Vouch, a travel tech company based in Singapore has received US$1.1 million in a seed investment round led by Forge Ventures, a Singapore-based institutional seed VC firm.
The money will be used to develop a new range of guest experience platforms and extend the company’s operations into international markets like Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.
To commemorate its arrival in Europe, vouch has also opened its third in-country branch in the UK.
Vouch, founded in 2016 by Joseph Ling, provides digital hotel management solutions with the goal of revolutionising the hospitality and tourism industries in the area.
Businesses that manage attractions and malls may improve efficiency, revenue, and the overall tourist experience by implementing Vouch into their operations.
In a news release, the company said its technology allows properties to “focus on things that actually matter.”
The new Vouch guest experience platform combines AI and chatbot technology. Guests may check-in, make room requests, order food and beverage, and get fast answers to frequently asked questions by scanning a QR code with their mobile phones. For a short-term visit, this procedure eliminates the requirement to download an app.
At the COVID-19 epidemic, hotels used Vouch’s technologies to reduce physical touch with customers during check-in and other administrative activities, as well as manage social distance rules.
“There is a genuine need for a solution that helps hotels improve manpower efficiency, and the pandemic has accelerated this need,” said Ling.
With companies like Frasers Hospitality, Pan Pacific Group, and Hyatt Hotels joining the network, the firm claims to have covered over 25% of hotel rooms in Singapore.
In the hotel industry, digital transformation has become a global trend. On all fronts of the business, including hotel management, customer service, distribution, CRM, and marketing, the applications of the internet, mobile, cloud, IoT, blockchain, and AI technologies are making their impact.
According to a 2020 study by Statista, creating a consistent, high-quality customer experience is the top goal for travel and hospitality firms throughout the world.
Consumers are also interested in what parts of the guest experience hotels plan to digitise. In a study done between July and August 2020, 73% of hotel customers said they would use an app to access their room door.
