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Squarespace Announces Second Quarter 2024 Financial Results

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NEW YORK, Aug. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Squarespace, Inc. (NYSE: SQSP), the design-driven platform helping entrepreneurs build brands and businesses online, today announced results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2024.

Second Quarter 2024 Financial Highlights

Total revenue grew 20% year over year to $296.8 million in the second quarter, compared with $247.5 million in the second quarter of 2023, and 20% in constant currency.Presence revenue grew 25% year over year to $215.4 million and 26% in constant currency.Commerce revenue grew 8% year over year to $81.4 million and 8% in constant currency.Net income totaled $6.1 million, compared with a net income of $3.7 million in the second quarter of 2023.Basic and diluted earnings per share was $0.04 and $0.03 for the second quarter of 2024 and 2023, respectively. Basic earnings per share was based upon 137,760,693 and 135,302,409 weighted average shares outstanding in the second quarter of 2024 and 2023, respectively. Diluted earnings per share was based upon 142,143,018 and 138,771,613 fully diluted weighted average shares outstanding in the second quarter of 2024 and 2023, respectively.Cash flow from operating activities increased 15% to $60.6 million for the three months ended June 30, 2024, compared with $52.5 million for the three months ended June 30, 2023.Cash and cash equivalents of $270.4 million; investments in marketable securities of $52.0 million; total debt of $545.0 million, of which $57.1 million is current, debt net of cash and investments totaled $222.6 million.Total bookings grew 25% year over year to $319.8 million in the second quarter, compared to $256.1 million in the second quarter of 2023.Unlevered free cash flow increased 19% to $65.4 million representing 22% of total revenue for the three months ended June 30, 2024, compared with $54.8 million for the three months ended June 30, 2023.Adjusted EBITDA decreased to $72.1 million in the second quarter, compared with $73.4 million in the second quarter of 2023.Total unique subscriptions increased 21% year over year to over 5.2 million in 2024, compared to 4.3 million in 2023.Average revenue per unique subscription (“ARPUS”) increased 3% year over year to $225.45 in 2024, compared to $219.42 in 2023.Annual run rate revenue (“ARRR”) grew 20% year over year to $1,179.5 million in 2024, compared to $983.3 million in 2023.

A reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures has been provided in the tables included in this press release. An explanation of these measures is also included below under the heading “Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”

Transaction with Permira

As announced on May 13, 2024, Squarespace entered into a definitive agreement to go private by Permira. In light of this transaction, Squarespace will not be hosting an earnings conference call or live webcast to discuss its second quarter 2024 financial results and Squarespace will not be providing guidance for the third quarter and is suspending its financial guidance for the full fiscal year 2024.

Transaction with American Express

As announced on June 21, 2024, Squarespace entered into an agreement to sell Tock, the reservation, table, and event management technology provider, to American Express (NYSE: AXP) for $400.0 million. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approval. Squarespace classified the assets and liabilities of the Tock business as held for sale, including certain cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash as of June 30, 2024.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Revenue growth in constant currency is being provided to increase transparency and align our disclosures with companies in our industry that receive material revenues from international sources. Revenue constant currency has been adjusted to exclude the effect of year-over-year changes in foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations. We believe providing this information better enables investors to understand our operating performance irrespective of currency fluctuations.

We calculate constant currency information by translating current period results from entities with foreign functional currencies using the comparable foreign currency exchange rates from the prior fiscal year. To calculate the effect of foreign currency translation, we apply the same weighted monthly average exchange rate as the comparative period. Our definition of constant currency may differ from other companies reporting similarly named measures, and these constant currency performance measures should be viewed in addition to, and not as a substitute for, our operating performance measures calculated in accordance with GAAP.

Adjusted EBITDA is a supplemental performance measure that our management uses to assess our operating performance. We calculate adjusted EBITDA as net income/(loss) excluding interest expense, other income/(loss), net (provision for)/benefit from income taxes, depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation expense and other items that we do not consider indicative of our ongoing operating performance.

Unlevered free cash flow is a supplemental liquidity measure that Squarespace’s management uses to evaluate its core operating business and its ability to meet its current and future financing and investing needs. Unlevered free cash flow is defined as cash flow from operating activities, including one-time expenses related to Squarespace’s direct listing, less cash paid for capital expenditures increased by cash paid for interest expense net of the associated tax benefit.

Adjusted EBITDA, unlevered free cash flow and revenue constant currency are not prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and have important limitations as an analytical tool. Non-GAAP financial measures are supplemental, should only be used in conjunction with results presented in accordance with GAAP and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for such GAAP results.

