User:WuYaDang/sandbox

AsiaYo

AsiaYo Co., Ltd. is a privately held online peer-to-peer property rental and hospitality service based in Taipei, Taiwan. Founded in June, 2013 by C.K. Cheng, a former investment banker, its mission is to “encourage and inspire people to enjoy the best experience during their journey.”

Similar to Airbnb (a San Francisco based company), AsiaYo acts as a broker, connecting travelers with rooms provided by private individuals, and receiving commission for each booking made. AsiaYo’s business model is part of the sharing economy, and it is a member of the Sharing Economy Association of Taiwan (SEAT) which also includes Uber, UberEATS, WeMo and Zipcar. AsiaYo's listings include over 60,000 rooms in Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, and Thailand with plans for expansion to Malaysia and Singapore beginning in early 2019. AsiaYo targets younger travelers with its “hyper-personalized” AI algorithm called AYSort.

History
After recognizing that local hotels were unable to meet the demand created by large-scale tourist events, C.K. Cheng worked with local temple and an activity center to provide accommodations for participants of a marathon held by Chuanghua County.

June 2016
- AsiaYo offers Japanese accommodations.

March 2017
- AsiaYo offers Thailand accommodations.

April 2017
- AsiaYo offers Korean accommodations.

July 2017
- AsiaYo begins cooperation with Rakuten LIFULL STAY to meet growing demand.

August 2018
- AsiaYo offers Hong Kong accommodations. - AsiaYo acquires official license to operate guesthouses in Japan, in response to the new Minpaku Law regulating private lodgings.

Series A
In January, 2017, AsiaYo raise $3 million USD in Series A funding led by Darwin Venture Management and Accord Ventures.

Series B
In December of 2018, AsiaYo raised $7 million USD in Series B funding led by Alibaba Taiwan Entrepreneurs Fund and China Development Financial, with participation from Darwin Ventures and Delta Ventures.