In Tokyo, it already offers selected local experience to Taiwanese visitors and also introduces an instant booking application for entertainment to local people

FunNow, an instant booking app for entertainment and leisure activities in Taiwan, has raised an undisclosed sum in Series A+ funding from CSV Venture Fund II.

CSV Venture Fund is managed jointly by Japan’s NEC Capital Solutions and Venture Labo Investment. 

This is CSV’s first investment in Taiwan.

The new round comes just over a year after FunNow secured US$5 million in Series A led by Alibaba Entrepreneur Fund.

“We are very honoured to have been recognized by NEC. We also think highly of the entertainment industry in Japan,” says Mic Hsieh, General Manager of FunNow Japan.

“More than 1,000 overseas merchants are now working with us to provide city entertainments for the locals in Tokyo, Okinawa, Hong Kong, and Kuala Lumpur,” said FunNow CEO TK Chen. 

“With the Series A+ round funding, we are going to expand our team and merchant supplies and continue our efforts into connecting life circles in different East Asian cities. At the same time, we are aiming to serve travelers to Tokyo for 2020 Tokyo Olympic,” Chen added.

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Launched in November 2015, FunNow allows people to book entertainment activities instantly. Its search engine and algorithm of real-time availability calculation, combined with the geolocation technology, allows customers to get a glance of all the available slots within their perimeter almost instantly. Through a few clicks, a user can make a reservation for activities such as body massage, bars or fun experiences, or a short getaway to the neighbouring cities without planning.

As of today, FunNow has around one million users and 3,000 merchants. The team has grown from 25 people in 2018 to approximately 70 this year. 

FunNow has around 1,000 merchant partners in overseas markets and continues to expand its territory to build East Asia entertainment ecosystem.

Having gained the experience from its success in Taiwan in the last four years, FunNow is expanding the business to other markets, setting foot in Tokyo and Kuala Lumpur. 

In Tokyo where it launched in July, it offers selected local experience to Taiwanese visitors to the city and also introduces an instant booking application for entertainment to residents. So far, FunNow has partnered with 300 merchants in Tokyo and Okinawa, and the number is expected to reach 500 by the end of 2019.

Kuala Lumpur is another focus for FunNow in its great entertainment ecosystem blueprint. Following the Malaysian government’s Digital Economy policies, FunNow has assisted 200-plus local massage merchants, including the largest massage chain in the nation, Healthland, to digitize their reservation process. 

Along with the expansion, the company is establishing partnerships with other brands. “This year, we also partnered with different brands, including Michelin and GQ, to hold different campaigns and try to offer diverse fun activities to our users,” said Szu-Chi Lee, CMO of FunNow. 

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