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.
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“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."