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China: Dingdandao [ Smart Order ], known in China as DingDanLaiLe, an alternative accommodation PMS solution provider for short-term / vacation rentals, has announced that it has received fresh strategic investment from Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu and existing shareholder Trip.com Group.
According to China Travel News, which first reported the story, Smart Order will use the proceeds of the investment to further develop its product and continue constructing its ecosystem.
It follows a previous $7.4 million funding round led by Trip.com in June 2022, and a $10.8 million raise in Series A and A+ financing rounds in February 2021, which were led by Anyi Shengyin and Youzan.
Founded in 2014, Smart Order provides property management software and SaaS cloud services for hotels and short-term rental hosts. The platform then manages information through data processing, technology optimisation, membership and corporation management, allowing clients to improve their efficiency and reduce costs.
As a result of the investment, Smart Order will serve as a channel and bridge between Xiaohongshu and hospitality merchants that want to do business on the social media platform, according to the Chinese English-language publication. The two companies first reached a strategic collaboration agreement in April 2020.
The PMS solution provider also forged an exclusive partnership with Douyin, China’s domestic version of TikTok, to help drive direct bookings.
Looking ahead, Smart Order is targeting global expansion, having developed an international version of its PMS which offers free registration for overseas hospitality providers and vendors, supporting multi-language services, multi-currency payments and settlements. It says that it will also help international merchants launch flagship sites from scratch, offering direct connections with OTAs such as Booking.com, Agoda and Expedia.
The company has served more than 600 overseas merchants to date across 22 countries, including France, the United Arab Emirates [UAE], Switzerland, Japan and Singapore.
