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By Nishang Narayan
Published on May 4, 2024
Sodexo, a global leader in food services and facilities management, has partnered with ART, a specialist in robotic technology, to launch an extensive network of robotic hot food kiosks across the United States. This initiative marks a significant advancement in the food service sector, leveraging cutting-edge technology to redefine convenience and quality in dining.
Starting March 26, 2024, the Just Baked Smart Bistro kiosks, developed by ART, will be available at various Sodexo-served client sites, including industries such as healthcare, education, and corporate settings. These state-of-the-art kiosks will offer an array of gourmet hot food options—from giant cinnamon rolls and White Castle Cheeseburger Slider 4-packs to bao buns and breakfast sandwiches—all prepared at the touch of a button.
Husein Kitabwalla, CEO of Tech & Services and Food Transformation at Sodexo North America, expressed his enthusiasm about the partnership, stating, "Our commitment to innovation is underscored by integrating ART’s Just Baked Technology into our services. This collaboration not only enhances our food offerings but also aligns with our goals of utilizing AI to push the boundaries of traditional food service."
Ben Porter, CEO of ART, highlighted the benefits of this collaboration, noting, "Partnering with Sodexo allows us to tap into a vast network of food service operations, bringing unparalleled convenience and sophisticated analytics that optimize operations and deliver exceptional food experiences around the clock."
The Just Baked Smart Bistro kiosks are designed with compact efficiency, offering a diverse menu that caters to various tastes and dietary preferences. By incorporating advanced analytics and machine learning, these kiosks streamline operations and ensure a consistent, high-quality dining experience for consumers.
This deployment is part of Sodexo's broader strategy to enhance its technological capabilities in food services, promising a new era of dining convenience that is accessible 24/7 across a wide range of venues, including colleges, hospitals, airports, and more.
For further details on the Just Baked Smart Bistro technology and to explore partnership opportunities, visit www.justbakedkiosk.com.
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Published on June 26, 2025
Vienna-based AI startup Chatlyn has raised €8 million in Series A funding, as it sets out to build what it calls the "AI brain for hotels"—a powerful communication and operations platform that is transforming how hotels engage with guests across every touchpoint. The round was led by Smedvig Ventures and saw participation from notable investors including AnyDesk founder Andreas Burike, Blaguss Group, and hospitality-focused angels. An innovation grant was also awarded by FFG, Austria's research and development agency.
Chatlyn’s platform is already used by over 1,000 properties across 30 countries, including luxury brands like St. Regis Mauritius, Singer Palace Rome, and InterContinental Vienna. The company recently opened a new Dubai office, strengthening its presence in the fast-growing Middle East market.
"We’re building an AI that understands hospitality like a concierge and never sleeps," said Nicolas Vorsteher, CEO & Co-founder, Chatlyn. "Our goal is to eliminate missed opportunities and bring back meaningful guest interactions—instantly, intelligently, and in over 35 languages."
Chatlyn tackles one of the hotel industry's biggest pain points: fragmented guest communication across multiple channels like WhatsApp, Booking.com, Airbnb, SMS, and email. This chaos leads to missed revenue, frustrated staff, and unhappy guests.
Chatlyn consolidates these platforms into a single AI-powered hub that doesn’t just automate responses—it learns the brand voice, understands context, and handles everything from booking inquiries to multilingual review replies.
AI Visual Webchat: Guests can book rooms via chat, see real-time prices, and complete reservations—all within a conversation.
98% Open Rates: WhatsApp-based messaging far outperforms traditional email marketing.
Full Channel Integration: Only platform that combines Airbnb, Booking messenger, social, email, SMS, and more.
Language Mastery: Real-time translation in 35+ languages, handling 70%+ of inquiries autonomously.
"Our AI assistant handles over 70% of queries in English, German, Arabic, and more—freeing our team to focus on delivering exceptional service," said Garry Loefgen, Head of Commercial at InterContinental Vienna.
"Chatlyn is poised to lead hospitality’s biggest transformation since online booking," said Freddie Kalfayan, Principal at Smedvig Ventures.
The new funds will be used to:
Develop AI Booking Assistant for seamless omnichannel bookings.
Expand into APAC, UAE, and wider Europe, cementing market leadership.
Double the AI and development team, enhancing both platform depth and consultative services for hotels.
"We’re not just automating—our AI anticipates needs and creates magical guest moments,” added Michael Urbanek, CTO & Co-founder.
Funding Raised: €8M Series A
Properties Served: 1,000+ in 30 countries
Founded: Late 2022
Top Integrations: Oracle Opera, Mews, Protel by Planet, Apaleo, Clock PMS
Recognition: World Travel Awards 2024 – Best Chatbot Solution Provider
Key Clients: The Royal Stable Dubai, InterContinental Vienna, Le Grand Bellevue Gstaad
Chatlyn’s momentum signals a new era of smart hospitality, where AI doesn’t replace staff—it empowers them to deliver faster, more meaningful guest experiences.
