Consumers are set to go on an almighty travel binge, which has already fed into the price of global travel stocks. This month we unpack the numbers, reveal the views of some leading travel sector commentators, and hear from travel sector CEOs about staring into the abyss - and surviving. As you might expect, technology will play a pivotal role in this recovery.

Enjoy, from all of us at North Ridge Partners…

Original Thinking From North Ridge Partners

There’s a lot of travel content in this month’s newsletter. In our minicast, founder Roger Sharp tells us how revenge spending is already fuelling the global travel recovery

From bust to boom, travel is set to surge. We review share price performance and listen to what some of the best minds in the business think happens next. We quote John O’Shea from Ord Minnett, including his take on the recent Skift Global Forum, and we provide access to Forsyth Barr’s Eagle Report, a unique look at where to invest for the recovery.

Not to be outdone, five travel sector CEOs tell us what it was like to manage through the most difficult market conditions any of them will ever likely see in their lifetimes. And we describe the strategies that set the survivors apart and positioned them to thrive in a recovery.

Finally, after 18 months of being cooped up it’s surely time to contemplate a long-overdue holiday somewhere else — anywhere else! Now relax, exhale, and take in our travel playlist.

Asia Tech News

Indonesian superapp maker GoTo attracts interest, and dollars, from Abu Dhabi

Homegrown (and growing) Vietnamese e-commerce startup Tiki is heading for a billion-dollar valuation and a US IPO

The winner is Sydney, as AirTrunk plans the biggest APAC data center outside China

Tencent under scrutiny again, as US national security committee wrestles with Sumo takeover

Walking the walk: Indian wealth management platform Groww grows valuation to $3bn

Markets Action

Revenge of the NerdWallet: IPO surges 91%

Rivian could now be worth up to $65bn — but Forbes contributor David Trainor is unimpressed

One person’s junk is another’s treasure. JP Morgan boss labels Bitcoin as “worthless” but that won’t stop the bank from facilitating investment by its clients

Not everyone is down on crypto. Elliptic raised $60mn from Wells Fargo Strategic Capital, Softbank, and others

Plenty of juice: Lime squeezes half a billion from investors as it gets ready for its IPO

An esport SPACtacular: Billion-dollar blitz as pioneer FazeClan plans to go public

Big Tech

OK, so what else can you do? Alphabet outperforms. Its stock is up 58% YTD

Microsoft just had its first-ever $20bn quarter

The winners (Google, Twitter) and losers (Facebook, Snap) from Apple’s privacy putsch

Singles Day, 2021 style: Alibaba reads the tealeaves and dials up the sustainability rhetoric

Profits down, but the Amazon juggernaut rolls on

Travel technology

Sizzling debut: Siteminder surges in early trading on its ASX debut

Fly me to the Moon: TripActions hits a stunning $7.5bn valuation

Crisis? What crisis? Airbnb posts its best-ever quarter

Travel won’t be the same in the future because the pandemic has sparked innovation

Time to wake up: Softbank bets on travel surge with Cloudbeds

Crazy brave, or just crazy? The Mach 5 passenger jet

Stuff We Found Interesting:

The new silicon-based revolution: A race is on to create the next generation of batteries

Space to grow: Building the world’s biggest out-of-this-world-factory

Great expectations: BNP Paribas breaks down COP 26

Distantly Emerging Tech — Metaverse Edition

It doesn’t exist, but is it about to change everything?

Facebook’s hate speech problem is hiding in plain site

MicroMeta: No sooner did Zuckerberg explain his metaverse than Microsoft flagged its own

North Ridge Partners: technology investment banking across the Asia Pacific

North Ridge Partners works with technology companies across the Asia Pacific to achieve transformational outcomes through providing strategic financial advice, advising on M&A transactions and raising capital. We’re experienced deal-makers who have built, run, and sold numerous technology companies.

Contact us here.

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