{"id":2860,"date":"2026-08-19T15:55:50","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T15:55:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/?p=2860"},"modified":"2026-08-19T15:55:50","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T15:55:50","slug":"the-unsexy-side-of-sea-traveltech-esims-visas-and-hourly-hotels-win-big","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/?p=2860","title":{"rendered":"The unsexy side of SEA traveltech: eSIMs, visas and hourly hotels win big"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

\"\"<\/p>\n

Southeast Asia’s travel industry has roared back from the COVID-19 pandemic, and a new generation of founders is betting that the region’s next big travel wins won’t come from another flight-and-hotel search engine, but from the unglamorous plumbing around it: visas, eSIMs, hourly hotel bookings, corporate travel expense trails, and the local guides who make a trip memorable.<\/p>\n

Between 2018 and 2024, dozens of traveltech<\/a> startups quietly emerged across Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City, Manila, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, chasing everything from capsule hotels and glamping cabins to AI-enabled visa infrastructure and self-guided city quests.<\/p>\n

Also Read: The impact of eSIM on international roaming and travel<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Some, like Indonesia’s Bobobox<\/a>, have scaled into multi-country hospitality brands backed by the likes of Li Ka-shing’s Horizon Ventures. Others remain scrappy, single-city bets still hunting for their first cheque. Together, they map a region-wide reimagining of how people move, sleep, pay and explore.<\/p>\n

Below, we round up 23 of these emerging Southeast Asian traveltech companies — their founders, funding, and the problem each is trying to solve — as a working reference for anyone tracking where the region’s travel economy goes next.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n
Company<\/strong><\/td>\nCountry\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\nFounded in<\/strong><\/td>\nFounder(s)<\/strong><\/td>\nDescription<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bobobox<\/td>\nIndonesia<\/td>\n2018<\/td>\nIndra Gunawan, Antonius Bong<\/td>\nBandung-born hospitality-tech startup building IoT-enabled capsule hotels (Bobopod) and glamping cabins (Bobocabin) for budget-conscious and solo travellers across Indonesia.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n
Company<\/strong><\/td>\nCountry\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\nFounded in<\/strong><\/td>\nFounder(s)<\/strong><\/td>\nDescription<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Go2Joy<\/td>\nVietnam<\/td>\n2018<\/td>\nSimon (SungMin) Byun, Yongsun Jang, Vesper Pham<\/td>\nHo Chi Minh City-based app-based platform for booking hotel rooms by the hour, overnight or day, with the largest inventory of 1-2 star hotels in Vietnam.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n
Company<\/strong><\/td>\nCountry\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\nFounded in<\/strong><\/td>\nFounder(s)<\/strong><\/td>\nDescription<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Travelio<\/td>\nIndonesia<\/td>\n2018<\/td>\nZulfaa Irbah Zain ( verify founder)<\/td>\nJakarta-based rental platform and end-to-end property management firm managing thousands of apartments for short and long-stay travellers across Indonesia.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n
Company<\/strong><\/td>\nCountry\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\nFounded in<\/strong><\/td>\nFounder(s)<\/strong><\/td>\nDescription<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Passpod<\/td>\nIndonesia<\/td>\n2018<\/td>\n<\/td>\nDigital tourist pass and connectivity provider offering travellers seamless data access and curated local attraction deals across Indonesia and beyond.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n
Company<\/strong><\/td>\nCountry\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\nFounded in<\/strong><\/td>\nFounder(s)<\/strong><\/td>\nDescription<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
SPUN Global<\/td>\nIndonesia<\/td>\n2024<\/td>\nChrista Sabathaly, Dilla Anindita<\/td>\nJakarta-based AI-enabled visa infrastructure startup automating and simplifying fragmented visa processes for travellers across Southeast Asia.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n
Company<\/strong><\/td>\nCountry\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\nFounded in<\/strong><\/td>\nFounder(s)<\/strong><\/td>\nDescription<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
TUBUDD<\/td>\nVietnam<\/td>\n2021<\/td>\nHuyen Minh Do<\/td>\nHo Chi Minh City-based concierge platform matching international visitors with vetted local ‘buddies’ for authentic, guided experiences.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n
Company<\/strong><\/td>\nCountry\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\nFounded in<\/strong><\/td>\nFounder(s)<\/strong><\/td>\nDescription<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
VLeisure<\/td>\nVietnam<\/td>\n2018<\/td>\nPhan Le<\/td>\nB2B global travel network out of Vietnam distributing hotels, transfers, tickets and excursions to travel partners.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n
Company<\/strong><\/td>\nCountry\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\nFounded in<\/strong><\/td>\nFounder(s)<\/strong><\/td>\nDescription<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
CREX<\/td>\nSingapore<\/td>\n2022<\/td>\nSam Hon<\/td>\nAI-driven visibility and sustainability analytics platform helping hotels benchmark and improve their digital presence and ESG credentials.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n
Company<\/strong><\/td>\nCountry\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\nFounded in<\/strong><\/td>\nFounder(s)<\/strong><\/td>\nDescription<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Truely<\/td>\nSingapore<\/td>\n2022<\/td>\nSimon Landsheer<\/td>\neSIM connectivity startup offering a single ‘Switchless’ SIM that automatically connects travellers to the best local network and rates in every country.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n
Company<\/strong><\/td>\nCountry\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\nFounded in<\/strong><\/td>\nFounder(s)<\/strong><\/td>\nDescription<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Flow App<\/td>\nSingapore<\/td>\n2021<\/td>\n<\/td>\nHourly hotel booking platform letting urban travellers pay only for the hours of stay they actually need.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n
Company<\/strong><\/td>\nCountry\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\nFounded in<\/strong><\/td>\nFounder(s)<\/strong><\/td>\nDescription<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Questo<\/td>\nSingapore<\/td>\n2020<\/td>\nMulyadi Syariffudin, Yock Song Law<\/td>\nCreator-enabled platform for self-guided city quests, letting travellers discover destinations through gamified trails.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n
Company<\/strong><\/td>\nCountry\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\nFounded in<\/strong><\/td>\nFounder(s)<\/strong><\/td>\nDescription<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
DailyPass.com<\/td>\nSingapore<\/td>\n2018<\/td>\nChristophe Secher<\/td>\nDaycation marketplace letting locals book hotel day-experiences without an overnight stay, unlocking incremental revenue for hotels.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n
Company<\/strong><\/td>\nCountry\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\nFounded in<\/strong><\/td>\nFounder(s)<\/strong><\/td>\nDescription<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cocotel<\/td>\nPhilippines<\/td>\n2021<\/td>\nRafael Jouwena<\/td>\nBudget beach-hotel chain and booking platform delivering affordable, quality-value stays across Philippine island destinations<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n
Company<\/strong><\/td>\nCountry\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\nFounded in<\/strong><\/td>\nFounder(s)<\/strong><\/td>\nDescription<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Travelstop<\/td>\nSingapore<\/td>\n2018<\/td>\nPrashant Vishwas Kirtane<\/td>\nCorporate travel and expense management SaaS platform streamlining business trip booking and reconciliation for companies.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n
Company<\/strong><\/td>\nCountry\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\nFounded in<\/strong><\/td>\nFounder(s)<\/strong><\/td>\nDescription<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Vouch<\/td>\nSingapore<\/td>\n2021<\/td>\nJoseph Ling, Yap Mingyang<\/td>\nInterface and CRM tooling startup helping hotels and hospitality businesses simplify guest-facing digital operations.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n
Company<\/strong><\/td>\nCountry\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\nFounded in<\/strong><\/td>\nFounder(s)<\/strong><\/td>\nDescription<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
ASCENT<\/td>\nSingapore<\/td>\n2018<\/td>\nDarren Tng<\/td>\nHelicopter ride-sharing platform backed by venture builder REAPRA, letting flyers skip road traffic across Singapore.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n
Company<\/strong><\/td>\nCountry\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\nFounded in<\/strong><\/td>\nFounder(s)<\/strong><\/td>\nDescription<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Deemples<\/td>\nMalaysia<\/td>\n2019<\/td>\nDavid Wong<\/td>\nPlatform matching golfers travelling for leisure with playing partners, filling tee-times that would otherwise go unused.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n
Company<\/strong><\/td>\nCountry\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\nFounded in<\/strong><\/td>\nFounder(s)<\/strong><\/td>\nDescription<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tourkrub<\/td>\nThailand<\/td>\n2018<\/td>\n<\/td>\nThai marketplace helping travellers compare and understand tour packages from a fragmented field of travel agencies.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n
Company<\/strong><\/td>\nCountry\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\nFounded in<\/strong><\/td>\nFounder(s)<\/strong><\/td>\nDescription<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Experience Philippines<\/td>\nPhilippines<\/td>\n2019<\/td>\nGiancarlo Gallegos<\/td>\nGlobal platform of curated experiences turning everyday outings into shareable travel adventure stories for visitors to the Philippines.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n
Company<\/strong><\/td>\nCountry\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\nFounded in<\/strong><\/td>\nFounder(s)<\/strong><\/td>\nDescription<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sakay.ph<\/td>\nPhilippines<\/td>\n2019<\/td>\nPhilip Cheang<\/td>\nManila-based website and app providing real-time commuting and transit directions for travellers and daily commuters navigating Metro Manila.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

