Kiwi tech company raises millions for expansion

Jason Wang, Icehouse Fund Manager (left) with Peter Li, Feijipiao Founder. Photo/supplied

Kiwi technology company Feijipiao is expanding across New Zealand and eyeing other markets after closing a multi-million dollar angel investment round.

The company, founded in 2016 by Peter Li, is a Chinese language online travel business, offering flight bookings across multiple airlines in Chinese.

The website offers competitive fares and multiple payment solutions, in either Chinese yuan or New Zealand dollars, through automated search, booking, and ticketing processes.

The investment was headed by The Icehouse and Chinese-led angel fund Eden Ventures - its first investment.

Led by Chinese venture capitalists and entrepreneurs, Eden Ventures focuses on high performing start-ups, with specific interest in serving Chinese in New Zealand or enabling New Zealand founders to launch into the Chinese market.

The funding values Feijipiao at between $5 million and $10m, and would be used to hire staff, open its first New Zealand office in Auckland and fund further growth, as well as prepare the business for expansion into Australia and other markets.

The company was already bringing in revenue of about $900,000 per month, with Li saying he expected this to hit $1m in the coming few months.

Icehouse fund manager Jason Wang said both groups had invested based on Feijipiao's growth in the five months since it launched, as well as the potential they saw for it.

"In three months, feijipiao.co.nz have transacted millions of dollars without a physical office, it's all in the cloud.

"The results speak for themselves - this is a group of the right people doing the right thing in the right market."

The company's success had been helped by millennials influencing the purchasing behaviours of their parents, who tended to use more traditional travel agents Li said.

The investment would enable the company to continue its expansion as well as providing strategic value for the firm.

"Our team has built a strong foundation in New Zealand to prepare ourselves for expansion into global markets with established Chinese communities, and international students from China.

"By partnering with Eden Ventures and The Icehouse, we can tap into their expertise of forming long-term growth strategies for global expansion, and supporting technology driven companies."