Kuxun

About Kuxun

Kuxun (kuxun.cn) was established in March 2006, originating from the domain kooxoo.com launched in late 2005. The company was founded by CEO Chen Hua, formerly with Microsoft, and COO Wu Shichun, who came from Baidu.com. Zhang Yiming, the founder of ByteDance, also had his first job at Kuxun. Chen Hua's background includes creating Skynet FTP during his time at Peking University and working on a community search project for Microsoft MSN. Kuxun is considered a notable company in China's internet history for the number of entrepreneurs who worked there.

Initially, Kuxun operated as a metasearch engine for train tickets. The business model underwent several transformations, first expanding into a general 'daily life' search platform for various categories like properties, cars, and employment, before ultimately focusing on travel search in June 2008. Within nine months of its launch, the company secured $12 million in venture capital through two funding rounds from investors including Ceyuan Ventures and Susquehanna Investment Group (SIG China). However, the shifting business strategies led to the departure of both founders in 2008. The company faced operational challenges, leading to staff reductions and the closure of its Shanghai office.

The business primarily functions as an online travel metasearch engine for the Chinese market. It allows users to compare prices for flights, hotels, and train travel from various sellers. Its service utilizes vertical search technology, data analysis, and smart recommendations to provide real-time travel information. In October 2009, Kuxun was acquired by TripAdvisor, an operating company of Expedia, Inc., as part of TripAdvisor's expansion into the Chinese market. Following the acquisition, Kuxun continued to operate as a standalone entity in Beijing. In 2015, TripAdvisor sold Kuxun to Meituan, a major Chinese e-commerce platform for local services, for a sum reported to be in the tens of millions of dollars. The acquisition was aimed at enhancing Meituan's capabilities in the hotel and tourism sectors by integrating Kuxun's technology and extensive travel database.