Abokado founder backs self-service kiosk provider Kurve
Tech firm Kurve has secured £250,000 of investment to capitalise on the surge in demand for contactless ordering in quick service restaurants (QSRs) and casual dining sectors.
The seed capital came from a funding round which included Mark Lilley, the founder of London grab-and-go chain Abokado and one of Kurve's customers.
The Bristol technology company specializes in providing electronic self-service point of sale (POS) solutions to the hospitality sector.
Founded in July 2021, Kurve has accrued 110 customers over 210 sites. The investment is to help kickstart Kurve's aim to grow 500% by 2027.
The company is aiming to profit from the increase in demand for self-service kiosks in QSRs across the UK.
According to a recent study from Revenue Management Consultants LLC, 68% of Gen Z and 58% of Millennials prefer ordering via kiosks rather than through an interaction with a restaurant employee. And a report from Catering Insight found that more than 60% of millennials and nearly 80% of Gen Z had an easier time navigating a kiosk-based menu than a menu board. The report also stated that these age groups picked items they wanted with greater ease.
Kurve founder and CEO Steven Boyes said the initial funding will be used to invest in marketing and brand awareness over the next nine to 12 months and also further develop its operations team to expand its customer base.
Boyes said: "Following the pandemic, hospitality operators have faced growing pressures of staff shortages and escalating operational costs. Self-service has not only seen a rise in its appeal, especially amongst younger consumers, it also significantly reduces costs, increases average transaction values and boosts customer satisfaction."
Mark Lilley commented on his own experience of using Kurve's self-service solutions and his decision to invest and said he sees "at first-hand how powerful and industry-leading the Kurve platform is".
Lilley added that introducing kiosks, mobile self-service and digital loyalty into Abokado has been "transformational" and that he sees this market set for huge growth.
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