Ghent-based Otamiser, a ranking management solution provider for the hospitality industry, has secured $3M (approximately €2.79M) in fresh funding. Previously operating with bootstrapped resources, Otamiser is now attracting tech investors for global expansion.
The company’s current round was led by Pitchdrive VC, represented by Wim Derkinderen, Boris Bogaert, and Koen Christiaens.
Investors also include Stijn Christiaens, Jacob Quartier, Peter van Praet, Viktor De Martealere, Lorenz Bogaert, Jorn Vanysacker, Gilles Mattelin, and Anthony and Gregory De Clerck.
This group of investors will support Otamiser’s initiative to scale its algorithm across 100,000 global properties, to transform online visibility and booking platform rankings in the hotel and Airbnb industries.
A revenue management solution for the hotel industry
Founded in 2022, Otamiser transforms revenue management for the hospitality sector with its advanced algorithm, enhancing search result rankings on platforms like Booking.com, Expedia, and Airbnb.
Otamiser claims it is the only company globally to integrate price and online visibility optimisation, and delivers a 24 per cent revenue increase for clients.
Otamiser’s management team includes founder and CEO Bart-Jan Leyts and co-founder Korneel Defauw. The founding team includes Lucas Ballyn, CTO with expertise in AI, Nils Casteur, CCO, and Jarne Vancompernolle, COO specialising in hotel pricing strategies.
Founder Bart-Jan Leyts, says, “We start from the core idea that ranking on platforms like Booking.com and Airbnb is crucial. We like to compare it to Google and SEO. In the early days of Google, it was a success just to have a website. Nowadays, countless companies help you rank higher on Google.”
“Otamiser does something similar, but for the booking sites market like Booking.com, Airbnb, and Expedia. Our automated solution helps hotels specifically improve their position on these travel platforms.”
Co-founder Defauw, adds, “We see in reality that nearly three-quarters of all reservations come through travel platforms like Booking.com or Expedia. Research shows that 75 per cent of all bookings on these travel platforms go to the top 15 hotels. Good positioning can make or break a hotel’s profit. What we do is place our clients in those coveted top positions. You wouldn’t go to page 2, let alone page 5 of Google, would you?”
Since its launch in 2022, Otamiser has reached an Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) of €1.8M without external capital.
Capital utilisation
Otamiser will use the funds to launch an AI tool for Airbnb operators and expand its commercial team to gain market leadership. Its mission is to transform the global hotel and Airbnb industry, empowering owners and ensuring they achieve profit through advanced technology.
Co-founder Bart-Jan, says, “We started bootstrapped in 2022 and have since realised significant growth, proving that our model works. Now it’s time to scale quickly. We found an ideal partner in Pitchdrive, who will fully support us in this endeavor.
“With their support, we can realise our vision and make our innovative solutions available worldwide. For us, it’s simple: what we do works. Now it’s time to accelerate with our dream team and our army of trusted and deeply involved advisors,” says Korneel.
Bart-Jan adds, “We want to roll out our solution to 100,000 units worldwide, preferably within two years. We want to seize this niche as quickly as possible.”
Currently, the company facilitates 50,000 reservations weekly, with plans to scale this to 500,000 weekly within the next two years.
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