Latest news with #CanaryTechnologies
Skift
3 days ago
- Business
- Skift
Canary Technologies Founders: What's Next After Raising $80 Million for Hotel Tech
Funding has been tight for travel tech startups, but Canary Technologies hasn't had much trouble. Venture capital funding has been a struggle for tech startups this year, but not for Canary Technologies. The hotel tech company says it wasn't actively fundraising when Brighton Park Capital approached the founders about a deal. 'We hadn't actually burned through almost any of the capital that we had raised on our last round. But the opportunity emerged,' said Canary CEO Harman Singh Narula. 'There was the right kind of investor with the right vision … so it made sense for us to move forward.' Canary recently closed a series D round of $80 million at a valuation of $600 million. Insight Partners led the company's last two rounds, all with continued investments from F-Prime Capital, Thayer Ventures, Y-Combinator, and Commerce Ventures. The platform by San Francisco-based Canary includes products for mobile check-in and checkout, upselling, guest messaging, and digital tipping. It's a type of add-on tech often integrated into a hotel's property management system. And it's an area with many startups and small companies, but few have raised this level of capital. Canary said its tech supports more than 20,000 hotels for clients including Best Western, Aimbridge Hospitality, Marriott, Wyndham, TUI Hotels & Resorts, and others. Canary has doubled revenue every year for the past few years, Narula said. There are nearly 300 employees, and the company is hiring across departments. Skift spoke with Narula and SJ Sawhney, president and co-founder, about what comes next. Doubling Down on AI Canary has released a few products powered by generative AI, meant to streamline repetitive tasks and free hotel staff. The company last year added a generative AI chatbot for guest messaging, which is meant to answer specific property questions and sell add-ons like late check-out, without input from front desk staff. A new AI voicebot product is meant to triage guest phone calls. And there's a new AI chatbot for hotel websites to drive direct bookings. The company uses multiple AI models to power its software, layering its own tech and data on top. 'It is answering 80% of guest messages. It is creating content that they don't have to come up with and write. It is, on a daily basis, making a real impact — that they're paying for,' Sawhney said. Industry leaders have said that they've found the most use for AI in operational tasks, while products in other areas have struggled to take off. Marriott, for example, is developing an AI tool to automate the tedious task for room assignment. And Hilton is exploring how to use AI to flag guests that may want room upgrades. A New Hotel Tech System Canary's founders want hoteliers to see the emerging guest management system – 'GMS' in the industry – as a piece of tech that they can't go without, taking a similar trajectory as the reservation management system. 'I think the GMS is certainly a category that — we're hearing a lot from hoteliers — has been this part of the tech stack that has come into focus,' Narula said. Hotels in North America have led adoption, and now the company wants to continue expanding globally. 'We're also seeing globally, a lot of what we think of as mid-market type brands portfolios really stepping up and having a lot of demand around this as well,' Narula said. The company has made an effort over the past year to localize its service in different geographic markets. In France, for example, the dashboard is in French and customer service representatives speak French. 'The investment last year was a big catalyst for all of our localization efforts to achieve that goal,' Sawhney said. Canary has predominantly grown organically, not via M&A, but Narula said that could change. 'There may be some opportunities that emerge that might make sense — where it helps service or provide specific needs to our customers — where we can help fill those gaps,' Narula said.
