Hotel tech startup gets $1M to develop contactless communication tools

Akia, a hotel technology startup founded by a team of ex-Facebook engineers, has received $1 million in funding from GSR Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm.

Founded in 2018, Akia provides an artificial intelligence-enabled platform that enables hotels to provide guests with contactless options for check-in, communication and on-property requests.

Customers include Hyatt, Marriott, Best Western, NoMad, Ritz-Carlton Club & Residences and several luxury boutique hotels. The company says its customers report up to 72% of guests engage with staff via text and 84% of those guests opt to check-in via text messaging.

“Akia’s messaging platform helps hotels provide superior service, collect guest feedback and streamline operations,” says Evan Chen, CEO of Akia.

“In the wake of COVID-19, hotels are accelerating adoption to engage guests in a contactless manner, which helps to ensure the continued safety of both guests and staff."

According to Chen, a 500-room property could free up approximately 200 hours of staff time per month that can be redirected toward providing better service.

“Offline businesses historically lacked ways to continually engage customers. With Akia, hotels can now start an evergreen conversation with guests before check-in that lasts until well after check-out, transforming the business-to-consumer relationship from a single engagement to a continuous one,” says Yuechen Zhao, partner at GSR Ventures.

“Today, Akia is playing an important role in helping hotels reopen safely. Looking forward, the platform will dramatically shift how businesses view their relationship with customers."