Natural language processing (NLP) solutions startup Aiello announced today, 2nd October, the successful completion of its latest US$5 million funding round.
Aiello CEO and co-founder Vic Shen remarked: “This funding round is primarily about bringing on board shareholders who offer invaluable experience for our growth. The capital raised will support our international expansion, particularly in Japan and Southeast Asia.”
Shen added that, beyond expanding AIello’s reach, the company aims to collaborate with local software and service providers to adapt and enhance the Aiello Hospitality Platform, creating a fully localised, all-in-one SaaS solution that can replace outdated systems.
Who’s who?
The round was led by prominent Japanese venture capital firms Cool Japan Fund and CDIB Cross Border Innovation Fund II LP, along with E Sun Venture Capital Co, Ltd, and B Current Mstar Impact Investment.
Additional support came from existing institutional backers, JAFCO Asia and Wistron Corporation, further reinforcing confidence in Aiello’s strategic direction.
As part of this round, Aiello welcomed Kenichi Sawaya from CDIB Cross Border Innovation Fund II LP, a Co-GP fund between CDIB and Cool Japan Fund, to join the board of directors. Sawaya brings a wealth of global experience and strategic insight, which will be instrumental in accelerating Aiello’s expansion into Japan.
Sawaya said: “We are excited to participate in Aiello’s latest funding round. Their AI expertise and innovative, all-in-one hospitality management system will address operational inefficiencies and fragmentation in the hospitality sector, driving sustainable growth amid ongoing labour shortages. We look forward to advancing the digital transformation and elevating hotel services in Japan through this partnership.”
An all-in-one solution
In 2023, Aiello launched Aiello-One, an all-in-one software as a service (SaaS) management platform designed specifically for the hospitality industry.
The platform offers three core modules: Interface, Operations, and Insight. These modules simplify the adoption of digital solutions, while the platform’s flexible plugin system enables continuous upgrades. T
his approach allows hotels to reduce maintenance costs and easily tailor the system to meet their unique operational needs.
As of Q3-2024, Aiello has partnered with service and content providers to offer diversified travel itineraries and shopping services directly in guest rooms, aiming to further enhance guest experiences and drive hotel revenue growth.
