Traveloka invests in Singapore event tech startup as it expands to travel experiences

Traveloka’s office in Jakarta, Indonesia. Photo credit: Traveloka.

Indonesian unicorn Traveloka has invested in the series B round for Singapore-based event tech startup PouchNation. The travel company led the round, with participation from SPH Ventures.

Founded in 2012, PouchNation helps organizers manage big events. It popularized near field communication (NFC) wristbands that event coordinators can hand out in lieu of paper tickets. The device can act as event passes and be used to pay for goods sold inside venues.

The wristbands have been utilized in several events in Asia: music festivals Zoukout in Singapore, Good Vibes in Malaysia, and Sensation in Thailand. It was also used during Singapore’s BeerFestAsia event.

In 2016, PouchNation expanded to include other event verticals, operating services like ticketing and registration, brand activations, data collection, and others.

In addition to its existing services, it’s also looking to launch PouchDigital, a product designed to focus on providing low-cost solutions for event organizers with small budgets.

PouchNation is currently handling an average transaction value of US$5 million per month, according to a statement.

Traveloka’s expansion

Traveloka’s investment in the firm comes as it begins moving out of its online travel agency comfort zone to win the travel experiences market.

Earlier in April, the unicorn raised a US$420 million round led by Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC, with participation from some existing investors. The money will reportedly be used to help Traveloka become the region’s travel super app.

It has also released a host of new products in the last months.

In May, it rolled out a home protection insurance service for homeowners who are traveling. The insurance can be purchased through the Traveloka app and gives homes coverage from incidents like burglary or fire.

This month, it launched Traveloka Xperience, a feature that allows users to discover and book travel-related activities and attractions through its website and app. The company claims that there’s already 15,000 selections available on Xperience for booking.

Traveloka is following in the footsteps of Hong Kong competitor Klook and US home-sharing marketplace Airbnb, which have both expanded beyond accommodations to experiences.