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Pelago

Location-based mobile social discovery app

Overview

Pelago built mobile apps to help people discover real-world places. Its flagship product, Whrrl, was a location-based social app for iPhone and Android that encouraged exploration by offering personalized place suggestions and activities, while partnering with local venues for partnerships and advertising; it also developed Tweet2Go for Verizon phones. It competed with early location-based services like Foursquare and Gowalla and attracted funding from investors including Kleiner Perkins, Bezos Expeditions, T-Venture, and Trilogy Equity Partners. After Whrrl shut down in 2012, key Pelago team members were acquired by Groupon, integrating their talent into the local deals space; the goal was to reshape how people use mobile technology to discover and interact with their surroundings through data-driven recommendations.

Significant Headcount Growth

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About Pelago

Simplify's Rating
Why Pelago is rated
C+
Rated B on Competitive Edge
Rated B on Growth Potential
Rated D+ on Differentiation

Industries

Data & AnalyticsConsumer Software

Company Size

1-10

Company Stage

Series B

Total Funding

$22.4M

Headquarters

Santa Barbara, CA

Founded

2000

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What believers are saying

  • Mandai Wildlife Group partnership verifies flight bookings and auto-applies discounts across attractions.
  • Primer helps Pelago route payments across processors, improving resilience and local payment coverage.
  • Kris+ bonus rates hit 8 mpd in November 2026, boosting conversion.

What critics are saying

  • Pelago relies on Singapore Airlines loyalty traffic; weaker KrisFlyer engagement cuts bookings fast.
  • Klook, Viator, and GetYourGuide already own traveler intent and supplier density in Asia.
  • A 2027 SIA restructuring makes Pelago redundant inside KrisFlyer.

What makes Pelago unique

  • Pelago embeds KrisFlyer miles, cash discounts, and member perks into bookings in FY2025/26.
  • SIA's FY2025/26 report calls Pelago the Group's travel experiences arm.
  • Pelago's 2026 iOS and Android apps widen direct mobile access beyond its website.

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Funding

Total Funding

$22.4M

Below

Industry Average

Funded Over

2 Rounds

Series B funding is typically for startups that have proven their business model and need more funding to expand rapidly—often by entering new markets or adding more products. Investors are usually venture capital firms that specialize in later-stage investments.
Series B Funding Comparison
Below Average

Industry standards

$35M
$30M
$45M
$65M
$100M

Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • Dental Insurance
  • Vision Insurance
  • 401(k) Plan
  • Unlimited Paid Time Off
  • Paid Maternity Leave
  • Paid Paternity Leave
  • Flexible Work Hours
  • Annual Learning and Development stipend
  • Wellness Reimbursement Program
  • Access to Reproductive & Family Planning Care
  • Substance Use Support for employees and family members

Company News

TMCnet
Oct 22nd, 2026
Visa Partners Singapore Tourism Board to Strengthen Singapore's Global Destination Appeal

