The pandemic shook the hospitality industry, and the ensuing shortage of service workers has left hotels reeling to respond to people who are itching to travel after nearly two years of public health restrictions.
Virtual concierge platforms like Austin-based Virdee have helped hoteliers respond to this new normal.
Virdee’s products use biometric authentication and ID verification to help guests check in, check out, pay and access other hotel services. Some of the company’s products include digital keys that allow user to go straight to their hotel room. The products integrate with the leading door-lock and property management systems and can be embedded into a brand’s existing mobile app.
The company announced Tuesday that it has raised $5 million in seed funding, bringing its overall seed funding to $9 million. The round was led by Silverton Partners along with LiveOak Venture Partners and DJR Advisors — all of which also participated in an earlier seed round in April 2021.
In October, Virdee announced a collaboration with Virgin Hotels to improve their digital check-in experience. Virdee co-founder Branigan Mulcahy said the company plans to announce multiple new hotel-brand partnerships in the coming months.
“We are grateful to our investors who share our vision for the future of guest experience technology, and we look forward to working together to bring secure, one-click check-ins to the hotel industry,” Mulcahy said.
The company, founded in April 2020, has more than 30 employees. It plans to hire at least 20 new employees in the next year, with specific focuses on software development, product development and customer success. Virdee was also recently named among Built In’s 22 Austin Startups to Watch in 2022.
Virdee will use the funding to scale the business, grow its team, add new product features and expand its network of integration partnerships.
