India: Guestara, a startup that is setting out to reimagine how hospitality professionals serve and engage guests, has announced that it has closed a $500,000 pre-seed funding round.
The round involved support from a group of experienced travel and hospitality tech entrepreneurs, led by industry veteran Sanjay Ghare.
The funds will fuel Guestara’s mission to develop cutting-edge, AI-driven solutions that streamline operations, boost guest satisfaction, and uncover new revenue opportunities for short-term rentals, resorts and hotels worldwide.
Founded by CEO Akshay Dekate and three other co-founders, Guestara offers an AI-enabled guest management platform that centralises and automates key hospitality functions. The company’s solutions span unified inbox, contactless mobile check-in, omni-channel guest engagement, personalised upselling and smart checkout – all designed to integrate seamlessly with leading property management systems [PMS].
By transforming guest management into a centralised, intelligent workflow, Guestara wants to empower vacation rentals, hotels and resorts to focus on what matters most: delivering memorable guest experiences.
Guestara CEO Akshay Dekate said: “Hospitality is more than a service—it’s an experience. Guestara harnesses AI to help hotels elevate that experience, boosting operational efficiency and enhancing guest loyalty.
“Our goal is to onboard two million rooms globally and transform the sector into a data-driven, people-focused industry,” added Dekate.
Guestara has already onboarded short-term rentals and hotels as beta clients, with 2000+ rooms collectively, including three global hotel chains, reporting a 20 per cent increase in operational efficiency, a 35 per cent rise in guest satisfaction, and a 57 per cent boost in incremental revenue.
Sanjay Ghare, co-founder and CEO of Vervotech, said: “We see Guestara as a game-changer. Their AI-first approach brings immediate benefits—both economic and experiential—to our industry. We’re thrilled to support them as they redefine hospitality for the modern era.”
Following the injection of fresh capital, Guestara will accelerate product development and expand its reach, including targeting a diverse range of hotel partners, from boutique independents to multinational chains. By doing so, the company is aiming to set a new standard in guest management, blending technology with genuine hospitality to deliver exceptional stays.
In a bid to transform how guests are managed in short-term rentals, hotels and resorts worldwide, while delivering frictionless experiences at scale, the startup is setting its sights on onboarding two million rooms globally.
