chatlyn secures €8M Series A to build the AI Brain for Global Hotel Operations

VIENNA, Austria, June 25, 2025: chatlyn, the AI communication hub transforming how hotels engage with guests across every touchpoint, announced today it has secured €8 million in Series A funding led by Smedvig Ventures. The round included participation from AnyDesk business angel Andreas Burike, Austrian transport leader Blaguss, business angel Mathias Hiebeler (former owner of Grob aircraft, acquired by Helsing), and strategic hospitality angels. The company also received an innovation grant from the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG). With this investment, chatlyn aims to accelerate its mission to become “the AI brain for hotels”, an intelligent system

that supports front desk, reservations, marketing, and guest services while autonomously optimising guest communications to maximise revenue and satisfaction.

The Problem: Hospitality's €10 Billion Communication Crisis

The global hotel industry loses an estimated €10 billion annually due to fragmented guest‑communication systems, missed booking opportunities, and inefficient staff workflows. Hotels today juggle 8‑12 different platforms for guest messaging, ranging from WhatsApp and email to booking channels such as Airbnb and Booking.com, creating chaos that frustrates guests and overwhelms staff.

"Every day, hotels are missing revenue because a guest inquiry comes in at 2 AM and gets lost in the shuffle, or a staff member can't quickly find the right response in the right language. In today's world, you lose potential guests when you don't respond immediately," said Nicolas Vorsteher, CEO and Co‑founder of chatlyn. "We want to bring back meaningful conversations to the hospitality industry and free up staff's valuable time for in‑person guest interactions. We're building the AI brain for hotels—an AI that understands hospitality context, speaks 35+ languages fluently, and learns each property's unique voice to deliver experiences that feel both personal and effortless."

Breakthrough Technology Driving Rapid Adoption

Since launching in late 2022, chatlyn has scaled to serve over 1,000 properties across 30 countries, including luxury brands like St. Regis Mauritius, Singer Palace Rome, and InterContinental properties. Key innovations include:

AI-Powered Visual Webchat: chatlyn's visual assistant showing rooms with live pricing and availability AI‑Powered Visual Webchat: the industry’s first intelligent visual assistant that showcases rooms with live pricing and availability while guiding guests through complete conversational booking processes.

98 % Open‑Rate Communication: WhatsApp guest‑journey messaging outperforms email’s typical 20 % open rate.
Comprehensive Channel Integration: the only solution that connects Booking.com messenger alongside email, WhatsApp, SMS, social media, and more.
AI Assistant Suite: voice calls, review responses, real‑time translation in 35+ languages, automated email drafting, and brand‑specific reply suggestions.

With deep integrations into 20+ major hotel‑management systems, including Oracle Opera, Protel by Planet, Apaleo, and Mews, chatlyn acts as the central nervous system for hotel operations.

"chatlyn has fundamentally transformed our guest experience from reactive to proactive," said Garry Loefgen, Head of Commercial at InterContinental Vienna. "Our AI assistant handles over 70 % of inquiries instantly in perfect German, English, Spanish, and many other languages, while our team focuses on creating magical moments. It's like having a multilingual concierge that never sleeps and gets smarter every day."

Investment Validates Market Leadership Position

"The hospitality sector is experiencing its biggest technological transformation since online booking, and chatlyn has positioned itself at the epicenter of this AI revolution," said Freddie Kalfayan, Principal at Smedvig Ventures. "Their rapid adoption by premium hotel brands, industry‑first AI capabilities, and exceptional founding team convinced us they're building the platform that will define the future of guest communication."

Aggressive Expansion and Product Roadmap

The Series A funding fuels chatlyn’s growth across three pillars:

Product innovation: agentic AI for phone support and an omnichannel AI Booking Assistant.
Geographic expansion: consolidate DACH leadership and expand into wider Europe, APAC, and the UAE.
Team expansion: grow the AI and development team to deliver software and consulting services.

chatlyn was recently named Best Chatbot Solution Provider 2024 at the World Travel Awards and received FFG innovation funding for its AI research and development.

Key Metrics at a Glance

€8 M Series A: led by Smedvig Ventures
1,000+ properties: across 30 countries
Founded: late 2022
Key integrations: Oracle Opera, Protel by Planet, Apaleo, Clock PMS, Mews
Awards & recognition: Best Chatbot Solution Provider 2024 (World Travel Awards), FFG innovation grant
Notable customers: Guesthouse Hotels, Windward Properties, St. Regis Mauritius, InterContinental Vienna, Singer Palace Rome, Le Grand Bellevue Gstaad, The Royal Stables Dubai

About chatlyn

Founded in Vienna in late 2022 by Nicolas Vorsteher (CEO), Michael Urbanek (CTO), and Matthias Haubner (CPO), chatlyn is an AI communication hub built for hospitality. The platform unifies guest communications across email, WhatsApp, SMS, webchat, and social media while providing intelligent automation, real‑time translation in 35+ languages, and PMS integration. From boutique hotels to global chains, chatlyn helps properties deliver exceptional guest experiences and drive revenue. chatlyn.com