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FastBooking attracts €35m investment from 3i and Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners |
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FastBooking, European leader in direct Internet hotel bookings, welcomes 3i and Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners (EdRIP) as shareholders in the company. |
Established in 2000, FastBooking has 3500+ client hotels worldwide with over 2 million hotel room nights booked through its platform this year.
Funds managed by 3i and EdRIP are collectively investing €35 million for a 62% stake in FastBooking, whose business is valued at €45 million. The transaction provides an exit for current shareholders, funds managed by Iris Capital and individuals who have supported the group since its inception. At this time, the managing founders of the company are re-investing for a total ownership of 35%.
FastBooking targets the independent hotelier market (and some hotel chains) offering them a full range of products, including a booking engine for integration on client hotel websites, distribution websites (e.g. www.fastbooking.com or www.only-recommended-hotels.com), a GDS/IDS network solution and e-marketing tools. FastBooking has a strong presence in most European countries and is also active in Asia and North America.
Co-founders, Richard Kefs, Thierry Lamblin et Soraya Kefs, share with 3i and EdRIP strong growth ambitions for FastBooking, driven by the increasing trend for consumers to book rooms direct from hotel websites and also the opportunity for further growth by acquisition, building on FastBooking's leadership position in the European hotel bookings market.
Richard Kefs comments 'We have found in 3i a partner who understands our business and shares our ambition. We aim to become the pre-eminent partner for the hotelier community.'
Jean-David Chamboredon, Partner at 3i Venture Capital, adds 'In 7 years, FastBooking has built an outstanding platform for hoteliers. Additionally, the internet user is starting to recognize the economic benefits of booking directly via hotel websites. Our role will be to support the growth and the success of FastBooking over the next 3 to 4 years.'
Amal Amar, co-founder and Chairman of SeLoger.com (Euronext : SLG.PA) joins FastBooking's board of directors and states 'This transaction is very similar to the one we conducted with 3i in 2005. In addition, the 2 groups both deploy an 'internet one-stop shop' offering targeted at a specific business community. I'm very glad to be part of this venture.'
About 3i
3i is a world leader in private equity and venture capital. We focus on Buyouts, Growth Capital, Venture Capital, Infrastructure and Quoted Private Equity ('QPE') and invest across Europe, the United States and Asia. Our competitive advantage comes from our international network and the strength and breadth of our business relationships. These underpin the value that we deliver to our portfolio and to our shareholders.
3i's Venture Capital partners focus on investing in scaleable early to late stage technology and healthcare businesses on a global basis. The business currently manages investments across Europe, US, Asia and Israel. 3i VC plans to invest $1.5bn funds over the next five years in exciting and ambitious companies in the following areas: IT (digital media, enterprise IT and semiconductors), healthcare (biotech, medtech and specialty pharma) and clean technology.
For more information please visit: www.3i.com
About EdRIP
Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners manages over €500 million in development and venture capital funds. The management company comprises 12 investment professionals with in-depth experience of private equity and industry. In growth capital, Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners has access to funds of €170 million through Winch Capital, a private equity fund whose objective is to rise to the challenge of growth and shareholder restructuring facing French middle market companies. Since its launch in December 2005, Winch Capital has invested a total of almost €108 million in 17 companies. Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners is a subsidiary of La Compagnie Financière Edmond de Rothschild.
For more information please visit: www.edrip.fr
About FastBooking
FastBooking is a service company dedicated to helping hotels develop their Internet sales. To achieve this, the first vital stage involves installing the 'FastBooking Engine' on their website. This real time booking engine with its multiple functionalities makes it possible to generate bookings that can be immediately and automatically confirmed. FastBooking has set up a global range of products and services for hoteliers by developing tools precisely adapted to their needs and guaranteeing a constant crossover of skills by teams with proven IT and hotel expertise. Along with the Booking Engine a whole global program of Internet development becomes available to hoteliers: distribution portals (www.fastbooking.com, www.hotels-paris.fr, www.only-recommended-hotels.com ...), representation on the GDS/IDS, e-marketing tools.
FastBooking has a portfolio of over 3500 hotels all over the world, all of which use FastBooking Engine on their websites. FastBooking also has five subsidiaries in Asia, USA, Canada, Italy and India.
For more information please visit: www.fastbooking.org
Contact
FastBooking
Jean-Louis Boss
jlboss@fastbooking.com
Tel : 01 44 71 05 25
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FastBooking is a service company dedicated to helping independent hotels develop their Internet sales. |
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