Oyo’s joint venture with SoftBank and the internet giant’s Vision Fund will cover hotel operations as ‘Oyo Hotels Japan’ and be led by Prasun Choudhary, an Oyo founding member. The financial details surrounding the venture have not been disclosed.

“Japan is fast emerging as one of the most popular tourist destinations in Asia. We at, Oyo Hotels & Homes, see this as a huge opportunity and are excited to contribute towards the growth of the local economy by promoting tourism,” said Ritesh Agarwal, group CEO and founder at Oyo Hotels & Homes.

“We are thrilled to now be able to offer OYO’s affordable, hassle-free and quality living experiences to guests across Japan – and to be empowering Japan’s independent hoteliers with the latest technology innovations like AI and Machine Learning powered hotel/ryokan management system, predictive analytics led pricing and revenue management and seamless operational expertise that  helps them focus on customer experience and thereby  generate increased, sustainable incomes.”

Alongside Yahoo, Oyo has launched a housing rental business in Japan called ‘Oyo Life’.

Oyo Life’s launch has come with a pair of unique solutions for the Japanese market. Oyo Passport is a subscription-based membership program available to Oyo Life residents, providing them with unlimited access to offers, discounts, trials, and events. The second solution, Oyo Partner Real Estate Stores, has been introduced to enable people to drive awareness of available Oyo Life buildings and to generate supply and demand.

The post Indias Oyo arrives in Japan with SoftBank and Yahoo partnerships appeared first on Mobile Marketing Magazine.

Details surrounding the deal have not been disclosed, but Airbnb has confirmed its investment in Oyo’s latest funding round. The Series E funding has passed $1bn and includes investment from SoftBank’s Vision Fund, Grab, and Didi Chuxing.

“Emerging markets like India and China are some of Airbnb’s fastest-growing, with our growth increasingly powered by tourism to and from these markets,” said Greg Greeley, president of homes at Airbnb. “In many of these markets, OYO is empowering local hospitality entrepreneurs to provide more options to more travellers. We share a dedication to offering people more choices when traveling and we’re excited to partner with OYO as we work to make Airbnb for everyone

Oyo currently operates in India, China, UK, Singapore, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, and Japan.

“Airbnb’s strong global footprints and access to local communities will open up new opportunities for OYO Hotels & Homes to strengthen and grow while staying true to our core value proposition,” said Maninder Gulati, global chief strategy officer at Oyo Hotels & Home. “We’re excited by the possibilities and committed to bringing benefits to the millions of travellers who can now rely on Airbnb and OYO Hotels & Homes to find a home away from home.”

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