Freed Group Acquires Connexus Travel

Dark/Light Mode (31/01/23)  Abel Zhao, Co-Founder & CEO of Freed Group, has acquired Connexus Travel (formerly Swire Travel), a leading regional travel management company (TMC) headquartered in Hong Kong.

Since its inception in 2015, Freed has been connecting platforms, brands and service providers to their customers with enhanced digital capabilities through its proprietary SAAS solutions, as well as services like end-to-end artificial intelligence digital transformation, smart merchandising & smart marketing.

Freed has over 250 employees from 22 different regions around the world including Canada, Greater China, Nepal, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates.

From left: Kenneth Lee, Co-founder & CPO of Freed Group; Eric Lau, General Manager of Connexus Travel; and Abel Zhao, Co-founder & CEO of Freed Group

They combine their extensive experience and expertise in technology, tourism, commerce, hospitality and other industries to operate in over 10 markets worldwide, serving more than 200 high-profile clients and partners such as Samsung, China Mobile, China Life Insurance, City of Seoul (Smart City), The Private Office Of Sheikh Saeed bin Ahmed Al Maktoum, Google, FIFA World Cup, Match Hospitality, BMW and Hyundai Card.

After the acquisition, Connexus will become part of the Freed Group family.

“Connexus Travel is a name trusted by corporate, leisure and MICE travellers, and we see tremendous growth potential for the company because of its long history of excellent service and the synergies that will be generated between Connexus and Freed,” said Mr. Zhao. “The positive outcomes we envisage include business opportunities spanning travel services, e-commerce, marketing services and brand loyalty programs, all of which will be underpinned by a comprehensive range of digitalized services and solutions. Ultimately, we anticipate Connexus Travel to follow in the footsteps of Freed Group and transform into a global brand.”

Connexus Travel was established in 1948 and was the first travel agent registered in Hong Kong. In addition to its home base, the company also now operates in Beijing and Shanghai, specializing in corporate, leisure and MICE travel.

Eric Lau, General Manager of Connexus Travel, said, “Connexus has been committed to providing quality services to customers for the past 70 years. This acquisition will accelerate the digital transformation of our products through new signature customer-facing travel applications, which will include the provision of new user experiences and efficiencies for our corporate travellers. At the same time, we will leverage our position as a market leader and the development plans with Freed to expand our services not only in Hong Kong and China, but also to the markets where Freed currently operates. We look forward to embarking on a new chapter of development with the support of Freed Group.”

Freed Group’s technology and services have been recognized globally in recent years, including the 2022 Technology Pioneer by World Economic Forum, the 2021 Deloitte Technology Rising Star, Grand winner of the 2021 United Nations UNWTO Global Start-up Competition and the 2018 APAC ICT Grand Award, among others.

In June 2022, Freed Group raised US$15 million in a new funding round led by Daiwa ACA APAC Growth Fund and ACA Partners.

Financial details of the acquisition have not been disclosed.

Latest exclusive video interviews: SITA Reports Record Results; Future of Air Travel - Podcast and Video Interview with Sumesh Patel, President of SITA Asia Pacific; Miss International Queen 2024 (MIQ 2024) - Interview with Alisa Phanthusak, MD, Tiffany's Show Pattaya, Thailand; 16 HD Video Interviews from Routes Europe 2024 in Aarhus, Denmark; 9 HD Video Interviews from Routes Asia 2024 in Langkawi, Malaysia; Standard to Open Residences in Hua Hin and Phuket, Thailand; Video Interview with Amar Lalvani, Executive Chairman; 9 Exclusive Video Interviews from ASEAN Tourism Forum 2024 in Vientiane, Laos; 8 NTO Press Conferences from ASEAN Tourism Forum 2024 in Vientiane, Laos; 13 HD Video Interviews from World Travel Market 2023 in London, England; 5 HD Video Interviews from APG World Connect 2023 in Monaco, France; and 15 HD Video Interviews from Routes World 2023 in Istanbul, Türkiye.