Prosus, Led By Koos Bekker Completes 1.7 Billion Acquisition Of Despegar

Prosus completed its 1.7 billion acquisition of Despegar, gaining Latin Americas largest online travel agency to bolster its digital lifestyle platform in the region.

The deal aligns with Prosuss strategic focus on high-growth sectors like travel, food, fintech, and classifieds across Latin America, India, and Europe.

Despegar brings strong profitability, processing over 9.5 million transactions annually and reporting 706 million in revenue and 116 million EBITDA in 2023.

Prosus N.V., the global consumer internet group led by South African billionaire Koos Bekker, has finalized its acquisition of Despegar, Latin Americas largest online travel agency, at a purchase price of 19.50 per share, to accelerate its lifestyle ecosystem strategy in the region.

The deal, first announced in Dec. 2024 , follows approval from Despegars board, shareholders, and all relevant regulatory bodies, marking a strategic expansion of Prosuss digital lifestyle ecosystem across Latin America. The transaction reinforces the groups ambition to deepen its presence in high-growth markets through targeted acquisitions.

With the completion of the transaction , Despegar joins a portfolio that includes leading regional players like iFood in food delivery, OLX Brazil in classifieds, Sympla in events and experiences, and Prosuss expanding fintech platform. Prosus intends to integrate Despegars travel platform with its broader ecosystem, enhancing customer convenience and unlocking new revenue streams.

This acquisition accelerates our vision to build the most dynamic lifestyle e-commerce ecosystems across Latin America, India, and Europe, said Fabricio Bloisi, CEO of Prosus Group. By adding Latin Americas top travel platform to our portfolio, we are redefining lifestyle e-commerce by creating experiences that dont just meet needs, but anticipate them.

Despegar, founded in Argentina in 1999, operates across 19 countries in Latin America and processes over 9.5 million transactions annually. In 2023, the company reported 5.3 billion in gross bookings, 706 million in revenue, and 116 million in EBITDA, underscoring its scale and profitability.