—<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n
Company<\/strong><\/td>\nCountry\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\nFounded in<\/strong><\/td>\nFounder(s)<\/strong><\/td>\nDescription<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Trip.Club<\/td>\nPhilippines<\/td>\n2018<\/td>\nMenchie Dizon<\/td>\nManila-based business travel platform managing corporate trip bookings so companies don’t have to handle unmanaged travel themselves.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n
Company<\/strong><\/td>\nCountry\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\nFounded in<\/strong><\/td>\nFounder(s)<\/strong><\/td>\nDescription<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Big Tiny<\/td>\nSingapore<\/td>\n2018<\/td>\nAdrian Chia<\/td>\nTiny-house hospitality startup hosting travellers in eco-conscious tiny homes across rural Southeast Asian getaway destinations.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n
Company<\/strong><\/td>\nCountry\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\nFounded in<\/strong><\/td>\nFounder(s)<\/strong><\/td>\nDescription<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Drivemate<\/td>\nThailand<\/td>\n2018<\/td>\n<\/td>\nBangkok-based peer-to-peer car-sharing marketplace \u2014 often dubbed the ‘Airbnb for cars’ \u2014 letting travellers rent vehicles directly from owners.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

The post The unsexy side of SEA traveltech: eSIMs, visas and hourly hotels win big<\/a> appeared first on e27<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Southeast Asia’s travel industry has roared back from the COVID-19 pandemic, and a new generation of founders is betting that the region’s next big travel wins won’t come from another flight-and-hotel search engine, but from the unglamorous plumbing around it: visas, eSIMs, hourly hotel bookings, corporate travel expense trails, and the local guides who make…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2861,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":0,"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[2109,4661,4664,4663,2101,2697,4660,4659,4662,195],"class_list":["post-2860","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international-news","tag-big","tag-esims","tag-hotels","tag-hourly","tag-sea","tag-side","tag-traveltech","tag-unsexy","tag-visas","tag-win"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2860","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2860"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2860\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2861"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2860"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2860"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2860"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}