Further information on these non-GAAP items and reconciliation to their closest GAAP measure is provided below under, “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”

Definitions of Key Operating Metrics

On September 7, 2023, we closed an asset purchase agreement between us and Google LLC (“Google”) to acquire, among other things, Google’s domain assets (the “Google Domains Asset Acquisition”). Unique subscriptions and average revenue per unique subscription do not account for single domain subscriptions originally sold by Google as a part of the Google Domains Asset Acquisition (the “Acquired Domain Assets”).

Annual run rate revenue (“ARRR”). We calculate ARRR as the quarterly revenue from subscription fees and revenue generated in conjunction with associated fees (fees taken or assessed in conjunction with commerce transactions) in the last quarter of the period multiplied by 4. We believe that ARRR is a key indicator of our future revenue potential. However, ARRR should be viewed independently of revenue, and does not represent our GAAP revenue on an annualized basis, as it is an operating metric that can be impacted by subscription start and end dates and renewal rates. ARRR is not intended to be a replacement or forecast of revenue. ARRR for the three months ended June 30, 2023 has been recast to conform to the current period definition. Previously, ARRR was calculated using monthly revenue from subscription fees and revenue generated in conjunction with associated fees in the last month of the period multiplied by 12. We have since revised our calculation to use quarterly revenue from subscription fees and revenue generated in conjunction with associated fees in the last quarter of the period multiplied by 4 to normalize results for the run rate each quarter.

Unique subscriptions represent the number of unique sites, standalone scheduling subscriptions, Unfold (social) and hospitality subscriptions, as of the end of a period. A unique site represents a single subscription and/or group of related subscriptions, including a website subscription and/or a domain subscription, and other subscriptions related to a single website or domain. Every unique site contains at least one domain subscription or one website subscription. For instance, an active website subscription, a custom domain subscription and a Google Workspace subscription that represent services for a single website would count as one unique site, as all of these subscriptions work together and are in service of a single entity’s online presence. Unique subscriptions do not account for one-time purchases in Unfold or for hospitality services nor do they account for our Acquired Domain Assets. The total number of unique subscriptions is a key indicator of the scale of our business and is a critical factor in our ability to increase our revenue base.

Average revenue per unique subscription (“ARPUS”). We calculate ARPUS as the total revenue during the preceding 12-month period divided by the average of the number of total unique subscriptions at the beginning and end of the period. ARPUS does not account for Acquired Domain Assets or the revenue from Acquired Domain Assets. We believe ARPUS is a useful metric in evaluating our ability to sell higher-value plans and add-on subscriptions.

Total bookings represents cash receipts for all subscriptions purchased, as well as payments due under the terms of contractual agreements for obligations to be fulfilled. In the case of multi-year contracts, total bookings only includes one year of committed revenue.

Gross payment volume (“GPV”) represents the value of physical goods and services, including content, time sold, hospitality and events, net of refunds, on our platform over a given period of time. “Gross payment volume” or “GPV” was previously presented as “Gross merchandise value” or “GMV” in prior period disclosures. There were no revisions to the calculation of GPV as a result of this nomenclature change.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. The words “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “potential,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “could,” “would,” “project,” “plan,” “target,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s expectations, assumptions, and projections based on information available at the time the statements were made. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, including risks and uncertainties related to: Squarespace’s ability to consummate the take private transaction; Squarespace’s ability to attract and retain customers and expand their use of its platform; Squarespace’s ability to anticipate market needs and develop new solutions to meet those needs; Squarespace’s ability to improve and enhance the functionality, performance, reliability, design, security and scalability of its existing solutions; Squarespace’s ability to compete successfully in its industry against current and future competitors; Squarespace’s ability to manage growth and maintain demand for its solutions; Squarespace’s ability to protect and promote its brand; Squarespace’s ability to generate new customers through its marketing and selling activities; Squarespace’s ability to successfully identify, manage and integrate any existing and potential acquisitions or achieve the expected benefits of such acquisitions; Squarespace’s ability to hire, integrate and retain highly skilled personnel; Squarespace’s ability to adapt to and comply with existing and emerging regulatory developments, technological changes and cybersecurity needs; Squarespace’s compliance with privacy and data protection laws and regulations as well as contractual privacy and data protection obligations; Squarespace’s ability to establish and maintain intellectual property rights; Squarespace’s ability to manage expansion into international markets; and the expected timing, amount, and effect of Squarespace’s share repurchases. It is not possible for Squarespace’s management to predict all risks, nor can it assess the impact of all factors on its business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements Squarespace may make. In light of these risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, Squarespace’s actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. Further information on risks that could cause actual results to differ materially from forecasted results are included in Squarespace’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, Squarespace assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons if actual results differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements.