Skift
6 days ago
- Business
- Skift
Lodging Tech and Jet Fuel: Travel Startups Raise $560 Million
Funding has been slow this year, but B2B travel tech startups are still leading the way these days. Travel Startup Funding This Week Each week we round up jd@ if you have funding news. Each week we round up travel startups that have recently received or announced funding . Please email Travel Tech Reporter Justin Dawes atif you have funding news. Business-to-business tech platforms are still leading the way in terms of travel startup funding. As Skift has reported, that's where the money is: Platforms that promise to modernize travel sectors that have aging tech. Funding has been slow this year, but it picked up slightly in recent weeks with three significant raises in the B2B category for hotels and vacation rentals. Hotel tech company Canary Technologies just raised $80 million, one of the largest rounds of the year for a travel software company. Holidu and Wander, both offering operations management tech for vacation rentals, each raised around $50 million. Kolet, an eSIM app that raised $10 million, also promotes its B2B offering for travel companies. It's likely a more significant revenue driver compared to individual consumer sales. SkyNRG, a renewable jet fuel producer, had the biggest raise, $285.7 million, for any travel startup so far this year. Companies of that type follow a different set of funding rules compared to software startups, which often have to prove a strong business model to raise that level. Renewable jet fuel companies need a lot of money to develop their tech in line with the airline industry's zero-carbon goal by 2050. Seven travel startups announced raises totaling over $560 million in the last four weeks. SkyNRG: $346.8 Million SkyNRG, which produces and distributes renewable jet fuel, has raised $346.8 million (€300 million). Pension management company APG committed $285.7 million (€250 million) to the round on behalf of ABP, a pension fund in the Netherlands. The other ($57.1 million) €50 million comes from Macquarie Asset Management, which led SkyNRG's $191 million round in 2023. Amsterdam-based SkyNRG says it sources the feedstocks used to make sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The company produces SAF in its plants and then distributes it to airline clients. SkyNRG says it has supplied SAF to more than 50 airlines worldwide. The company has facilities in Washington state, Sweden, and the Netherlands. The company plans to use the funding to help construct facilities in the Netherlands, Sweden, and the U.S. It will also support research and development, advisory services, and client projects. Canary Technologies: $80 Million Canary Technologies, a platform for hotel guest management, has raised $80 million in series D funding. Brighton Park Capital led the round, with support from Insight Partners, F-Prime Capital, Thayer Ventures, Y-Combinator, and Commerce Ventures. Canary said that the latest round brings its valuation to about $600 million. The company raised $50 million in June 2024. The platform by San Francisco-based Canary includes products for mobile check-in and checkout, upselling, guest messaging, and digital tipping. Canary last year added a generative AI chatbot for guest messaging, which is meant to answer specific property questions and sell add-ons like late check-out, without disrupting front desk staff. The company has since released an AI voicebot product to handle guest phone calls, as well as an AI chatbot for hotel websites, meant to drive direct bookings. The company said its tech supports more than 20,000 hotels for clients including Best Western, Aimbridge Hospitality, Marriott, Wyndham, TUI Hotels & Resorts, and others. The funding will go toward strengthening its products and expanding business. Holidu: $52.8 Million Holidu, a vacation rental management platform, has raised $52.8 million (€46 million). Key1 Capital led the round, with support from Vintage Investment Partners, Prime Ventures, 83North, and others. The tech by Germany-based Holidu primarily targets hosts who own one property. Holidu now manages nearly 50,000 properties, which drives 70% of the company's revenue. The company said that the number of properties has tripled, and revenue from that business has grown 3.5 times, since it raised $102 million of debt and equity in 2022. Holidu also owns Bookiply, which helps owners generate more bookings. The funding will go toward accelerating AI integration, expanding the property management business, and moving into new geographic markets. The company said its first AI chatbot for guests 'reduced simple support tickets by 70% and complex ones by 30%.' The company also said it acquired Cybevasion, operator of French vacation rental booking sites and Their more than 35,000 properties now have access to Holidu's tech. Cybevasion employees will be integrated into the Holidu organization. Jean-Louis Desouche, founder of Cybevasion, will stay on to lead the business. This is Holidu's eighth acquisition, which it said is part of a strategy for 'bolt-on growth across Europe.' Wander: $50 Million Wander, a property management platform for luxury short-term rentals, has raised $50 million in series B funding. QED and Fifth Wall led the round, with support from Redpoint, Uncork, Starwood, Authentic, Breyer, Alumni, Hakluyt, Activant, Soma, and others. The company last raised a $20 million series A round in 2022. San Francisco-based Wander says its AI-powered operating system manages a variety of tasks for short-term rental logistics and guest needs. That includes listing creation, maintenance coordination, guest communication, check-in, and more. 