AI communication hub chatlyn, has secured €8 million in Series A funding. With this investment, chatlyn aims to accelerate its mission to become "the AI brain for hotels", an intelligent system that supports hotel operations and autonomously optimises guest communications to maximise revenue and satisfaction.
chatlyn is a comprehensive AI communication hub purpose-built for the hospitality industry, addressing one of the sector’s most pressing challenges: fragmented guest communication. Hotels today often juggle 8 to 12 different platforms, from email and WhatsApp to booking channels like Airbnb and Booking.com, creating operational chaos.
This fragmentation costs the global hotel industry an estimated €10 billion annually through missed bookings and inefficient workflows.
chatlyn’s platform brings order to this complexity by centralising guest communication across 10+ channels, including SMS, webchat, social media, and more. It offers intelligent automation, real-time translation in over 35 languages, and seamless integration with property management systems.
From boutique hotels to global chains, Chatlyn empowers hospitality teams to deliver fast, personalised service while boosting operational efficiency and revenue growth.
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, adding:
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.
Since launching in late 2022, chatlyn has rapidly scaled to serve over 1,000 properties across 30 countries, including luxury brands like St. Regis Mauritius, Singer Palace Rome, and InterContinental properties. The platform's success stems from several industry-first innovations:
- AI-powered visual webchat – a smart assistant that displays live room pricing and availability while guiding guests through the entire booking process;
- 98 per cent open rate communication - far surpassing traditional email’s 20 per cent, making it a highly effective guest communication tool;
- Comprehensive channel integration - chatlyn is currently the only platform that integrates Airbnb and Booking.com messaging with channels like email, WhatsApp, SMS, and social media;
- Comprehensive AI assistant suite – chatlyn manages all guest communication, from calls to reviews, with AI-driven tools like real-time translation, auto email drafts, and brand-aligned 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.
Garry Loefgen, Head of Commercial at InterContinental Vienna, commented:
chatlyn has fundamentally transformed our guest experience from reactive to proactive. 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.
The Series A funding round was led by Smedvig Ventures with participation from AnyDesk business angel Andreas Burike, Austrian transport leader Blaguss, and strategic hospitality angels.
The company also received an innovation grant from the FFG, Austria's national funding institution for industry-related research and development.
Freddie Kalfayan, Principal at Smedvig Ventures, believes the hospitality industry is undergoing its most significant tech shift since the rise of online booking, and sees Chatlyn as a key player driving this AI-driven transformation:
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. The market opportunity is massive and underserved.
The Series A funding will drive Chatlyn’s next phase of growth across product innovation, international expansion, and team scaling. The company plans to fast-track the development of advanced AI features for phone support and launch a cross-channel AI Booking Assistant to boost direct bookings.
It will also strengthen its presence in German-speaking markets while expanding into Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the UAE. To stay ahead in the competitive travel tech space, Chatlyn will grow its AI and development team, offering not just software but expert AI consulting to its customers.
Michael Urbanek, CTO and Co-founder of chatlyn, said:
This funding represents more than capital – it's validation of our vision to make every hotel conversation intelligent and connected to relevant operational systems. Our AI doesn't just automate responses; it understands context, anticipates needs, and creates those delightful moments that turn first-time guests into lifelong advocates.
The company's technological excellence has earned recognition from both industry and government institutions. chatlyn was recently honoured as the Best Chatbot Solution Provider in 2024 by the World Travel Awards and received innovation funding from the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) for its groundbreaking AI development.
Lead image: chatlyn founders | Photo: Uncredited
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