Bookaway Group acquires Argentinian OTA Plataforma 10

Deal will accelerate ground transport specialist’s growth across Latin America

Ground transportation technology company Bookaway Group has acquired Plataforma 10, an Argentina OTA with ambitious plans to grow across Latin America. 

The deal will see a centralised booking platform introduced as Bookaway strives to “redefine the transport experience of travellers in Latin America”.

Plataforma 10 partners with more than 400 bus companies in Latin America to retail their tickets through multiple channels, including its own website, via travel agencies as well as more than 2,000 local shops and kiosks across the country. 

The firm has played a core role in the modernization of the bus industry in Argentina, including defining common ticketing standards across the country’s bus operators.

Bookaway Group’s mission is to digitise the offline $157 billion ground transport industry to help operators reach travellers through modern digital channels. 

The Plataforma 10 brand will continue to operate in Argentina and a significant capital injection will be made to accelerate it expansion into Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, and Central America.

Noam Toister, co-founder and chief executive of Bookaway Group, said: “Plataforma 10 is an outstanding team that’s been instrumental to ground transport tech in Argentina.

“Joining the Bookaway Group means the company can expand exponentially faster across the region, complementing the global coverage we already have in Asia and Europe.

“It’s still unbelievably difficult to compare and book ground transport today. Travellers don’t want the anxiety of buying a ticket minutes before they travel and prefer to plan ahead with the transparency and confidence that e-Commerce can provide. 

“Organising the information in an industry this fragmented is a huge challenge, but we’re going all out to do it in the next few years.”

Gustavo Markier, chief executive of Plataforma 10, added: “When COVID-19 hit we had two options. 

“We could weather the storm or join the Bookaway Group and emerge from the crisis stronger. Now we have more capital than ever before, along with expanded inventory from our new partners. 

“The group brings an ambitious, data-driven, culture that we’re embracing as we grow to become Latin America’s top brand for ground transport.”