New investment makes LINE MAN Wongnai Thailand’s largest tech startup, valued over US$1B
LINE MAN Wongnai announced today that it has raised US$265 million in a Series-B investment round led by GIC, Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, and LINE Corporation. This fundraising round was also joined by BRV Capital Management, PTT Oil and Retail Business Public Company Limited (OR), Bualuang Ventures and Taiwan Mobile.
With this investment, LINE MAN Wongnai has achieved a valuation of over US$1 billion, making it Thailand’s largest tech startup by valuation.
The funding will be used to strengthen LINE MAN Wongnai’s strong position in the food delivery market, expand new service categories, recruit tech talent and improve tech infrastructure. LINE MAN Wongnai aims to be employing more than 450 talented tech professionals by the end of 2022.
LINE MAN Wongnai was established in 2020 from the merger of LINE MAN, Thailand’s No. 1 on-demand assistant app, and Wongnai, a restaurant review platform. The company aims to be the most innovative e-commerce platform for services in Thailand with diverse business portfolios:
- On-Demand Businesses – LINE MAN services include food delivery, grocery delivery, messenger and taxi. The number of orders made each month through the food delivery service grew by more than 15 times between January 2020 and August 2022, making it the fastest growing food delivery platform in the country. Now LINE MAN operates in all 77 provinces in Thailand, offering delivery options to 700,000 restaurants, the most among food delivery service providers.
- Merchant Solutions – Wongnai connects close to 1 million merchants to users nationwide through search and reviews. In addition, Wongnai POS has become the No. 1 point-of-sale solution in the food & beverage industry with over 50,000 merchants.
- Value-Added Services – Utilizing a large base of customers, riders, and restaurants, LINE MAN Wongnai offers advertising and financial services, among others, to incrementally add value to the stakeholders in the ecosystem.
Yod Chinsupakul, CEO, LINE MAN Wongnai, said “Today’s announcement marks a remarkable milestone for LINE MAN Wongnai. I am grateful to GIC, LINE and other investors who gave us the opportunity to create large-scale impacts and to become a national champion for Food Delivery. Food has been our passion since I co-founded Wongnai and now to be able to connect millions of users with the biggest pool of restaurants we have is a dream come true. We are also proud to create over 100,000 jobs for the riders, most of whom earn more than twice the minimum wage. We are committed to driving Thailand forward. Today, we promise to bring best-in-class and tailor-made products and services to help Thai people live better.”
In Young Chung, Chief Financial Officer, LINE MAN Wongnai, said “The announcement opens the next chapter for LINE MAN Wongnai to grow from a local Thai start-up to a regional tech platform. We thank LINE for embracing us into its deep mobile ecosystem and providing on-going support for our journey. We also thank GIC for not only giving us the trust and capital, but also guidance and insight from its global presence and BRV for its continuous support since Series A lead investment. Our LINE MAN Wongnai team will strive to become the most inspiring tech company through IPO and beyond in coming years, for our society and young generations.”
Eunjung Lee, CEO, LINE Plus Corporation, said “LINE MAN is one of the great success cases, highlighting LINE’s dedication to creating services tailored to the local needs of each market. With this fundraising, LINE MAN Wongnai solidifies a foundation for its future growth, creating a better, more convenient daily life for Thai users.”
About LINE MAN Wongnai
LINE MAN Wongnai is Thailand’s largest tech startup with a valuation well above US$1 billion after the series-B funding led by GIC and LINE. LINE MAN Wongnai brings together an e-commerce platform for services including food delivery, grocery delivery, taxi, messenger, restaurant reviews and restaurant solutions. LINE MAN Wongnai employs more than 1,000 employees who are dedicated to making large-scale impacts that connect millions of users in Thailand for better living.
About GIC
GIC is a leading global investment firm established in 1981 to secure Singapore’s financial future. As the manager of Singapore’s foreign reserves, GIC takes a long-term, disciplined approach to investing, and is uniquely positioned across a wide range of asset classes and active strategies globally. These include equities, fixed income, real estate, private equity, venture capital, and infrastructure. The firm’s longterm approach, multi-asset capabilities, and global connectivity enable them to be an investor of choice. GIC seeks to add meaningful value to its investments. Headquartered in Singapore, GIC has a global talent force of over 1,900 people in 11 key financial cities and has investments in over 40 countries. Further information is available at https://www.gic.com.sg
About LINE Corporation
Based in Japan, LINE is dedicated to the mission of “Closing the Distance,” bringing together information, services and people. The LINE messaging app launched in June 2011 and since then has grown into a diverse, global ecosystem that includes AI technology, fintech and more. LINE joined the Z Holdings Group, one of the largest internet service groups in Japan, following the completion of a business integration in March 2021.
About LINE Plus Corporation
LINE Plus Corporation was established in March 2013 in South Korea as a subsidiary of LINE Corporation. It supports LINE’s global business development with programmers, designers, marketers, sales personnel and PR managers from around the world working together.