Published on June 23, 2025
Otelier, the hospitality data platform, has unveiled a revamped version of its budgeting and forecasting solution TruePlan, designed specifically for the hotel industry. With a refreshed user interface and enhanced functionality, the platform aims to help hotel operators replace cumbersome spreadsheets with a more streamlined and collaborative financial planning experience.
Developed in response to customer feedback, the new TruePlan supports real-time data sync, detailed forecasting, and rapid onboarding, enabling hotel finance teams to move “from data to decisions” faster than ever.
Russell Meek, Senior Director of Product Strategy at Otelier, shared, “Budgeting and forecasting should be powerful, not painful. We’ve rebuilt TruePlan to be faster, scalable, and aligned with the real-world needs of today’s hotel finance teams.”
The updated platform allows daily-level forecasting, bulk action tools, and pre-loaded financial drivers relevant to the hospitality industry. It also fosters cross-department collaboration, reducing revisions and delays, while enabling users to shorten budgeting cycles by up to 30%.
Key features include:
Modern user interface for intuitive use
Self-service onboarding
Built-in collaboration tools
Power BI integration for dynamic reporting
Integration with PMS, labour, BI, and accounting systems for live data planning
TruePlan is built on Otelier’s centralised integration framework, which ensures synchronised data flow across various hospitality tech solutions such as accounts payable automation, financial reconciliations, and night audit compliance.
This latest launch marks another step in Otelier’s mission to optimise hotel performance, following its strategic partnership with Repay Holdings last year to enhance payment and financial workflows across the industry.
With TruePlan, Otelier is not only improving financial forecasting but also redefining the way hoteliers collaborate and make critical planning decisions.
Published on June 16, 2025
Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) has made a powerful debut at VivaTech 2025, Europe’s premier startup and tech showcase, by leading a delegation of 18 of Hong Kong’s most promising innovators in AI, robotics, healthtech, greentech, and fintech.
The delegation was hosted at the Hong Kong Tech Pavilion, co-organised with Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), highlighting a unified effort to bridge the innovation ecosystems of Hong Kong and France.
This milestone participation marks HKSTP’s mission of taking home-grown talent global and bringing international opportunities back to Asia. VivaTech provided an ideal launchpad to form meaningful partnerships and adapt breakthrough technologies for evolving global markets.
Standout Innovations from Hong Kong at VivaTech 2025:
Ailytics: Winner of the EDF Startup Challenge and named among the Top 30 VivaTech Innovations, thanks to its AI-powered video analytics for safety and efficiency in heavy industries.
AQUMON and Midas Analytics: Nominated as Top 12 FinTech Trail for their advanced AI-driven data solutions.
Imsight, OKOsix, and Vismed: Finalists in the Tech for Change Award, recognized for innovative strides in cancer diagnostics, biomaterials, and medical training, respectively.
Strategic Partnerships Formed:
Westwell Technology partnered with Logicor, a leading European logistics provider, to co-host an innovation showcase on autonomous driving and green logistics in Paris.
PointFit announced a collaboration with Kinomap, a French indoor-training platform, bringing wearable fitness tech to Europe.
Adding to this momentum, HKSTP signed a partnership agreement with Startup Genome, further committing to global ecosystem building through cross-border networking and innovation-centric events.
Hilda Chan, Chief Marketing Officer at HKSTP, shared,
“Hong Kong’s innovation scene is ripe with global potential. With deep connectivity, globally fluent talent, and trusted systems, we’re enabling new tech frontiers to rise from Asia, and VivaTech is a key milestone in that journey.”
The delegation arrives at a time when both France and Hong Kong are stepping up as global I&T leaders—France through its AI unicorn ambitions, and Hong Kong as the 2nd most innovative economy globally, according to WIPO.
To continue this global engagement, HKSTP is hosting EPIC 2025—the Elevator Pitch Competition—in November in Hong Kong. With US$100 million in targeted investment funding, and over 600 applicants from 47 economies in previous years, the competition is open for entries till 17 June 2025: https://epic.hkstp.org
Founded in 2001, HKSTP has nurtured over 2,300 tech companies from 25+ countries, including 13 unicorns. It supports innovations across AI, healthtech, fintech, smart city, and more via its major hubs—Science Park, InnoCentre, and InnoParks in Hong Kong and its Shenzhen branch. With access to labs, funding, and global networks, HKSTP aims to anchor innovation as a pillar of Hong Kong’s economic future.
From Paris to Hong Kong, HKSTP is redefining how tech talent and ecosystems connect—and the world is watching.
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