Skyscanner is a metasearch engine and travel agency based in Edinburgh, Scotland.[2] The site is available in over 30 languages and is used by 100 million people per month.[3][4] The company lets people research and book travel options for their trips, including flights, hotels and car hire.[3]
 | |
Type of site | Metasearch engine |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Edinburgh, Scotland, UK |
| Owner | Trip.com Group |
| Founder(s) | Gareth Williams, Barry Smith, and Bonamy Grimes |
| Chairperson | Gareth Williams |
| CEO | John Mangelaars |
| Revenue | £261 million (2016)[1] |
| URL | www |
Compared to other travel metasearch engines, the website counts a greater share of millennials among its users.[5]
History
The company was formed in 2004[3] by three information technology professionals, Gareth Williams, Barry Smith, and Bonamy Grimes, after Gareth was frustrated by the difficulties of finding cheap flights to ski resorts.[6] Skyscanner was first developed and released in 2002. In 2003, the first employee was hired to assist with site development. The Edinburgh office was opened in 2004.[7]
In 2008, Skyscanner received first round funding of £2.5 million from venture capital firm Scottish Equity Partners (SEP).[8]
In 2009, the year after SEP invested in the business, Skyscanner reported its first profit.[9]
In 2011, Skyscanner acquired Zoombu.[10] Skyscanner opened an office in Singapore in September 2011, which is headquarters for its Asia-Pacific operations.[11] In 2012, a Beijing office was added, as Skyscanner began a partnership with Baidu, China's largest search engine.[12]
By 2013, the company employed over 180 people.[13] In February 2013, Skyscanner announced plans to open a United States base in Miami.[13] In October 2013, Sequoia Capital purchased an interest in Skyscanner that valued the company at $800 million.[14] In June 2014, Skyscanner acquired Youbibi, a travel search engine company based in Shenzhen, China.[15]
In October 2014, Skyscanner acquired the Budapest-based mobile app developer Distinction.[16]
By February 2015, the company employed 600 people, double the employment of 18 months earlier.[17]
In January 2016, the company raised $192 million based on a $1.6 billion valuation for the company.[18]
In November 2016, Trip.com Group (formerly Ctrip), the largest travel firm in China, bought Skyscanner for $1.75 billion.[19]
Following the sale to Ctrip, Skyscanner’s largest shareholder, SEP, completed its exit from the business.[20]
In 2017, Ctrip bought the Trip.com domain and launched Trip.com. The original platform became a subsidiary of Skyscanner.[21]
In September 2019, Skyscanner unveiled a global re-brand.[22]
References
- ^ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2019/10/04/skyscanner-soars-record-revenues-chinese-ownership/ [bare URL]
- ^ "We're the travel company who puts you first". www.skyscanner.com.
- ^ a b c "About Skyscanner". skyscanner.com.
- ^ O'Hear, Steve (28 September 2012). "Skyscanner's Mobile Apps Hit 10M Downloads, Letting Users Find Cheap Flights On The Go". TechCrunch.
- ^ "2019 Trends in Global Millennial Travel: An Insight Into the Key Trends, Behaviours and Issues of Millennial Travellers - ResearchAndMarkets.com" (Press release). Business Wire. 12 April 2019.
- ^ Trapp, Roger (18 February 2006). "How to launch a great business". The Independent.
- ^ "In pictures: inside Skyscanner's head office". The Scotsman. 17 February 2015.
- ^ "Skyscanner Lands VC Funding to Build World's Leading Flight Search Engine". Skyscanner's Travel Blog. 20 January 2008. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- ^ "Travel firm secures major investment". BBC News. 12 January 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- ^ Butcher, Mike (17 January 2011). "Travel search engine Skyscanner acquires Zoombu". TechCrunch.
- ^ "Skyscanner to set up operation in Singapore". BBC News. 26 June 2011.
- ^ "Skyscanner lands China search engine deal". BBC News. 23 August 2012.
- ^ a b "Flight firm Skyscanner moves in to America". BBC News. 4 February 2012.
- ^ "Skyscanner valued at $800m by backer of Apple". The Evening Standard. 3 October 2013.
- ^ "Skyscanner buys Chinese metasearch firm Youbibi". BBC News. 25 June 2014.
- ^ O'Hear, Steve (22 October 2014). "Travel Search Company Skyscanner Acquires Budapest-Based Mobile App Developer Distinction". TechCrunch.
- ^ Russell, Jon (23 February 2015). "Skyscanner optimistic as revenue growth slows". Financial Times.
- ^ Shu, Catherine (12 January 2016). "Travel Search Site Skyscanner Raises $192M For International Expansion". TechCrunch.
- ^ Dickie, Mure (23 November 2016). "China's Ctrip is buying flight search company SkyScanner for $1.74 billion". TechCrunch.
- ^ "Scottish Equity Partners exits Skyscanner following £1.4 billion sale". Growth Business. 9 December 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- ^ Bort, Julie (1 November 2017). "Tiny startup Trip.com has been acquired by Chinese travel giant Ctrip – a move that could shake up the travel industry". Business Insider.
- ^ Tan, Janice (24 September 2019). "Skyscanner takes off with global brand refresh, reflects 'optimism' and 'clarity'". Marketing Interactive.