BingDian Hotels App Checks-In Some Series A Funding
The makers of the BingDian Hotels app, which we looked at earlier this year shortly after it launched, has checked-in some series A funding. The round was led by California-based Bluerun Ventures, which also has an office in Shanghai and has invested in some other hot Chinese mobile startups such as the karaoke app Changba and the Pinterest-like Meilishuo.
It hasn’t been revealed precisely how much Bluerun put into BingDian with this investment, but Technode reports it to be a “multi-million US dollar” round.
今年、BingDian Hotelsアプリがサービスを開始した直後、我々は当アプリの開発者についての記事を取り上げたが、当企業は先頃シリーズAの投資ラウンドでいくらかの資金を獲得したようだ。カリフォルニアを拠点とし、上海にも事務所を構え、カラオケアプリのChangbaやPinterest風のMeilishuoなどその他の中国のモバイルスタートアップにも投資しているBluerun Venturesが主要投資者として、今回の資金調達ラウンドは進められた。
本ラウンドでBluerunがBingDianに投入した確かな資金額は明らかにはなっていないが、Technodeは本投資ランドが「数百万ドル規模の」投資ラウンドだ、と述べている。
BingDian Hotels appがスタート直後の今年初めに見たのだが、同社はAファンドシリーズいくつかに参入した。このラウンドを率いているのは、カリフォルニアに拠点のあるBluerun Venturesで、この会社は上海にもオフィスを構えており、これまでにもカラオケアプリChangbaやPinterestに似たMeilishuoなど今ホットな中国のモバイルスタートアップにも投資している。
BluerunがBingDianに投資した正確な額は明らかにされていないが、Technodeの報告によると何百万ＵＳドルにも上るようだ。
In China’s very mature online travel market, BingDian is one of a number of mobile-only startups aiming to disrupt the homegrown industry leaders, Ctrip (NASDAQ:CTRP) and eLong (NASDAQ:LONG). That puts it right up against other new apps like the Innovation Works-backed Hotel Finder. BingDian says it has seen half a million downloads of its iOS app in the first 150 days after launching in March this year.
But BingDian has a bit of a twist, as it claims to help hotel chains to offer discounts and benefits to loyal customers whilst still allowing them to book via the app. In theory, that makes it into a more attractive platform for major hotel brands. BingDian’s partners run the gamut from cheap business hotels like Hanting and FX right up to top-notch chains like Hyatt and Shangri-La. Plus, the app has auctions for some rooms, rather like with the American travel booking site Priceline.
Prior to this series A funding, BingDian and taken in two rounds of seed funding. Currently its service is only accessible via the iPhone app, and its Android counterpart has still not materialized but is said to be in development.
Check out the BingDian app on its homepage.
