VIDEO: Investing.com sits with the CEO of $6 billion+ unicorn set to IPO this year

Investing.com -- In the second episode of our 'Fair Value Corner,' Investing.com's head of financial content, Thomas Monteiro, sat down with Jeff Kim, CEO of Yanolja Cloud, a thriving Korean unicorn startup estimated to be worth around $9 billion.

With the global travel technology company - backed by names such as Softbank (OTC:SFTBY) and Booking Holdings (NASDAQ:BKNG) - gearing up to become one of the largest IPOs of the year on the Nasdaq, Jeff and Thomas discussed market momentum after years of a long IPO winter.

Using premium data from InvestingPro - Now available for 50% off for limited time only as part of our Flash Sale - they also delved into key questions for both the travel and cloud industries, such as:

• What is the expected revenue growth rate for these industries going forward?
• When will the AI cycle reach its peak?
• What is happening with the industry's CapEx?

Check out the discussion in the video below, and be sure to share your comments and questions!

Summary of the Interview

Kim highlighted Yanolja Cloud's impressive year-over-year growth in 2024, with total transaction volume reaching over $18 billion. He emphasized the company's unique position in the travel industry, thanks to its comprehensive data from suppliers to consumers, which distinguishes it from other travel companies.

The CEO also discussed Yanolja Cloud's vision for the future, which includes developing travel-specific generative AI to streamline the traveler's experience and building fully autonomous operations for properties. These innovations aim to improve the quality of data and the overall travel experience.

Regarding the company's expansion, Kim credited aggressive global growth, including investments from Singapore Sovereign Fund GIC and Booking Holdings, as well as funding from the SoftBank (TYO:9984) Vision Fund, which helped Yanolja Cloud become a leading SaaS and connectivity service provider in Asia, particularly in India, and expand into Europe and the U.S.Kim also touched on Yanolja Cloud's profitability and its AI data services, which have seen significant revenue growth, from 14% in the first quarter of 2024 to 25% in the fourth quarter. He believes AI data services will drive the company's future growth.

While Yanolja Cloud has not yet gone public, Kim views an IPO as a means to further the company's vision and innovation. He stated that Yanolja Cloud is a profitable company that does not require additional funding for regular business operations but may consider it for strategic expansions or acquisitions.

Lastly, Kim discussed Yanolja Cloud's capital expenditure strategy, which benefits from the company's proprietary data and profitable AI data business, and its collaborations with leading generative AI companies. He also highlighted the importance of geographical positioning, with a significant portion of the company's business coming from Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas.

Yanolja Cloud's CEO concluded the interview by expressing his commitment to enhancing the global travel ecosystem through data and AI, emphasizing the travel industry's significant contribution to the global economy.

This article first appeared in Investing.com