In a bid to create more meaningful travel experiences for customers through social media data, Travelstart, Kenya's leading online travel agency has acquired Satisfly, a Hong Kong-based social intelligence company. The acquisition will allow Travelstart capitalize on the data part of social media for travel marketing and sales.

Satisfly was launched in 2008 by Sergio Mello and Edoardo Serra. Mello now joins Travelstart in the dual position of Head of Innovation, while remaining CEO of Satisfly. The company which has been acquired for undisclosed amount will help travelstart create more meaningful experiences for their customers through social media data as they continue their expansion in African and Middle-Eastern markets.

Also, Satisfly will see Travelstart implement social login functionality on their websites (such as Facebook login), allowing them to gain valuable insights into the way customers interact with the site across various channels, as well as be more relevant with client-facing deals. In addition, Satisfly is currently rolling out mobile apps for the company.

Going forward, Travelstart will know where customers normally want to go even before they ask which will help the company make sense of the immense social data as well as giving the travel company the ability to cut through the clutter and provide them with personalized offers.

'Intelligent seating' a concept invented by Satisfly is a solution which pairs social data with airline seats    assignments which in this case will see Travel start capitalize on the data part of social media in addition to the direct marketing part of it.

Although fully-owned by Travelstart, the Satisfly brand will be retained and Satisfly management will remain independent. The company's research and development centre is based in Taiwan.