Alexa Fund Boosts Voice-Enabled ResTech With SevenRooms Investment

SevenRooms, the all-in-one reservation, seating and guest management platform, announced on Wednesday (Oct. 17) an investment from Amazon’s Alexa Fund.

In a press release, SevenRooms said the funding marks the first time the Alexa Fund has made an investment in a restaurant technology company, and will pave the way for SevenRooms to integrate Amazon Alexa into its restaurant operations and guest relationship management.

“Voice-powered technology is already impacting every industry, and continues to play a central role in the daily lives of consumers and the businesses they interact with,” said Joel Montaniel, founder and CEO of SevenRooms. “Hospitality operators have long relied on an interface or screen to access information, taking attention away from their guests and operations. Voice eliminates this need, enabling them to shift their attention back to what matters most: the guest. We are excited to leverage this investment from Amazon to bring Alexa to SevenRooms, furthering our mission of enabling high-touch hospitality by creating powerful tools that are invisible to guests, but invaluable to the operator.”

SevenRooms is focused on helping operators establish and maintain a direct relationship with their guests. The company said it plans to leverage the Alexa Skills Kit (ASK) to build an Alexa skill that will enable restaurant operators to use voice commands for in-service use. According to SevenRooms, one example would be that managers at a restaurant could ask Alexa about the guest sitting at a specific table, while servers could ask if guests have allergies. SevenRooms said the technology will help restaurant operators create more personalized experiences for guests without the guests having to do anything.

“Much like Amazon itself, SevenRooms is a company that understands the importance of an incredible customer experience. By deploying their technology, restaurant operators can make smarter decisions on marketing, guest relationship management, staffing and more, and ultimately present dining guests with a more enjoyable experience,” said Paul Bernard, director of the Alexa Fund at Amazon. “We have been impressed by the company’s growth over the past year, and we are eager to see more restaurants begin to adopt SevenRooms and utilize Alexa as a way to interact with its service.”

In addition to the funding from the Alexa Fund, SevenRooms raised $8 million in a Series A round of funding led by Comcast Ventures in December of 2017.