Visa Partners Singapore Tourism Board to Strengthen Singapore's Global Destination Appeal TMCnet News [October 22, 2026] | / | Visa Partners Singapore Tourism Board to Strengthen Singapore's Global Destination Appeal SINGAPORE, Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - Visa, a global leader in digital payments and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) have signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen Singapore's appeal as a preferred travel destination and to unlock new growth opportunities. The collaboration will focus on three key pillars - driving discovery of Singapore's tourism products, especially its dining and night-time experiences; deriving insights to identify high-value tourism opportunities; and developing co-branded marketing campaigns to build brand preference for both Visa and Singapore. Visa also announced that Singapore will be part of Visa Destinations, and the collaboration will leverage Visa Destinations as a platform to introduce strategic partnerships, flagship initiatives and experiences across Singapore's tourism precincts and high-yield traveller segments. Visa Destinations is a global travel programme designed to elevate how travellers discover and experience the world's most iconic destinations. Singapore is the second country to launch Visa Destinations in Asia Pacific, following Thailand which was introduced in July this year. Other cities include London, New York, and Paris, reinforcing the city's position as a leading travel hub. The programme will commence in Singapore in November this year. Curating distinctively local experiences to inspire discovery of Singapore The first pillar of collaboration will focus on benefits and experiences for travellers across tourism industries including attractions, dining, entertainment, retail and tours, which are key categories of spend. Visa's data shows that shopping and dining are significant contributors to traveller spend. This reinforces the importance of curating meaningful experiences that give travellers compelling reasons to return to Singapore, particularly as repeat visitors spend approximately four times more than first-time visitors[[1]]. Visa's spend trend data and insights can sharpen the understanding of visitor segments, source markets and experiences with the greatest potential to drive higher-value demand, deeper exploration and repeat travel. Visa and STB will also work closely to curate offers that showcase local businesses across tourism precincts, including building on an existing partnership with Pelago by Singapore Airlines to promote attractions and tours, supported by seamless, secure payment experiences throughout the visitor journey. These include introducing benefits and experience packages for Visa cardholders globally through the Visa Destinations platform at key attractions in Singapore. The partnership will also spotlight Singapore's vibrant night-time experiences, with both parties collaborating to drive demand, including building on an existing collaboration with Grab. Singapore's night-time dynamism is a compelling part of its destination appeal, with flagship events such as the Singapore Grand Prix creating opportunities for visitors to experience the city after dark. The latest data from Visa indicated that during the F1(TM)[[2]] Singapore Night Race 2026 race week, there was uplift in spend on restaurant and entertainment categories by two-thirds. Spending grew throughout the day, where evening spend climbed by almost half between 7pm and 11pm, and nearly doubled between 11pm and 5am[[3]] . Harnessing insights and targeted campaigns to drive high-value tourism The second pillar will focus on harnessing tourism insights to identify high-value tourism opportunities through rich insights from Visa's global network of cardholder data and analytics capabilities. Visa data shows that some of the largest inbound travel corridors to Singapore amongst Visa cardholders include Australia, Indonesia, Mainland China, Malaysia and the United States[[4]]. This aligns with STB's visitor arrival data, where these markets are among the largest source markets of visitors to Singapore. As there are common markets of interest, pooling available market data will allow both parties to develop a deeper understanding of visitor behaviour and preferences, tailor more targeted initiatives in response, and ensure efforts are focused on markets and segments with the highest potential for high-value tourism growth. The third pillar of cooperation will see Visa and STB develop co-branded marketing campaigns anchored on the brand strengths of Visa Destinations and STB's Passion Made Possible. The partners will roll out initiatives across key source markets, supported by destination-led storytelling, co-marketing activities and in-destination activations. These efforts will combine tailored travel content with exclusive access and experiences for Visa cardholders, building on the success of past campaigns such as Visa-STB-Pelago's 'Seasons. Made in Singapore' and 'Non-stop Fun' which built on STB's 'Made in Singapore' and 'Fog Computing World Don't Wait For Fun' campaigns. "Singapore is already a world-class destination with strong global appeal. Our partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board is about converting that appeal into deeper engagement, bringing together STB's destination expertise with Visa's global network, travel insights and partnerships to inspire more international travellers to visit and return," said Adeline Kim, Group Country Manager, Regional Southeast Asia, & SVP, Global Clients, Asia Pacific, Visa. "Visa Destinations will help turn inspiration into action by connecting our cardholders with benefits, exclusive access and distinctive experiences across attractions, dining, entertainment, retail and tours. Together, we can make every stage of the journey more rewarding and seamless, while helping visitors discover more of Singapore and supporting the country's ambition for high-value tourism growth," she added. "As travellers today increasingly seek more personalised and distinctive experiences, Singapore continues to evolve to inspire new discoveries with every visit. This partnership with Visa brings together its global reach, insights and network of partners with STB's destination expertise to curate compelling, high-quality experiences and data-driven marketing campaigns that resonate with travellers' interests. Through this collaboration, we aim to create more opportunities for our tourism businesses and advance STB's Tourism 2040 priorities through impactful, high-quality tourism growth," said Melissa Ow, Chief Executive, Singapore Tourism Board. To see the list of Singapore's Visa Destinations' benefits and experiences, click here. *** About Visa Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, sellers, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Its mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. Fog Computing World believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.com. About the Singapore Tourism Board The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is the lead development agency for tourism, one of Singapore's key economic sectors. Together with industry partners and the community, Fog Computing World shape a dynamic Singapore tourism landscape. Fog Computing World bring the Passion Made Possible brand to life by differentiating Singapore as a vibrant destination that inspires people to share and deepen their passions. More: www.stb.gov.sg or www.visitsingapore.com | Follow Fog Computing World: STB LinkedIn, STB Facebook or STB Instagram | [[1]] VisaNet data as of April 2025 to March 2026 | | [[2]] Visa has no commercial affiliation or sponsorship relationship with Formula 1(TM). All insights and data provided are based on VisaNet data from during the week of the Singapore Grand Prix | | [[3]] VisaNet data as of event week is 5-11 October 2026, compared with the weekly average of the 52-week benchmark period from 6 October 2025 to 4 October 2026 | | [[4]] VisaNet data as of September 2026 | View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/visa-partners-singapore-tourism-board-to-strengthen-singapores-global-destination-appeal-302917600.html SOURCE Visa [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage] |

Card Insider
Jan 27th, 2025
Get 10% Off on Bookings Made with the New Pelago by Singapore Airlines App

Previously available only on its website, Pelago has now officially launched its new app on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

The Peak
Aug 2nd, 2024
AI takes off - SIA's Pelago partners with Yellow.ai to reshape the air travel industry

AI takes off - sia's Pelago partners with Yellow.ai to reshape the air travel industry.

