example, they want to stay near the beach or in the heart of city central," said Prashant Kirtane, CTO and Co-Founder of travelmob. "Our goal with Experience Tags is to empower Guests to personalize their search and shortlist relevant accommodations that offer the type of travel experience they want."
A step-by-step Guide on how the new Experience Tags work is available at blog.travelmob.com. Finally, to celebrate the year-end holidays, travelmob is offering its Guests a 20% discount for all bookings, for a limited time only.