About Squarespace

Squarespace (NYSE: SQSP) is a design-driven platform helping entrepreneurs build brands and businesses online. We empower millions in more than 200 countries and territories with all the tools they need to create an online presence, build an audience, monetize, and scale their business. Our suite of products range from websites, domains, ecommerce, and marketing tools, as well as tools for scheduling with Acuity, creating and managing social media presence with Bio Sites and Unfold, and hospitality business management via Tock. For more information, visit www.squarespace.com.

Contacts

Investors
investors@squarespace.com 

Media
press@squarespace.com 

 

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

(unaudited)

Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2024

2023

2024

2023

Revenue

$               296,769

$               247,529

$               577,917

$               484,557

Cost of revenue (1)

82,939

43,167

163,713

86,117

Gross profit

213,830

204,362

414,204

398,440

Operating expenses:

Research and product development (1)

69,805

61,412

136,651

119,982

Marketing and sales (1)

88,282

75,373

205,815

177,045

General and administrative (1)

38,873

30,909

69,696

63,249

Total operating expenses

196,960

167,694

412,162

360,276

Operating income

16,870

36,668

2,042

38,164

Interest expense

(10,157)

(8,635)

(20,538)

(16,729)

Other income, net

4,454

2,038

9,031

1,198

Income/(loss) before (provision for)/benefit from income taxes

11,167

30,071

(9,465)

22,633

(Provision for)/benefit from income taxes

(5,034)

(26,411)

15,742

(18,471)

Net income

$                   6,133

$                   3,660

$                   6,277

$                   4,162

Net income per share, basic

$                     0.04

$                     0.03

$                     0.05

$                     0.03

Net income per share, diluted

$                     0.04

$                     0.03

$                     0.04

$                     0.03

Weighted-average shares used in computing net income per share,
basic

137,760,693

135,302,409

137,348,777

135,111,072

Weighted-average shares used in computing net income per share,
     diluted

142,143,018

138,771,613

141,419,521

138,013,454

(1) Includes stock-based compensation as follows:

Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2024

2023

2024

2023

Cost of revenue

$                   2,026

$                   1,549

$                   3,795

$                   2,601

Research and product development

19,025

15,650

34,675

26,337

Marketing and sales

3,590

3,045

6,801

4,916

General and administrative

8,157

9,235

15,694

17,751

Total stock-based compensation

$                 32,798

$                 29,479

$                 60,965

$                 51,605

 

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

(unaudited)

June 30, 2024

December 31, 2023

Assets

Current assets:

Cash and cash equivalents

$                270,363

$                257,702

Restricted cash

—

36,583

Investment in marketable securities

52,041

—

Accounts receivable

41,384

24,894

Due from vendors

—

6,089

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

83,016

48,947

Total current assets

446,804

374,215

Property and equipment, net

49,609

58,211

Operating lease right-of-use assets

61,016

77,764

Goodwill

196,522

210,438

Intangible assets, net

140,839

190,103

Other assets

11,560

11,028

Assets of business held for sale

94,529

—

Total assets

$             1,000,879

$                921,759

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Deficit

Current liabilities:

Accounts payable

$                  21,933

$                  12,863

Accrued liabilities

98,933

99,435

Deferred revenue

397,923

333,191

Funds payable to customers

—

42,672

Debt, current portion

57,140

48,977

Operating lease liabilities, current portion

11,281

12,640

Total current liabilities

587,210

549,778

Deferred income taxes, non-current portion

1,164

1,039

Debt, non-current portion

487,846

519,816

Operating lease liabilities, non-current portion

71,843

97,714

Other liabilities

18,940

13,764

Liabilities of business held for sale

76,745

—

Total liabilities

1,243,748

1,182,111

Commitments and contingencies

Stockholders’ deficit:

Class A common stock, par value of $0.0001; 1,000,000,000 shares authorized as of June 30, 2024
and December 31, 2023, respectively; 90,630,649 and 88,545,012 shares issued and outstanding as of June 30,
2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively

9

9

Class B common stock, par value of $0.0001; 100,000,000 shares authorized as of June 30, 2024 and
December 31, 2023, respectively; 47,844,755 shares issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2024 and
December 31, 2023, respectively

5

5

Class C common stock (authorized May 10, 2021), par value of $0.0001; 1,000,000,000 shares authorized
as of June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively; zero shares issued and outstanding as of June 30,
2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively

—

—

Additional paid in capital

936,277

924,634

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

(1,280)

(843)

Accumulated deficit

(1,177,880)

(1,184,157)

Total stockholders’ deficit

(242,869)

(260,352)

Total liabilities and stockholders’ deficit

$             1,000,879

$                921,759

 

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(in thousands)

(unaudited)

Six Months Ended June 30,

2024

2023

OPERATING ACTIVITIES:

Net income

$                   6,277

$                   4,162

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:

Depreciation and amortization

36,885

14,477

Stock-based compensation

60,965

51,605

Deferred income taxes

125

124

Non-cash lease income

(1,757)

(989)

Other

625

310

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

Accounts receivable and due from vendors

(15,697)

2,364

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

(35,545)

(1,480)

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

29,784

9,822

Deferred revenue

69,012

38,030

Funds payable to customers

(4,943)

(2,131)

Other operating assets and liabilities

117

408

Net cash provided by operating activities

145,848

116,702

INVESTING ACTIVITIES:

Proceeds from the sale and maturities of marketable securities

1,000

39,664

Purchases of marketable securities

(52,856)

(7,824)

Purchase of property and equipment

(6,074)

(7,167)

Net cash (used in)/provided by investing activities

(57,930)

24,673

FINANCING ACTIVITIES:

Principal payments on debt

(24,488)

(20,379)

Payments for repurchase and retirement of Class A common stock

(16,311)

(25,321)

Taxes paid related to net share settlement of equity awards

(37,640)

(20,318)

Proceeds from exercise of stock options

2,585

134

Net cash used in financing activities

(75,854)

(65,884)

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash

(513)

165

Increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, including cash classified as assets of business held for
sale

11,551

75,656

Less: Increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash classified as assets of business held for sale

(35,473)

—

Net (decrease)/increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash

(23,922)

75,656

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at the beginning of the period

294,285

232,620

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at the end of the period

$                270,363

$                308,276

Reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash:

Cash and cash equivalents

$                270,363

$                274,004

Restricted cash

—

34,272

Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at the end of the period

$                270,363

$                308,276

SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURE OF CASH FLOW

Cash paid during the year for interest

$                  19,883

$                  16,360

Cash paid during the year for income taxes, net of refunds

$                  31,231

$                  22,902

Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of operating lease liabilities

$                    8,124

$                    7,861

SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURE OF NON-CASH INVESTING AND FINANCE ACTIVITIES

Purchases of property and equipment included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities

$                       295

$                       196

Capitalized stock-based compensation

$                    1,404

$                    1,638

 

RECONCILIATIONS OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

(in thousands)

(unaudited)

 

The following tables reconcile each non-GAAP financial measure to its most directly comparable GAAP financial measure:

Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2024

2023

2024

2023

Net income

$                  6,133

$                 3,660

$                  6,277

$                  4,162

Interest expense

10,157

8,635

20,538

16,729

Provision for/(benefit from) income taxes

5,034

26,411

(15,742)

18,471

Depreciation and amortization

18,213

7,236

36,885

14,477

Stock-based compensation expense

32,798

29,479

60,965

51,605

Other income, net

(4,454)

(2,038)

(9,031)

(1,198)

Proposed merger costs

4,198

—

4,198

—

Adjusted EBITDA

$                72,079

$               73,383

$              104,090

$              104,246

Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2024

2023

2024

2023

Cash flows from operating activities

$               60,629

$               52,547

$              145,848

$              116,702

Cash paid for capital expenditures

(2,689)

(4,092)

(6,074)

(7,167)

Free cash flow

$               57,940

$               48,455

$              139,774

$              109,535

Cash paid for interest, net of the associated tax
benefit

7,480

6,310

14,968

12,326

Unlevered free cash flow

$               65,420

$               54,765

$              154,742

$              121,861

June 30, 2024

December 31, 2023

Total debt outstanding

$              544,986

$              568,793

Less: total cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities

322,404

257,702

Total net debt

$              222,582

$              311,091

Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2024

2023

2024

2023

Revenue, as reported

$             296,769

$             247,529

$             577,917

$             484,557

Revenue year-over-year growth rate, as reported

19.9 %

16.4 %

19.3 %

15.2 %

Effect of foreign currency translation ($)(1)

$                   (686)

$                    685

$                   (218)

$                (2,118)

Effect of foreign currency translation (%)(1)