'Wander is on track to automate 95% of operational tasks within the next 18 months,' the company said. Wander also has a booking platform for travelers. Wander said that more than 1,000 homes use the service. As of the second quarter of 2025, the company has logged more than 35,000 nights booked and a repeat customer booking rate of 27%. Wander says it focuses on recruiting the top 5% of properties, those that already drive 30% of the industry's revenue. The company looks for properties that include amenities like WiFi, gyms, pools, and saunas. It estimates that there are more than 300,000 potential clients worldwide. The funding will go toward expanding into new markets, strengthening the tech system, and building the brand. Qashio: $19.8 Million Qashio, an expense management platform, has raised $19.8 million in equity and debt. Rocketship VC led the round, with participation from MoreThan Capital, regional banks, and family offices. Dubai-based Qashio says its expensive management products and services include corporate cards, custom approvals based on client policies, reimbursement, AI-powered receipt matching, analytics, and more. The company also offers a loyalty program, enabling users to earn air miles and hotel points. Partners on the loyalty program include Emirates, Air France, KLM, Avios (British Airways, Iberia, Finnair), Jumeirah One, Accor, and IHG Hotels & Resorts. The company said that it generated $1.2 million in profit in the first quarter of 2025. Its revenue has grown over 800% year-over-year for three consecutive years, the company said. The funding will go toward expansion in Saudi Arabia. Kolet: $10 Million Kolet, an eSIM app, has raised $10 million in series A funding. Daphni led the round, with support from former Expedia CEO Peter Kern and Jon Gieselman, chief growth officer for Comcast and former exec for Apple and Expedia. The round includes €1 million in non-dilutive funding from investment bank Bpifrance. Kern and Gieselman are joining the board, along with Certares managing director Philippe Chérèque. The company last year raised €5 million in seed funding. Besides the consumer product, Paris-based Kolet provides the eSIM app as a product that travel companies can offer to customers. Clients include Air France-KLM, Evaneos, Exoticca, and Wego. Kolet says the app includes 'instant' eSIM activation and the ability to use unused data on a future trip. Pricing starts at €3.99 for one gigabyte. The company said it has gained more than 300,000 users since it launched a year ago, and it's on track to reach 1 million users by the end of the year. The funding will go toward strengthening the mobile app, simplifying the installation experience, and hiring. Truely: $2 Million Truely, an eSIM app, has raised $2 million. Investors included DG Daiwa Ventures, Goodwater Capital, Beenext. The company last raised $3.5 million in 2024. Singapore-based Truely says users download only one eSIM, eliminating the need to download new eSIMs for different countries or regions. The service is usable in more than 190 countries, the company said. The pricing for most countries starts at $2.50 per day when purchasing 30 days, according to the website. The fewer days the user purchases at one time, the higher the daily price. The highest daily price for the U.S. is $5.52, while the lowest is $2.50. The funding will go toward network scaling for lower latency, localized pricing and payments, and new tools for business travelers. Travaras: $1.5 Million Travaras, an experience booking marketplace focused on sustainable tourism, has raised $1.5 million in a pre-seed round. The funding comes from Techstars following the startup's completion of its accelerator program. San Francisco-based Travaras says it curates ticketed experiences based on a proprietary ranking system. All the experiences at this point are based on four Hawaii islands. The funding will go toward strengthening the tech and user experience, along with marketing. The Tarzan Way: $234,000 The Tarzan Way, an AI-powered trip planner website, has raised $234,000 (20 million Indian rupees). Inflection Point Ventures led the round, with support from Your Trips Limited and a group of angel investors that includes Prateek Maheshwari, founder of education tech company PhysicsWallah. The Tarzan Way, based in India, says its site includes AI-powered itinerary creation, a booking engine, and 24/7 live concierge support. The company says it has facilitated a total of $1.6 million (135 million Indian rupees) in bookings. The funding will go toward product development, operations, marketing, admin, and launching a new mobile app.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Canary raises $80m to fuel expansion in hospitality AI
Hotel guest management technology company Canary Technologies has secured an $80m Series D funding round to propel its expansion worldwide in the hospitality AI arena. The funding round was led by Brighton Park Capital, with contributions from existing investors which encompass F-Prime Capital, Insight Partners, Thayer Ventures, Y-Combinator, and Commerce Ventures. This additional capital boosts Canary's valuation to an estimated $600m. Canary Technologies CEO and co-founder Harman Singh Narula said: 'Through intelligent, enterprise-grade solutions, we're helping hotels run smarter, deliver faster service and create more personalised guest experiences at scale. 