WisePass is a technology company.
WisePass has raised $150K across 1 funding round.
WisePass has raised $150K in total across 1 funding round.
WisePass has raised $150K in total across 1 funding round.
WisePass's investors include Ascend Vietnam Ventures.
WisePass is a Vietnam-based technology company founded in 2014 that operates a B2B SaaS marketing platform for F&B brands in the HORECA (hotels, restaurants, cafes) sector, combined with a consumer-facing lifestyle membership app.[1][2][3] The app enables subscribers to access daily perks like free bottles of wine, meals, coffee, haircuts, movie tickets, and events for a flat monthly fee starting at around $8–$300, depending on the plan, while brands use the platform—with supporting hardware—to connect with consumers, collect data, and drive digital transformation in marketing.[1][2][7] It serves affluent consumers seeking lifestyle conveniences and F&B brands aiming to boost engagement, solving the problem of fragmented perks and loyalty programs by offering broad, subscription-based access across hospitality and services in a booming market.[2][3]
The company has achieved product-market fit in Vietnam and expanded to Southeast Asia (Philippines, Thailand), with investors including Vietnam Innovative Startup Accelerator, Expara Ventures, and 500 Startups, plus funding from Shark Tank Vietnam.[1][2]
WisePass was co-founded in 2014 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, by Lam Tran (CEO), who identified a market gap in Vietnam's rapidly growing F&B and hospitality sectors—valued at over $90 million in 2017 and projected to nearly double—and Aymeric Matencio (CFO), with a background in finance from Rotterdam School of Management and prior experience at Vice's O2O mobile marketing platform.[1][2] Lam Tran, through his entrepreneurial ventures like LAM TRAN PARTNERS, envisioned a subscription model beyond single-category discounts (e.g., movies or transport), launching an app that lets casual drinkers redeem a free bottle nightly at eligible bars for ~$250/month, evolving into broader lifestyle perks.[1][2][7]
Early traction came via the Vietnam Innovative Startup Accelerator (VIISA Batch 7), leading to partnerships with Expara Ventures and 500 Startups.[1] A pivotal moment was Shark Tank funding, fueling tech rebuilds with partners like Conceptual Studio and regional expansion plans.[2]
WisePass rides the subscription economy wave in Southeast Asia's exploding F&B and hospitality markets, fueled by rising affluence, foreign investment, and digital adoption post-2017 growth surges.[2] Timing aligns with Vietnam's startup boom and regional HORECA digitization, where fragmented loyalty programs create demand for unified platforms amid e-commerce and O2O trends.[1][2] Market forces like Vietnam's near-doubling F&B revenue and SEA's urban consumer shift favor data-rich apps that bridge brands and users, positioning WisePass to influence ecosystem personalization—much like how subscription boxes disrupted retail—by enabling brands to leverage consumption data for precise marketing.[1][2]
WisePass is poised for aggressive expansion, targeting 1,000 subscribers across Southeast Asia in 12 months and 10 countries (e.g., Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea; plus Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia) within two years, leveraging Shark Tank capital for tech enhancements like app rebuilds.[2] Trends like AI-driven personalization, facial recognition redemptions, and SEA's hospitality rebound will shape growth, potentially amplifying its role as a data hub for F&B digital transformation.[1][2] Influence may evolve from Vietnam niche player to regional lifestyle staple, if it sustains product-market fit amid competition—echoing its origin as a bar-drink disruptor now scaling broad consumer perks.[2][7]
WisePass has raised $150K across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $150K Seed in May 2018.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 1, 2018 | $150K Seed | Ascend Vietnam Ventures |