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Leveraging advanced technology and digital travel applications alongside long-standing travel services expertise to provide the best travel support for corporate travellers.
HONG KONG – FREED GROUP, an award-winning digital and smart merchandising solutions company, has announced that its Co-founder & CEO, Mr. Abel Zhao, has acquired Connexus Travel Limited, a leading regional travel management company headquartered in Hong Kong.
After the acquisition, Connexus will now become part of the FREED GROUP family. As a technology pioneer in the digital commerce sector, FREED believes that Connexus Travel has an excellent competitive edge in the industry given its considerable standing and dedicated team. Leveraging FREED’s DNA in the travel industry, the acquisition is set to create technological & strategic synergies that will further enhance Connexus’ overall capabilities and drive long-term business growth.
Since its inception in 2015, FREED has been connecting platforms, brands, and service providers to their customers with enhanced digital capabilities through its proprietary SAAS solutions, as well as services like end-to-end artificial intelligence digital transformation, smart merchandising & smart marketing. FREED has over 250 dedicated professionals, from 22 different regions around the world including Greater China, South Korea, Canada, Sweden, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, Nepal, the United Kingdom, Uzbekistan, and the United States of America, who combine their extensive experience and expertise in technology, tourism, commerce, hospitality, and other industries to operate in 10+ markets worldwide, serving 200+ high-profile clients and partners such as Samsung, China Mobile, China Life Insurance, City of Seoul (Smart City), The Private Office Of Sheikh Saeed bin Ahmed Al Maktoum, Google, FIFA World Cup, Match Hospitality, BMW and Hyundai Card.
Meanwhile, Connexus Travel Limited, established in 1948, was the first travel agent registered in Hong Kong and now operates in Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai, specializing in corporate, leisure and MICE travel, offering a full range of travel services and digital booking applications to support seamless journeys.
Mr. Abel Zhao, Co-founder & CEO of FREED GROUP, said, “We are very pleased with having Connexus Travel in our FREED family, as Connexus Travel is a name trusted by corporate, leisure and MICE travellers. We see tremendous growth potential for Connexus because of its long history of excellent services and the synergies that will be generated between Connexus and FREED. The positive outcomes we envisage include business opportunities spanning travel services, e-commerce, marketing services and brand loyalty programs, all of which will be underpinned by a comprehensive range of digitalized services and solutions. Ultimately, we anticipate Connexus Travel to follow in the footsteps of FREED GROUP and transform into a global brand.”
Mr. Eric Lau, General Manager of Connexus Travel, said, “Connexus has been committed to providing quality services to customers for the past 70 years. This acquisition will accelerate the digital transformation of our products through new signature customer-facing travel applications, which will include the provision of new user experiences and efficiencies for our corporate travellers. At the same time, we will leverage our position as a market leader and the development plans with FREED to expand our services not only in Hong Kong and China, but also to the markets where FREED currently operates. We look forward to embarking on a new chapter of development with the support of FREED GROUP.”
FREED GROUP’s technology and services have been recognized globally in recent years, including the 2022 Technology Pioneer by World Economic Forum, the 2021 Deloitte Technology Rising Star, Grand winner of the 2021 United Nations UNWTO Global Start-up Competition and the 2018 APAC ICT Grand Award, among many others. In June 2022, FreeD Group raised USD$15 million in a new funding round led by Daiwa ACA APAC Growth Fund and ACA Partners Pte. Ltd.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales. She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