'This latest investment reflects both the extraordinary dedication of the team, whose work is redefining what's possible, and the growing impact Canary is making across the industry. We're energised by the strong demand and excited to expand our partnerships with many of the world's leading hoteliers.' The latest financial milestone follows a $50m Series C funding round last year. The company has forged partnerships with hotel brands such as Marriott, Wyndham, Best Western, and TUI Hotels & Resorts. In response to the increasing worldwide demand for AI-driven guest engagement solutions, Canary has also introduced AI products, including the AI Voice platform and Webchat. The fresh investment will be channelled towards accelerating Canary's international presence. Canary Technologies president and co-founder SJ Sawhney said: 'Our AI solutions are crafted in close partnership with customers, purpose-built for hospitality, and deeply inspired by hoteliers' day-to-day workflows. 'When our hotel partners dream of better service, smarter operations, or more delightful guest experiences, our team works hard to turn those dreams into reality with precision, scale and purpose.' Serving over 20,000 hotels across more than 100 countries, Canary Technologies is a preferred enterprise partner for various brands worldwide. Brighton Park Capital partner Kevin Magan said: 'We're thrilled to partner with Harman, SJ, and the entire team as they accelerate their momentum and solidify their position as a category leader. 'Their dedication to delivering enterprise-grade, high-impact solutions for hoteliers positions them for long-term success and sustained global leadership.' Earlier this year, Aimbridge Hospitality adopted Canary's Digital Tipping solution to enhance guest and associate experiences. "Canary raises $80m to fuel expansion in hospitality AI" was originally created and published by Hotel Management Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Hospitality Net
13-06-2025
- Business
- Hospitality Net
Canary Technologies Raises $80M to Solidify Its Position as the Hospitality AI Leader and Accelerate Global Reach
Canary Technologies, the award-winning global leader in hotel guest management technology, announced today it has closed an $80 million Series D round of funding to accelerate the company's global expansion as a leader in hospitality AI. Brighton Park Capital led the round, with participation from existing investors: Insight Partners, F-Prime Capital, Thayer Ventures, Y-Combinator and Commerce Ventures. This latest investment brings Canary's valuation to approximately $600 million dollars. This fundraise comes on the heels of a $50M Series C raise announced 12 months ago and caps off an impressive year of growth marked by major partnerships with Best Western, Aimbridge Hospitality, Marriott, Wyndham, TUI Hotels & Resorts, and others. Additionally, Canary unveiled the launch of new cutting-edge AI products, including AI Voice and Webchat. As global demand for AI-powered guest engagement solutions continues to rise, Canary will use the funding to accelerate its rapid expansion. The hospitality industry is entering a new era powered by AI, and we're proud to be at the forefront of that transformation. Through intelligent, enterprise-grade solutions, we're helping hotels run smarter, deliver faster service and create more personalized guest experiences at scale. This latest investment reflects both the extraordinary dedication of the team—whose work is redefining what's possible—and the growing impact Canary is making across the industry. We're energized by the strong demand and excited to expand our partnerships with many of the world's leading hoteliers. Harman Singh Narula, CEO and Co-founder of Canary The announcement builds on Canary's accelerating growth and influence across the hospitality sector. Today, the company supports more than 20,000 hotels in over 100 countries and serves as the enterprise partner of choice for leading global brands, including Marriott, Wyndham, Best Western and many others. Canary has earned consistent recognition from industry experts—named the #1 Guest Experience Platform in consecutive years by HotelTechReport, and recognized by Deloitte, Fast Company and more. This milestone reflects our team's continued commitment to building solutions that elevate the industry. Our AI solutions are crafted in close partnership with customers, purpose-built for hospitality, and deeply inspired by hoteliers' day-to-day workflows. When our hotel partners dream of better service, smarter operations, or more delightful guest experiences, our team works hard to turn those dreams into reality with precision, scale and purpose. SJ Sawhney, President and Co-Founder of Canary Technologies Canary's scale and growth within the travel and hospitality sector are truly unprecedented. We're thrilled to partner with Harman, SJ, and the entire team as they accelerate their momentum and solidify their position as a category leader. Their dedication to delivering enterprise-grade, high-impact solutions for hoteliers positions them for long-term success and sustained global leadership. Kevin Magan, Partner at Brighton Park Capital About Canary Technologies Founded in 2018 by lifelong friends and hospitality experts Harman Singh Narula and SJ Sawhney, Canary Technologies was born out of a shared vision: to create intuitive, guest-centric technology that redefines the hospitality experience. Today, Canary serves properties of all sizes—from independent boutiques to global hotel brands—delivering a unified platform that modernizes hotel operations and transforms the guest journey, from pre-booking to checkout. For more information, visit About Brighton Park Capital Brighton Park Capital is a New York-based investment firm focused on entrepreneur-led, growth-stage software, healthcare and tech-enabled services companies. The firm invests in companies that provide highly innovative solutions in partnership with great management teams. Brighton Park brings purpose-built, value-add capabilities that match the unique requirements of each of its companies. For more information about Brighton Park Capital, please visit Amanda McDowell Content Marketing Manager View source
