HotelOnline, a Kenya-based, Yanolja-backed scale-up travel technology company and established e-commerce and digital marketing enabler in the hospitality industry, is a software provider with clients in 22 countries. acquired HotelPlus.

Full terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Eric Muliro, who founded HotelPlus in Kenya 13 years ago, will receive the payment and a $1.9 million stake in HotelOnline, which was valued at $24 million prior to the transaction. increase. Muliro has also been appointed Chief Technology Officer for HotelOnline.

According to HotelOnline, the deal added more than 2,200 customers and opened the door for additional customers and unique services such as payment solutions, AI-driven pricing and revenue management.

“By leveraging the combined strengths of both companies, we are significantly expanding our customer base and creating a force to be reckoned with in the East African hospitality industry,” HotelOnline co-founder Havar Bauck told TechCrunch. rice field.

“Currently, HotelPlus’ client base uses on-premises software, so this creates a unique integration opportunity with our cloud solution. In 2014, he founded HotelOnline with Endre Opal.

Trond Riiber Knudsen of TRK Group, an Oslo-based venture capital firm and investor in HotelOnline, said in a statement: This is an important part of what we are trying to contribute through our investment in HotelOnline. We see great potential in the new company and look forward to the journey from here. “

HotelOnline helps hotels establish and grow their online presence and reach a wider customer base. Help clients deploy booking engines and gain traction on distribution channels such as Booking.com, as well as manage operations on their own platform using cloud-based digital tools such as property management systems We provide our clients with capabilities. We also provide management services to property owners.

HotelOnline now has over 6,000 customers in 27 countries and plans aggressive expansion across Africa, leveraging HotelPlus’ network of resellers and a growing hospitality industry recovering strongly from the impact of the pandemic said it does. Near-term plans include gaining dominant positions in East Africa, Nigeria and Senegal, with the aim of becoming a strong pan-African player.

“HotelPlus has built an impressive commercial organization with a highly skilled sales force and a high performing reseller network covering more than a dozen countries on the continent. We are well-positioned to accelerate our expansion in the US,” said Bauck.

The deal comes months after HotelOnline closed a Yanolja-backed Series A funding earlier this year. Yanolja is the first African funding for a South Korean travel technology company backed by Softbank and Booking.com. Yanolja provides cloud-based solutions for accommodations, restaurants and homes, boasting over 43,000 customers in 170 markets.

With Yanolja’s backing, HotelOnline now has the financial strength to make deals and make investments that help it scale and expand in its current and target markets. HotelOnline’s other investors include Tore Hofstad, Stratel AS, and a group of Nigerian angel investors.