INDUSTRY OUTLOOK
Selfbook | December 09, 2022
Selfbook, a unique, comprehensive hotel payment software platform bringing direct bookings and modern payment technology to hotels worldwide, announced a strategic investment from Amex Ventures. The investment follows a $40 million Series A and A+ round led by Tiger GlobalThis announcement highlights Selfbook’s continuous growth within the hospitality space. As it continues to broaden its reach in the travel industry, Selfbook looks forward to working with American Express following this investment.
Selfbook enables hotels to offer guests a seamless, one-step checkout experience directly on their websites while elevating the user experience and streamlining the payment process for hotels, which can increase conversion and boost revenue. Selfbook also groups multiple services, such as restaurant reservations, spa appointments and activities, into a single payment flow to easily drive upsells.
“The American Express brand is synonymous with global travel and payment security, and we are thrilled to have Amex Ventures be part of our investor base, As hotels around the world continue to use Selfbook to offer a guest-first booking experience and secure payments, the investment from American Express will help us deepen our global presence and provide even more effective payment tools for our partners.”
-Khalid Meniri, Co-Founder and CEO of Selfbook
We are constantly on the lookout for innovative technologies that enhance and elevate the travel and payments experience,” said Margaret Lim, Managing Director of Amex Ventures. “We believe Selfbook is driving hotel bookings and payments into the future with their elegant checkout experience, intuitive user interface, and robust support for modern payment methods preferred by guests through a unified platform that seamlessly integrates with existing hospitality software.
About Selfbook
Uniquely positioned at the intersection of fintech and hospitality, Selfbook revolutionizes hotel bookings and payments from the inside out. Working in tandem with hotels’ existing technology systems, Selfbook enhances what matters most to hotels, including direct conversion, revenue, cash flow control, and security. Built by a team of hospitality veterans, Selfbook’s products provide a refreshingly effortless user experience for guests and hoteliers alike. Selfbook is committed to empowering hotels worldwide with modern e-commerce solutions tailor-made for our industry.
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TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY,FEATURES AND ADVICE
Airwallex | December 16, 2022
Global fintech Airwallex is pleased to announce that it has been chosen by TripActions as the partner of choice for its global cross-border payments and FX needs to support TripActions Liquid, its corporate card and expense management solution.
With support from Airwallex’s global payments and banking infrastructure, TripActions can further streamline travel and expense management experiences for its customers across 130 markets by providing a seamless, cost-efficient way to convert and pay out funds in over 45 currencies.
“Identifying faster, easier, and safer ways to move and manage money is key for businesses that want to grow at scale. At Airwallex, this is exactly the pain point that we are building a solution for, TripActions is the modern day, all-in-one solution for corporate travel and expense, and we are pleased that we are able to support them and their ambition as they look to grow and expand their business globally.”
-Ravi Adusumilli, Global Head of Partnerships and General Manager, Americas at Airwallex.
TripActions aims to make travel and expense easy, and Airwallex’s vision to deliver better experiences and tech solutions aligns exactly with that goal, said Michael Sindicich, EVP and General Manager of TripActions Liquid. With Airwallex, we are now able to reimburse our customers’ international employees in their local currencies instantly or on the same day in many countries, and we’re excited to continue working together as we bring more innovative features to businesses everywhere.
Founded in Melbourne, Australia in 2015, Airwallex reported significant business growth in the last year, with revenues more than doubling year-over-year. In the US, Airwallex has also built steady traction, having experienced rapid customer growth, and having won “Startup of the Year” in this year’s US Fintech Awards. Today, the business operates with a still-growing team of 1,300 employees in 19 locations across Asia-Pacific, Europe, and North America.
About Airwallex
Airwallex is the leading financial technology platform for modern businesses growing beyond borders. With one of the world’s most powerful payments and banking infrastructure, our technology empowers businesses of all sizes to accept payments, move money globally, and simplify their financial operations in a single platform. Established in 2015 in Melbourne, Australia, our purpose is to connect entrepreneurs, business builders, makers and creators with opportunities in every corner of the world. Today, Airwallex has a global footprint across Asia-Pacific, Europe, and North America.
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TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY
Incode Technologies Inc | November 10, 2022
Incode Technologies Inc., the next-generation identity verification and authentication platform for global enterprises, announced a strategic partnership with Hoteza, the smart hotel communication systems provider. Through this partnership, guests can now start their check-in journey before arriving at their hotel destination through Incode's biometric verification process. Guests experience a seamless Self-Check-In process on the Hoteza Guest Journey Platform, Hoteza's cloud-based content management system, using Incode's fully integrated and secure optical character recognition and its facial recognition technology, FaceMatch.
More than 500 hotels around the globe in the Hoteza portfolio, including Kempinski, Hilton and Radisson, will now have the opportunity to join this user-friendly solution allowing guests to skip lines and check-in before arrival via email or other communication channels. The streamlined process grants staff time to spend their resources on other activities, allowing them to fully commit to their role of hosts.
"We were looking for the best and the most secure partner to work with on our Self-Check-In solution, and we are thrilled to partner with Incode," says Nikolay Beloshitsky, Hoteza CEO. "We are glad to have found an efficient and dedicated partner in the hospitality industry with a growth mindset to match our own."
Hoteza is an interactive, guest-facing platform for entertainment, information and communication controlled from one Cloud-based content management system. Hoteza offers Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) solutions, mobile & in-room tablet apps, Digital Signage and high-speed Internet Access. Now, with Incode's facial recognition, guests experience modern Check-In solutions, successfully offering modern guest experiences.
"We are always looking for ways to elevate customer experiences through our technology, We are excited for guests using Hoteza to experience quick and secure check-in and overall, a smooth experience."
-Ricardo Amper, CEO of Incode
Incode's state-of-the-art contactless check-in and check-out guest experiences, service multiple dimensions of the hospitality industry including hotels and resorts. Their technology in ID capture, liveness detection, face match, passport validation and credit card enrollment produce elevated guest experiences.
Incode's new partnership with Hoteza is the latest in a host of strategic growth and momentum initiatives. In October 2022, Incode partnered with Sardine to deliver user verification to prevent fraudulent financial activities. The company also recently announced Incode Workflow, an advanced functionality to help businesses tailor consumer experiences based on risk level.
To learn more about Incode, visit www.incode.com.
About Incode
Incode is the leading provider of world-class identity solutions that is reinventing the way humans authenticate and verify their identity to power a world of digital trust. Incode's innovative identity solutions enable the world's largest financial institutions, governments, retailers, hospitality companies, gaming, and other industries to unleash their business potential and reduce fraud, elevating human interactions with data, products, and services – at all levels.
About Hoteza
Hoteza is an interactive, guest-facing solution for entertainment, information and communication set on various platforms controlled from one CMS. It includes IPTV solution, mobile & web apps, in-room tablet app, online check-in solution, Digital Signage and High Speed Internet Access
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