Hospitality Net
10-06-2025
- Business
- Hospitality Net
Cloudbeds and Canary Technologies Forge Strategic Alliance to Revolutionize Hotel Operations and Guest Experiences for Mutual Customers
SAN DIEGO, CA – Cloudbeds, the hospitality industry's leading platform for property management, and Canary Technologies, the hospitality industry's leading guest experience platform, today announced a powerful strategic partnership. This collaboration represents a shared commitment to innovation, delivering an unparalleled, integrated solution that will empower shared hotelier customers to achieve new levels of efficiency, elevate the guest journey, and significantly boost profitability. This partnership is a bold step forward, uniting Cloudbeds' robust core property management system (PMS), channel manager, and booking engine with Canary Technologies' cutting-edge guest management system, including mobile check-in, upsells, AI-powered guest communication, secure transactions, and more. The deep, native integration is designed to create a truly synergistic ecosystem, eliminating data silos, automating workflows, and providing hoteliers with a holistic, real-time view of their operations and guest interactions. Our partnership with Canary Technologies is about delivering real, measurable impact for hoteliers, said Sebastien Leitner, VP Partnerships at Cloudbeds. Together, we're removing the friction that often slows down hotel operations and replacing it with a seamless experience that connects teams and guests like never before. This integration gives our mutual customers the tools they need to power their business on their terms. The powerful integration will ensure a frictionless, real-time flow of critical information between the Cloudbeds platform and Canary Technologies' solutions. For hoteliers utilizing both platforms, this means: Unprecedented Operational Harmony: Eliminate manual data entry, reduce errors, and automate key processes, allowing staff to shift focus from administrative burdens to delivering exceptional, personalized service. Eliminate manual data entry, reduce errors, and automate key processes, allowing staff to shift focus from administrative burdens to delivering exceptional, personalized service. Elevated and Personalized Guest Journeys: Provide guests with a modern, convenient experience from booking to check out, with seamless digital interactions, contactless options, and personalized communication that drives satisfaction and loyalty. Provide guests with a modern, convenient experience from booking to check out, with seamless digital interactions, contactless options, and personalized communication that drives satisfaction and loyalty. Accelerated Revenue Growth: Leverage unified data and streamlined processes to optimize upsell opportunities, enhance direct booking conversions, and maximize overall profitability with greater ease. Leverage unified data and streamlined processes to optimize upsell opportunities, enhance direct booking conversions, and maximize overall profitability with greater ease. Unified and Actionable Intelligence: Gain deeper insights into guest behavior and operational performance through a consolidated view of data, empowering smarter decision-making and more strategic resource allocation. Today's hoteliers are looking for integrated solutions that simplify operations, elevate the guest experience, and contribute directly to the bottom line, said Bryan Michalis, VP of Strategic Partnerships at Canary Technologies. Our integration with Cloudbeds reflects this shift — helping hotels streamline their tech stack, meet the expectations of modern travelers and unlock new revenue opportunities. We're excited to collaborate on a solution that delivers real impact across the guest journey for our mutual customers. Hoteliers currently utilizing or considering Cloudbeds and Canary Technologies can expect a seamless implementation process and dedicated joint support to maximize the transformative benefits of this strategic partnership. To learn more, visit Cloudbeds and Canary Technologies at HITEC in Indianapolis, June 16th to June 19th, 2025, where both companies will be exhibiting. About Cloudbeds Cloudbeds is the leading platform redefining the concept of PMS for the hospitality industry, serving tens of thousands of properties in more than 150 countries worldwide. Built from the ground up to be masterfully unified and scalable, the award-winning Cloudbeds Platform brings together built-in and integrated solutions that modernize hotel operations, distribution, guest experience, and data & analytics. Founded in 2012, Cloudbeds has been named a top PMS, Hotel Management System and Channel Manager (2021-2025) by Hotel Tech Report, World's Best Hotel PMS Solutions Provider (2022) by World Travel Awards, and recognized in Deloitte's Technology Fast 500 in 2024. For more information, visit About Canary Technologies Canary Technologies is modernizing the hotel tech stack with its award-winning AI-powered Guest Management Platform. Digitizing guest touchpoints from booking to checkout, Canary's cutting-edge solutions simplify hotel operations, boost revenue, and elevate the guest experience. Enabling these innovations is Canary AI, the most advanced AI model built specifically for hotels. Trusted by 20,000+ hotels in 100+ countries, Canary powers top brands like Marriott, Four Seasons, and Wyndham. Recognized as an industry innovator by Fast Company, Deloitte, and Business Insider. Learn more at View source