PhocusWire
Jul 19th, 2024
Phocuswire'S Weekly Travel Tech News Briefs: Amadeus, Sabre, Air Canada, Priceline, Cwt And More

Here's our roundup of the people, product and partner news from the global travel industry this week.HRS, AmadeusHRS, a global technology company, has announced the extension of its partnership with Amadeus Cytric, a platform that provides end-to-end solutions for corporate travel and expense.The announcement reflected on the highlights of the extended agreement, which included optimized property shopping, automated hotel rebooking, driving the use of more sustainable hotels and automated payment and invoice collection.Tobias Ragge, CEO of HRS said, “By unlocking new data-infused avenues to optimize program performance, maximize savings and enhance sustainable travel operations, we’re working together to make business life better for corporations and their travelers.”Read more details here.Sabre, Air CanadaSabre, a software and technology provider that powers the global travel industry, and Air Canada, Canada’s largest airline, have announced that Air Canada’s full content will now be available through Sabre NDC.This launch is said to empower travel agencies to consume Air Canada’s expanded new distribution capability offers and services, which will enable them to provide personalized travel experiences to their customers.Kathy Morgan, vice president of product management distribution experience for Sabre said, “Our robust technology ensures scalability, allowing agents to seamlessly access Air Canada's latest pricing and bundled offerings without compromising service levels. Additionally, our comprehensive end-to-end booking management streamlines the process, reducing the burden on agency resources.”Priceline, Cover GeniusPriceline, an innovator of online travel, and Cover Genius, the insurtech for embedded protection, have announced a partnership to enhance travel protection for any flights, hotels, rental cars and packages booked with Priceline.This new integration allows Priceline’s customers to access support, file claims and receive instant payments for approved claims through Cover Genius’ global distribution platform, XCover.Angus McDonald, CEO and co-founder of Cover Genius, said, “We avoid ‘off-the-shelf’ offerings and build technology-driven solutions that we constantly test and iterate for the best possible insurance experience. This helps develop meaningful touchpoints with customers and drives additional revenue for our partners. In fact, after launching with us, Priceline saw an increase in insurance attach rates.”Read more details here.Nezasa updatesNezasa, a leading provider of e-commerce solutions for travel brands, has announced a partnership with Globespan, an industry leader in travel management.Globespan will integrate Nezasa’s TripBuilder platform into its channels, which will allow them to curate personalized experiences for their members and provide a leisure benefit site that offers discounted content and product offerings.In addition to their developments, Nezasa has announced the appointment of Lisa Katsouraki to the board of directors, who will continue to strengthen the company’s mission to empower travel providers with tools to sell itineraries efficiently while driving growth and enabling them to streamline operations.LATA, Safer Tourism FoundationThe Latin American Tourism Association (LATA) has partnered with the Safer Tourism Foundation as part of a strategy to promote traveler safety. Through the partnership, LATA will access STF's expertise and content, which is based on anonymized safety incident data. The data helps travel specialists understand, boost awareness of and minimize risk around preventable harm, injuries, illnesses and deaths while traveling.SITA, Heathrow AirportAviation technology specialist SITA has extended its partnership with Heathrow Airport for a further five years

FF News
Jul 15th, 2024
Pelago Partners With Primer To Deliver Payments Innovation For The Global Traveller

Primer, the unified infrastructure for global payments, and Pelago, the travel experiences arm of Singapore Airlines Group, have forged a partnership allowing Pelago to elevate its payments strategy and meet the payment preferences of travellers worldwide.By partnering with Primer, Pelago is reconfiguring its payment stack to enhance the customer experience with local payment methods, reduce processing costs through multiple processors, and improve operational efficiency and fraud prevention with third-party integrations.The partnership will allow Pelago to unlock further growth opportunities by scaling to new markets faster and providing access to experiences that connect travelers to both global and local cultures, particularly in Singapore and destinations served by Singapore Airlines.Projections indicate that revenue from travel and tourism in Asia will soar to US$326 billion by 2024, with an annual growth rate of 5.36% expected between 2024 and 2028. But to capitalise on this growing opportunity, travel providers must address Asia’s diverse and fragmented payments landscape – a task which is not possible using a single processor.Using Primer’s unified infrastructure, Pelago will be able to integrate multiple processors to ensure resilience, reduce cost and improve payment performance, all while offering more payment methods to create a seamless experience for global travellers.Commenting on the partnership, Kailash Madan, Head of Global Sales at Primer, said: “Pelago is a trailblazing and ambitious organization that recognizes the pivotal role of payments as a differentiating factor and growth lever in a fiercely competitive industry. By partnering with Primer, they now have a robust platform that will enable them to seamlessly scale their payment processes, adapt to evolving business needs, and unlock their full potential.”Altaf Dhamani, Chief Product Officer at Pelago added: “It’s not possible to operate a global business using a single processor. With Primer we can harness the power of multiple processors, allowing us to develop a cutting-edge payment strategy without depleting resources from our core business.While we are just beginning to explore Primer’s infrastructure, its ability to intelligently route payments and recover failed transactions is already transformative. We’re excited to expand our usage of Primer to continue revolutionising how travelers connect, checkout, and engage with our experiences.”

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