Dubai's dnata acquires European AI-tech firm
By Arabian Industry
SOURCE: Arabian Industry - Dubai's dnata acquires European AI-tech firm
Dubai-based air services provider dnata has announced that it acquired a majority stake in bd4travel (Big Data for Travel), a tech company, which provides artificial intelligence (AI)-driven solutions to online travel agencies.
Based in Germany and the UK, bd4travel’s sophisticated algorithms allow online travel agencies to engage with anonymous customers and personalise their shopping experience in real-time, a statement said.
The acquisition is effective immediately, with no interruption to the services offered by bd4travel. The business will continue under the bd4travel branding.
The parties have agreed not to disclose the details of the acquisition, the statement added.
Running more than 40 sites, bd4travel currently serves leading travel organisations in 17 markets and dnata said the announcement underlines its commitment to applying state-of-the-art technologies to improve efficiency and customer experience.
“At dnata we are constantly looking for ways to embrace innovation and new technology to maximise efficiency and ensure service excellence,” said Iain Andrew, divisional senior vice president, Travel Services, dnata.
“bd4travel offers solutions for both. Our investment in bd4travel will help us further optimise our processes and, by taking a world-class technology to a global level, deliver more value to the travel industry.”
Andy Owen Jones, the founder of bd4travel, added: “This majority acquisition by dnata is a major milestone for bd4travel, which will enable us to grow our AI-led solutions and bring this technology to more customers especially within the airline world. We are excited by the prospects of working with dnata, with their international reach and their commitment to investing in the best technologies in the travel industry. This is the start of a powerful collaboration.”