(0.3) %

0.3 %

— %

(0.5) %

Revenue constant currency growth rate

20.2 %

16.1 %

19.3 %

15.7 %

Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2024

2023

2024

2023

Commerce revenue, as reported

$               81,396

$               75,455

$             161,660

$             148,092

Revenue year-over-year growth rate, as reported

7.9 %

14.0 %

9.2 %

13.9 %

Effect of foreign currency translation ($)(1)

$                   (107)

$                    119

$                     (29)

$                   (369)

Effect of foreign currency translation (%)(1)

(0.1) %

0.2 %

— %

(0.3) %

Commerce revenue constant currency growth rate

8.0 %

13.8 %

9.2 %

14.2 %

Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2024

2023

2024

2023

Presence revenue, as reported

$             215,373

$             172,074

$             416,257

$             336,465

Revenue year-over-year growth rate, as reported

25.2 %

17.4 %

23.7 %

15.8 %

Effect of foreign currency translation ($)(1)

$                   (579)

$                    565

$                   (188)

$                (1,749)

Effect of foreign currency translation (%)(1)

(0.3) %

0.4 %

(0.1) %

(0.6) %

Presence revenue constant currency growth rate

25.5 %

17.0 %

23.8 %

16.4 %

(1) To calculate the effect of foreign currency translation, we apply the same weighted monthly average exchange rate as the comparative period.

Amounts may not sum due to rounding.

 

SUMMARY OF SHARES OUTSTANDING

(unaudited)

Six Months Ended June 30,

2024

2023

Shares outstanding:

Class A common stock

90,630,649

87,723,667

Class B common stock

47,844,755

47,844,755

Class C common stock

0

0

Total shares outstanding

138,475,404

135,568,422

 

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS AND NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

(unaudited)

Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2024

2023

2024

2023

Unique subscriptions (in thousands) (1)

5,195

4,305

5,195

4,305

Total bookings (in thousands)

$                319,774

$                256,137

$                645,720

$                521,926

ARRR (in thousands) (2)

$             1,179,456

$                983,265

$             1,179,456

$                983,265

ARPUS (1)

$                  225.45

$                  219.42

$                  225.45

$                  219.42

Adjusted EBITDA (in thousands)

$                  72,079

$                  73,383

$                104,090

$                104,246

Unlevered free cash flow (in thousands)

$                  65,420

$                  54,765

$                154,742

$                121,861

GPV (in thousands) (3)

$             1,589,076

$             1,525,476

$             3,238,533

$             3,059,534

______________

(1)

Unique subscriptions and average revenue per unique subscription (“ARPUS”) do not account for single domain subscriptions originally sold by Google as a part of the Google Domains Asset Acquisition.

(2)

Annual run rate revenue (“ARRR”) for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023 has been recast to conform to the current period definition. Previously, ARRR was calculated using monthly revenue from subscription fees and revenue generated in conjunction with associated fees in the last month of the period multiplied by 12. We have since revised our calculation to use quarterly revenue from subscription fees and revenue generated in conjunction with associated fees in the last quarter of the period multiplied by 4 to normalize results for the run rate each quarter.

(3)

“Gross payment volume” or “GPV” was previously presented as “Gross merchandise value” or “GMV” in prior period disclosures. There were no revisions to the calculation of GPV as a result of this nomenclature change.

 

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Trip.com Turns Up the Savings this November with Mega Deals on Flights, Hotels and More in Australia

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From $29 domestic flights to half-price hotel deals, Trip.com’s November Mega Sale brings a month of travel bargains across 11.11 and Black Friday

SYDNEY, Nov. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — November isn’t just for shopping carts – it’s for packing suitcases for Christmas too! Trip.com is giving Aussie travellers plenty of reasons to plan their next getaway, with its Black Friday Mega Sale bringing together a line-up of travel deals across 11.11 and Black Friday.

From bargain airfares to hotel steals and discounted travel experiences, Trip.com is packing November with deals worth setting an alarm for. Kicking off the shopping festivities, the sale will feature two major flash sale days on 10 and 11 November, with domestic flights from just $29, Bali flights from $109, 4-star Bali hotels from $19 a night, and even $1 eSIMs. More deals will follow on 27 November for Black Friday.

Closer to home, travellers can also enjoy exclusive deals at the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary in Gold Coast, including $20 off Koala Connection Experiences and 50% off Astra Lumina tickets.

10 November: Flights Take Centre Stage

The savings take off on 10 November, with a series of limited-time flight offers dropping throughout the day.

