Danish AI platform Opally raises first investment round as hotel client base grows to 50
Opally, a Copenhagen-based AI platform for hotel communications, closed its first angel investment round with backing from five investors with deep experience in hospitality technology and early-stage ventures. The company has grown from 12 hotel clients in December to over 50 across five European countries in just four months.
Founder Gustav Søgård, 23, built the initial product to handle hotel email management. The platform has since expanded into a suite of tools covering the entire guest communication workflow: AI chatbots for websites, voice assistants that answer calls, automated responses for WhatsApp and Instagram, review management, and a feature called AI Visibility that helps hotels appear in AI-powered search engines like ChatGPT and Claude.
Who's investing
The investor group includes:
- People Ventures, a Nordic early-stage venture firm led by Anders Kynde Frederiksen, co-founder of Planday (acquired by Xero in 2021)
- Lasse Kjær, co-founder of Understory, an AI platform for tour operators
- Christian Markedal, founder of DigitalGuest, which serves over 500 Nordic hotels
- Jonatan Marc Rasmussen, founder of All Gravy, an AI platform for hospitality employee experiences
- Bjarke Klinge Staun, former principal at Creandum with investments in early-stage AI startups
How the money will be spent
Opally plans to use the funding for three priorities: expanding across Scandinavia and Europe, building deeper integrations with hotel management systems, and accelerating product development.
Søgård said the investors bring specific expertise to each area. Frederiksen knows how to scale software companies. Kjær understands the travel industry. Markedal knows the guest journey. Rasmussen has insight into hospitality staffing challenges. Staun has experience growing AI ventures.
The product strategy
Søgård said Opally's mission is not to replace receptionists but to return their time to guest-facing work. The company maintains close contact with hotel staff to identify product improvements.
His brother Oliver joined to handle growth and content strategy. His mother, Susanne, recently appointed director at Vejrø Resort, advises on hotel operations.
The company's short-form videos demonstrating the product in practice have been effective for reaching new hotels. Søgård said the universal nature of the problem-receptionists in Austria face the same issues as those in Denmark-helped the product gain traction across markets.
Where Opally operates
The platform currently serves hotels in Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Austria, and Greece. The company is seeing interest from Switzerland and Norway.
For product developers, AI for Product Development covers strategies for building AI-driven tools like Opally's suite. The platform itself exemplifies how AI Agents & Automation can handle repetitive communication tasks across multiple channels.
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