AirAsia, Scottish firm in data analytics JV

PETALING JAYA: AirAsia Bhd’s data science unit MadCience Consulting Sdn Bhd has entered into an agreement with Scotland’s Big Data For Humans Ltd (Bd4h) to set up a data analytics joint venture (JV) in Asia Pacific.

The JV will be responsible for building a software-as-a-service business in the region, with its first client being AirAsia. It will be operated through Big Data For Humans APAC Ltd (Bd4h APAC), which is expected to commence operations in the fourth quarter of this year.
The Bd4h data science platform will be able to automate insights and generate action plans in real-time to provide AirAsia guests with the best offers based on their preferences across all channels.
MadCience Consulting also subscribed to one million unsecured convertible loan notes issued by Bd4h for £1 million (RM5.36million), of which £500,000 will be used to finance the JV.
“I am excited by the possibilities offered by data analytics to grow AirAsia’s business, especially in ancillary. These are exciting times. Data is king and we look forward to working together with Big Data For Humans to unlock the value in our customer database as we bring AirAsia even closer to becoming a digital company,” AirAsia Group CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said in a statement last Friday.
“We will work closely with AirAsia to serve up the right deal to the right guest at the right time. Asia is a huge market that’s just beginning to realise the power of data science, which presents clear opportunities for us going forward as we build our business in the region beyond AirAsia,” said Bd4h founder and CEO Peter Ellen.