Deals dropping at 12pm AEDT:

Deals

Offer

Domestic flights

From $29

International flights

Bali from $109Ho Chi Minh City from $149One-way flight to Guangzhou from $109 (exclusively with
China Southern Airlines)
One-way flights from Sydney or Melbourne to Shanghai or
Chengdu from $
189

New Zealand flights

Up to 10% off (capped at $85)

Flight promo codes

Up to 50% off (capped at $100)Up to 25% off (capped at $50) [Note: restricted to a
minimum of 2 passengers and return flights only]
Up to 15% off (capped at $25)

Airline coupons

Up to $200 off with participating airlines, including Jetstar, Virgin
Australia, Qantas, Sichuan Airlines, Fiji Airways, Singapore Airlines
and Philippine Airlines, and more

Australian airport promo codes

Up to $100 off for Perth Airport

Note: Flight offers are for eligible departures from Australian cities, subject to applicable terms and conditions.

More flight savings will be released later in the day:

2pm: 5% off flights promo codes (capped at $25)6pm: Tiered flight promo codes offering up to $100 off, depending on booking value

11 November: Hotels, Attractions and More Join the Sale

On 11 November, the spotlight shifts to accommodation and experiences, with savings on hotels in Australia and overseas, alongside attractions, transport and travel essentials.

Deals dropping at 12pm AEDT:

Deals

Offer

Hotel promo codes

Up to 50% off (capped at $100) and up to 15% off
(capped at $50) on all hotels

Australia and New Zealand hotels

Up to 25% off (capped at $50)

Japan hotels

Up to 20% off (capped at $50)

International hotel flash sales

5-star hotels in Bangkok from $49/night4-star hotels in Bali from $19/night4-star hotels in China from $79/night4-star hotels in Japan from $59/night4-star hotels in Melbourne from $89/night

Note: Hotel promo codes require a minimum two-night stay, while hotel flash sale prices are limited to a maximum of two nights per hotel per user, subject to availability.

More deals will drop at 2pm, including:

$1 eSIMs in a limited-time flash saleUniversal Studios Japan: Buy one, get one on selected 1-Day Pass offersShanghai Disneyland: Up to 50% off selected flash sale offersChina train tickets: Up to 90% off promo codesCar hire: Up to 50% off promo codesInternational and domestic hotels: 5% off promo code, capped at $15

At 6pm, tiered hotel promo codes offering up to $100 off eligible bookings will also be available.

27 November: Black Friday Brings Another Wave of Travel Deals

The November savings don’t end with 11.11. On 27 November, Trip.com will bring back popular deals, including domestic flights from $29, international flights to Bali from $109, Ho Chi Minh City from $149, alongside hotel promo codes of up to 50% off (capped at $100).

Travellers can also look forward to up to 50% off flight promo codes (capped at $100), up to $200 off airline coupons with participating carriers, $1 eSIMs, and discounts of up to 50% on car hire and up to 20% on airport transfers.

Family Fun with Exclusive Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary Deals

Trip.com has partnered with Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary – one of Gold Coast’s iconic attractions – to offer an exclusive $20 off Koala Connection Experiences, with admission and encounter tickets from $69 for children and $89 for adults. Visitors can explore a purpose-built koala habitat, learn about its koalas from a keeper and take home a memorable photo. Named among Trip.com’s 2026 Global 100 Family-Friendly Attractions, the sanctuary will also offer 50% off Astra Lumina tickets (including general admission) during the 11.11 and Black Friday sales, for visits up to 19 December 2026.

Terms and Conditions apply. All promotional offers are available on a first-come, first-served basis within the specified period and while stocks last. Please note that all deals are in AEDT time.

For more information, please visit https://au.trip.com/.

About Trip.com

Trip.com is an international one-stop travel service provider, available in 27 languages across 48 countries and regions in 44 local currencies. Offering an extensive hotel and flight network of more than 1.7 million hotels and flights from over 680 airlines, along with over 350,000 in-destination activities, Trip.com covers 3,500 airports in 220 countries and regions. Trip.com‘s world-class 24/7 multilingual customer service helps to ‘create the best travel experience’ for its millions of customers worldwide. To book your next trip, visit Trip.com.

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LG ELECTRONICS EARNS FIRST ASIL D PRODUCT CERTIFICATION FOR AUTOMOTIVE CENTRAL GATEWAY SYSTEM

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TÜV Rheinland’s First ASIL D Product Certification in the Central Gateway System Category Validates LG’s Functional Safety Capabilities

News Summary

LG Electronics has earned its first ISO 26262 ASIL D product certification for its automotive central gateway system. It is also the first ASIL D product certification TÜV Rheinland has issued in this category.The certification builds on LG’s ISO 26262 process certification in 2017 and ASIL B product certification in 2021, demonstrating the company’s ability to meet the highest functional safety requirements at the product level.The independent validation is expected to strengthen automakers’ confidence in LG and enhance its competitiveness in future vehicle platform programs, as the company extends its expertise to next-generation communication control systems, gateways and domain controllers.

