ETH Zurich spinout GetYourGuide secured $484m in a round led by SoftBank Vision Fund that took its total funding past $650m.

GetYourGuide, a Germany-based travel activity booking platform spun out of ETH Zurich, raised $484m in series E funding on Thursday led by Vision Fund, managed by telecoms conglomerate SoftBank.
The round also featured Swisscanto Invest, an asset management subsidiary of financial services firm Zürcher Kantonalbank, as well as Temasek, Lakestar, Korelya Capital and Heartcore Capital.
The round boosted the spinout’s overall funding to $655m and valued it at $2bn, making it ETH’s first spinout to attain unicorn status.
Founded in 2009, GetYourGuide runs an online platform where tourists can book tours and other attractions in destinations spanning 170 countries.
The spinout plans to channel the funding into growing its range of available tours, improving the platform’s search and booking capabilities and extending its marketing activities.
Ted Fike, a partner at SoftBank Investment Advisers, which manages Vision Fund, will join the board of directors at GetYourGuide.
The spinout had received $50m in a 2015 series C round led by KKR and backed by Nokia Growth Partners, the subsidiary of communications technology provider Nokia that was later spun off as NGP Capital, as well as Spark Capital, Highland Capital Partners and Heartcore (then known as Sunstone Capital).
Battery Ventures led GetYourGuide’s $75m series D round in late 2017, investing together with Nokia Growth Partners,  KKR, Spark Capital, Highland Europe and Sunstone Capital.
Fike said: “Consumers, especially millennials, are spending an increasing portion of their disposable income on travel experiences. We believe GetYourGuide is leading this seismic shift by consolidating the fragmented global supply base of tour operators and modernising access for travellers globally.
“This combination creates powerful network effects for their business that is fueling their strong growth. We are excited to partner with their passionate and talented leadership team.”
– A version of this article first appeared on our sister site, Global Corporate Venturing.