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Jumat, 19 Juni 2020 07:52:00

SoftBank Corp. leads Series B investment round into travel- and mobility-app integrator, Splyt

LONDON, UK AND TOKYO, JAPAN  - 18 June 2020 - Splyt, a scale-up integrator of mobility apps and travel platforms, has closed a USD 19.5 million Series B investment round to support its expansion.

The round was led by SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434), the Japan-based telecommunications and technology company, who will receive a seat on the Board and a significant share in the company. American Express Ventures, the strategic investment group of American Express, joined in the round, as did existing investors.

Splyt makes global travel easier by enabling the seamless integration of mobility services into travel platforms, superapps and wallets. By interconnecting apps, end users can access multiple services on a single app, which greatly increases convenience for the user, and loyalty to the app provider. Splyt has an extensive track record of such interconnections, having already integrated ridehailing into major platforms including Alipay, Grab, and Booking.com. With this investment, Splyt aims to expand its leading global network with additional mobility services, including bikesharing and scooters.

With its investment and business partnership, SoftBank Corp. will be able to deliver on its growth strategy through the interconnection of different apps. By collaborating with Splyt, SoftBank Corp. will be able to interconnect the different app platforms of group companies and Splyt's partners to realize superapps that seamlessly combine multiple services into a single interface. This will make it possible to maximize synergies between different services.
 
Philipp Mintchin, Co-founder and CEO of Splyt: "Our aim is to enable our partners to provide seamless mobility solutions to their customers, letting them feel at home anywhere in the world. It's a great pleasure to collaborate with some of the best companies in the world, and to be able to welcome SoftBank Corp. and American Express Ventures as investors to Splyt."
 
Ken Miyauchi, President & CEO of SoftBank Corp.: "With the continued widespread adoption of smartphones, apps are becoming increasingly integral to people's daily lives when they shop, eat and travel. The proliferation of different platforms, however, is giving rise to the need for superapps that combine multiple functions into one app. Splyt is a global leader in integrating different mobility, wallet, travel and other platforms, and will enable us to promote superapps to further grow usage and our customer base. Splyt's technology and extensive partner network will also help us leverage the strengths of SoftBank's assets and deliver on our 'Beyond Carrier' growth strategy. We look forward to building a long-lasting collaboration with Philipp and his outstanding team."
 
"Splyt's technology helps mobility app companies improve the ride booking process, making it easier for customers regardless of their location," said Julia Huang, Managing Director at American Express Ventures. "Their technology is highly applicable to other sectors that have the same need for a simplified experience. Our team is excited to support Splyt's next stage of growth."  (*).