Ghent-Based Startup Otamiser Secures $3 Million to Scale Booking Turbo to 10,000 Hotels Worldwide

Ghent, June 25th, 2024 - Otamiser is revolutionizing the hotel industry with its groundbreaking algorithm that enhances online visibility for accommodations. Until now, the young Otamiser team has achieved success entirely on their own, operating bootstrapped. Now, a host of prominent tech investors are joining the capital, positioning Otamiser for global expansion.

"We start from the core idea that ranking on platforms like Booking.com and Airbnb is crucial," says Founder and CEO Bart-Jan Leyts. "We like to compare it to Google and SEO. In the early days of Google, it was a success just to have a website. Nowadays, countless companies help you rank higher on Google. Otamiser does something similar, but for the booking sites market like Booking.com, Airbnb, and Expedia. Our automated solution helps hotels specifically improve their position on these travel platforms."

The funding round is led by Pitchdrive, represented by Wim Derkinderen, Boris Bogaert, and Koen Christiaens. Other investors include Stijn Christiaens (Co-Founder Collibra), Jacob Quartier (Ex-Showpad Director of Finance and Operations), Peter van Praet (Founder Bavet), Viktor De Martealere (Hospitality House hotel chain), Lorenz Bogaert (Serial Founder of Netlog and StarApps), and the founders behind the Henchman project, Jorn Vanysacker and Gilles Mattelin. Additionally, brothers Anthony and Gregory De Clerck (Dovesco) are also supporting the initiative.

Otamiser capitalizes on the unstoppable growth of booking sites like Booking.com and Airbnb. Hoteliers are now more dependent than ever on these platforms. "We see in reality that nearly three-quarters of all reservations come through travel platforms like Booking.com or Expedia," says Co-Founder and CRO Korneel Defauw. "Research shows that 75% of all bookings on these travel platforms go to the top 15 hotels. Good positioning can make or break a hotel's profit. What we do is place our clients in those coveted top positions. You wouldn't go to page 2, let alone page 5 of Google, would you?" adds Bart-Jan.

Since its launch in 2022, Otamiser has experienced impressive growth. Without any external capital, the company has achieved an Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) of 1.8 million Euros and has quickly grown to a team of 32 employees worldwide. "We started bootstrapped in 2022 and have since realized significant growth, proving that our model works," continues Bart-Jan. "Now it's time to scale quickly. We found an ideal partner in Pitchdrive, who will fully support us in this endeavor," adds Korneel. "With their support, we can realize our vision and make our innovative solutions available worldwide. For us, it's simple: what we do works. Now it's time to accelerate with our dream team and our army of trusted and deeply involved advisors," says Korneel. Bart-Jan's ambitions are sky-high: "We want to roll out our solution to 100,000 units worldwide, preferably within two years. We want to seize this niche as quickly as possible." Currently, Otamiser facilitates 50,000 reservations weekly, and they aim to increase this to 500,000 weekly in the next two years.

Otamiser's management team consists of five young, driven, and highly ambitious entrepreneurs. The daily leadership and vision of Otamiser are led by Founder Bart-Jan Leyts (24). Co-Founder Korneel Defauw (36) brings the experience and expertise to scale Otamiser’s growth internationally. The complete founding team includes Lucas Ballyn (24), CTO, specialized in AI, Nils Casteur (24), CCO, and Jarne Vancompernolle (24), COO, an expert in hotel pricing.

From left to right: Korneel Defauw (Co-Founder & CRO), Nils Casteur (CCO), Lucas Ballyn (CTO), Bart-Jan Leyts (Founder & CEO), and Jarne Vancompernolle (COO).

With the new capital, Otamiser plans to launch their groundbreaking AI tool specifically aimed at Airbnb operators. Additionally, the commercial team will be further expanded to quickly capture market share. Otamiser has a clear mission: to reshape the technology landscape of the Hotel and Airbnb industry globally, empowering hoteliers against travel platforms. Otamiser aims to enable hotel and Airbnb owners worldwide to generate the profits they deserve through their technology.

About Otamiser

Otamiser, founded by Bart-Jan Leyts (24), empowers hoteliers in an increasingly complex, technology-driven market. Otamiser positions itself uniquely in the segment of revenue management for the hospitality sector with its advanced algorithm. This revolutionary tool improves positioning in search results on travel platforms like Booking.com, Expedia, and Airbnb.

Otamiser is the only company worldwide that combines price optimization for hotels with online visibility optimization, resulting in a significant 24% revenue increase for their clients. Join us in transforming the hospitality market and empowering hotel owners.