SEOUL, South Korea, Nov. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — LG Electronics (LG) has earned its first ISO 26262 Automotive Safety Integrity Level D (ASIL D) product certification for its automotive central gateway system, developed as the central communication unit (CCU) 2.0 for the Genesis GV90. The certification, awarded by global testing and certification body TÜV Rheinland, is also the first ASIL D product certification the organization has issued in the automotive central gateway system category.*

Under ISO 26262, ASILs range from A to D based on the severity of potential harm, exposure to hazardous situations and controllability of the resulting risks. ASIL D, the highest level, requires the most stringent measures to prevent and mitigate safety-related failures. As part of the certification process, TÜV Rheinland comprehensively assessed LG’s development processes, design documentation and verification results, confirming the system’s compliance with applicable ASIL D requirements.

From Certified Processes to ASIL D-Certified Products

The certification is the latest step in LG’s efforts to advance its functional safety capabilities. The company obtained ISO 26262 process certification for its automotive development framework in 2017, followed by ASIL B product certification for its advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) front camera module in 2021. Achieving ASIL D at the product level demonstrates LG’s ability to apply the highest functional safety requirements across the design, implementation and verification of an automotive product.

For global automakers, this independent, product-level validation offers further assurance of LG’s ability to deliver safety-critical automotive systems. It is also expected to enhance the company’s competitiveness in future vehicle platform programs.

Functional Safety Embedded in System Operations

LG’s central gateway system serves as the hub for vehicle communications, connecting electronic control units (ECUs) and managing data exchange across in-vehicle and external networks. When routing data over controller area network (CAN) and Ethernet interfaces, the system is designed to accurately transmit safety-related messages, detect routing malfunctions and relay relevant fault information to other ECUs.

The system also incorporates functional safety measures for over-the-air (OTA) software updates. These measures help prevent unintended updates and maintain safe control of vehicle start-up during updates and rollbacks. In addition, the system supports connected car services, features on demand and system diagnostics, along with cybersecurity functions such as intrusion monitoring and certificate-based authentication.

Strengthening Competitiveness for Future AIDV Platforms

As the automotive industry transitions toward AI-defined vehicles (AIDVs), central gateway systems are taking on a larger role. They manage communications across vehicle networks, enable OTA updates and support connected services, which makes functional safety increasingly critical.

The expertise LG gained through this project is applicable to other safety-critical automotive systems. That expertise spans functional safety development processes, design and verification methodologies, and certification. These capabilities lay the groundwork for LG to develop a broader range of automotive components, including next-generation communication control systems, gateways and domain controllers.

“Earning our first ASIL D product certification is a significant milestone for LG,” said Lee Sang-yong, head of the VS R&D Laboratory at the LG Vehicle Solution Company. “It reflects our progress from establishing certified functional safety processes to implementing and verifying the highest-level safety requirements in an automotive product. We will build on this accomplishment to strengthen automakers’ confidence in LG and advance next-generation solutions for the AIDV era.”

* Based on TÜV Rheinland’s certification records as of November 2026

 

# # #

About LG Electronics Vehicle Solution Company

The LG Vehicle Solution Company (VS) is bringing LG’s unique mobility innovations to the automotive industry. As a trusted and innovative partner, the company provides intelligent solutions including head units, displays, connectivity, ADAS vision systems, and software solutions integrating human-centered AI and automotive engineering into the modern AI/software-defined vehicle. Committed to “Driving better future mobility,” the company has diversified its portfolio to further strengthen its capabilities, including automotive lighting systems, e-powertrain and cybersecurity. For more information, visit www.LG.com/global/mobility. To stay updated with the latest news, subscribe to the LG mobility newsletter, LG Loop at www.LG.com/global/mobility/newsletter and follow the LG VS Company LinkedIn channel at www.linkedin.com/company/lgvehiclesolution.

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Global Validation First: How CrossHub Is Building Trust to Scale Overseas

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SEOUL, South Korea, Nov. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — For startups entering foreign markets, proving their technology and turning it into real business is an uphill battle. They must navigate local regulations, understand market demand and win the trust of companies wary of adopting new technology. CrossHub, a developer of identity verification and payment solutions, is tackling these hurdles by running proofs of concept (PoCs) with overseas partners, building a track record, and converting those references into field deployments and partnerships with financial institutions.

