Tired of queuing up during dining peak hours? Or breaking your patience with the annoying call waiting tone while hoping for the restaurant staff at other end to pick up the phone? TableApp is here to the rescue!
We wrote about TableApp a few months back, and now it has attained a whole new milestone of receiving RM250,000 in seed funding!
What Does TableApp Do?
TableApp help busy diners to make instant reservations at restaurants within Klang Valley, Malaysia. It is a simple app that operates 24 hours a day and 7 days a week (basically every second you breathe)!
This app is convenient as confirmation of booking is received instantly. Plus, it is free to make a reservation via the app (The best things are FREE!). TableApp enables users to browse restaurants based on location, date, and party size.
Lump Sum Of Funding
TableApp was able to gathered RM250,000 (approximately US$78,000) from Singapore-headquartered Crystal Horse Investments in seed funding recently. Angel investor, Hanson Toh, a former Google Malaysia employee, co-invested in this app as well.
The founder of TableApp, Benson Chang commented that the fund will be used to fuel its business development team and marketing initiatives.
He added that the funding will also be used in the expansion to Penang and Johor, while the founders will retain a “significant percentage” of equity in the company.
Crystal Horse CEO, Michiel Wind commented with excitement over the firm’s latest investment.
“TableApp is the leading restaurant reservation platform in the country and fits in very nicely with our Malaysian digital strategy,” he said in an interview with Digital News Asia (DNA).
Statistically Speaking
The app has had more than 15,000 downloads with its recently updated version for the iOS and Android compatibility.
TableApp has a record of more than 90 restaurants around the Klang Valley who has signed up and approximately 35% of active users are returning customers.
Wait, There Is More!
TableApp is going further and is becoming a Groupon Malaysia Restaurant Booking Partner. A reservation widget by the app sits on Groupon’s food deal page, with restaurants that have signed up with TableApp. Clicking on the deal will redirect the user to TableApp’s website, where the booking could be easily made.
TableApp is not settling! A partnership with Tourism Malaysia has also been establish where the TableApp widget is embedded in the ministry’s homepage. This is scheduled to go live in September.
Also read: Ride in style to your favourite restaurants at Bangser with Uber and TableApp
About The Founder
Chang founded the app with David Lin, a classmate of his from National Cheng Kung University in mid-2013. However, Lin then exited the startup and returned to Taiwan.
Chang expressed his gratitude to Cradle Coach & Grow Programme (CGP) as it provided him useful coaching and assistance in areas such as pitching and fundraising, the essential elements in his entrepreneurial journey.
“I managed to get an angel investor via the programme, and they [CGP coaches] also helped me to review shareholder agreements and provided advice when a company had previously expressed an interest in acquiring us,” he said.
Angel To The Rescue
Angel investor, Toh first encountered TableApp in August 2013 where he became a mentor with CGP and continued his involvement with the programme.
“Benson [Chang] and his team have worked hard to develop the technology and a business that has the potential to be very sustainable and scalable, and adds great value to all consumers and players within the food and beverage ecosystem. It’s an exciting investment for me,” he told DNA.
With the funding equipped, we hope the app will continue to be a success in other areas other than the Klang Valley. And now with just a click away, this amazing app provide diners with reservation convenience, making dining experience better than ever!
Also read: Groupon S’pre co-founders launch GoFresh, an online fresh meat and seafood delivery site!
