Advertisement
International Property
Business

Sleeping pod, outdoor cabin start-up Bobobox, backed by Li Ka-shing, eyes capsule hotel business in Japan, glamping venture in US

  • Bobobox wants to deploy its sleeping pods and cabins in two of the world’s most developed lodging markets, says co-founder Antonius Bong
  • The company, founded in 2018, is backed by Horizon Ventures, the private investment firm of Hong Kong’s best-known tycoon

Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
Indonesia’s president. Joko Widodo, staying in a Bobocabin in IKN Nusantara last year. Photo: SCMP Handout
Cheryl Arcibal
Bobobox, Indonesia’s largest outdoor accommodation operator, is looking to expand into either Japan or the US this year, as it seeks to deploy its sleeping pods and cabins in two of the world’s most developed lodging markets, according to president and co-founder Antonius Bong.
Advertisement

The start-up, backed by Hong Kong-based Horizon Ventures, was founded in 2018 to provide accommodation to the budget segment and the solo female traveller category, Bong said. The business started with initial capital of 5 billion rupiah (US$320,280).

Horizon Ventures is the private investment firm of Li Ka-shing, Hong Kong’s wealthiest and most famous tycoon.
By the end of last year, Bobobox, which offers “Bobocabins” on campsites for groups and families interested in glamping – high-end camping – and its “Bobopod” for people wishing to travel on a tight budget, had 32 locations. Indonesia’s president, Joko Widodo, and a number of his officials stayed in Bobocabins in Ibu Kota Nusantara, the nation’s future capital, last year.

The Bobopod offers solo travellers accommodation akin to Japan’s famous capsule rooms. In particular it aims to serve the niche market of single female travellers looking for budget accommodation without sacrificing safety, convenience and hygiene.

03:28

Chinese couple ditch high rents to live in camper van

Chinese couple ditch high rents to live in camper van

“Our products are not just for the Indonesian market,” Bong said. “We see how the solutions can be replicated in many different parts of the world and so we are looking into international expansion as well and trying to attract international investors trying to expand to different regions and to see where the next footprint of Bobobox will be.”

Advertisement