A voice authentication pilot in Singapore’s healthcare sector shows how CrossHub is testing the real-world potential of its technology abroad. This year, the company signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with Singapore’s National Healthcare Group Diagnostics (NHGD) and is currently running a PoC. Last month, it completed an on-site demonstration ahead of the service launch.

In Singapore, patients must state their name and address by voice before seeing a doctor. Until now, staff have manually checked whether the information matched the patient. CrossHub is addressing this with V-Pay, a voice authentication solution that analyzes a speaker’s voice to confirm their identity.

“If this moves to a full contract, we’ll have the opportunity to use voice data from northern Singapore,” said Kim Dong-ju, team lead at CrossHub. “We believe the technology can be applied not only to healthcare but to other industries as well.”

CrossHub is investing heavily in overseas pilots because earning the trust of adopting companies matters as much as technical performance. Businesses considering identity verification technology need proven cases that demonstrate not only accuracy and convenience but also security and data protection. In tightly regulated industries such as finance, a startup’s pitch alone rarely leads to adoption.

“Startups offer innovative technology, but traditional industries are reluctant to adopt it,” Kim explained. “They demand safety and references, so we decided to solve that problem overseas first.”

CrossHub has validated its technology through a range of PoCs with partners including French security firm Thales. Building on that, it has begun collaborating with Korean financial institutions such as Woori Bank, Samsung Card, Woori Card and Hana Bank—leveraging its overseas track record as a foundation for partnerships at home.

The company was born out of the frustrations foreign tourists face with Korea’s digital services. Many major Korean apps require mobile phone-based identity verification, making it difficult for short-term visitors without a Korean phone number to use services such as Kakao T or Baemin. CrossHub set out to solve this by developing passport-based identity verification.

Its core technologies are self-sovereign identity (SSI) and zero-knowledge proofs (ZKP). SSI lets users manage their own identity rather than having personal data stored by individual services, while ZKP allows users to prove a necessary fact without disclosing the underlying personal information. CrossHub combines the two to verify identity while minimizing the storage and exposure of personal data.

The company is now expanding from identity verification into payments and remittances. Travel Pass, an integrated payment and travel platform for foreign visitors to Korea, is being developed with Woori Bank. It aims to help tourists pay for goods and access transportation and tourism services in Korea. In September, CrossHub broadened the service’s reach by signing an integration and sales agreement for transportation and tourism products with Japanese travel platform Linktivity.

CrossHub is also exploring opportunities in cross-border remittance. Under a project commissioned by the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA), it is developing a stable-token remittance solution based on cross-border API connections, with plans to link Korean and Vietnamese banks.

Kim expects blockchain to become less of a standalone industry and more of a foundational technology that enhances fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), quantum technology and AI agents. Beyond technical maturity, he stressed, what matters is securing services and markets that users find easy to adopt.

CrossHub tailors its approach to each overseas market. Japan’s regulatory environment resembles Korea’s, but market entry and building trust take time. Singapore, with its advanced financial services and relatively active collaboration between startups and corporates, is being positioned as a hub for pilots and commercialization. The company plans to expand technology validated in Singapore into Europe and North America, with North America as its long-term target market.

Product development continues on an annual cycle. CrossHub launched its identity verification solution IDBlock in 2024, followed by the payment solution B-Pay in 2025. This year it introduced V-Pay, featuring voice authentication, and it is developing another product slated for release in 2027. The company accumulates technology from identity verification to payments and voice authentication, then turns it into real business.

CrossHub has also broadened its investor base. In 2025, it raised funding from four accelerators, and all four returned as follow-on investors in its recently closed round. Two banks and a government institution also participated.

Support from SVC has aided its global expansion. CrossHub uses SVC as a base for Travel Pass, one of its flagship services. Located near Hongdae, the space allows the team to engage directly with tourists and better understand the needs of foreign visitors to Seoul. Networking through support programs, along with meeting rooms, conference spaces and other facilities, has also helped drive the business forward.

“Since moving into SVC, our global networking has grown, expanding our reach from about 20 countries last year to about 40 this year,” Kim said. “The diverse networks and support programs have helped us scale the business.”

CrossHub plans to convert the partnerships and validation cases it has secured abroad into actual contracts and service operations, and then extend them to other countries and industries. “Our strength is that we build up and expand our technology every year and commercialize it,” Kim said. “We aim to grow into a technology-driven fintech company.”

The company is also a resident of SVC Seoul, a global startup hub in Seoul’s Hongdae area. The hub was established to connect startups with strong overseas growth potential to companies, universities, and investors in Korea and abroad.

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SOURCE CROSSHUB

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