Thursday, June 18, 2026

NIQ Introduces NIQ Cadence: A Compound AI Operating System for Marketing Effectiveness


 CHICAGO - 

One system unifies NIQ’s global data, models, and knowledge so marketers move from insight to impact faster, with deeper intelligence, at scale.


(BUSINESS WIRE) -- NIQ (NYSE: NIQ), a global leader in consumer intelligence, today introduced NIQ Cadence, a compound AI operating system built to change how organizations measure marketing performance, optimize budgets, and act on what the data tells them. NIQ Cadence brings data and intelligence into one continuous environment, moving marketers off fragmented reports and onto a single system that empowers decision making.


Marketing has never been more complex. Channels keep multiplying, data sits in silos, and the pressure to prove ROI keeps climbing. As a result, most teams still stitch insight and action together by hand, losing time and confidence at every handoff. NIQ Cadence closes that gap with one system where measurement and decision-making finally run together.


“Marketing leaders don’t need more reports. They need a better rhythm,” said Jason Tate, General Manager of Marketing Effectiveness at NIQ. “NIQ Cadence moves organizations beyond disconnected data, siloed tools, and disparate insights to a system that translates signals into clear recommendations and measurable impact.”


A new operating system for marketing effectiveness


NIQ Cadence is built for marketing leaders accountable for growth, analytics teams managing complex data ecosystems, and organizations that want to accelerate decisions without adding operational complexity. Compound AI-native from inception, NIQ Cadence goes a step beyond single-purpose agents.


A network of 19 specialized agents, coordinated by NIQ Optiq, works as a team to surface personalized, decision-ready recommendations. The system brings together insights derived from NIQ’s proprietary global data alongside inputs from partner platforms, customer environments, and third-party sources to deliver The Full View™ in one place, then translates those signals into guidance marketers can act on with confidence.


Through ongoing learning, NIQ Cadence deepens client-specific intelligence over time, unlocking improved performance at both the brand level and across the enterprise.


What sets NIQ Cadence apart


Faster insights: Streaming market signals flow straight through to measurement and optimization, so marketers can make decisions in the moment, not months later.

Deeper intelligence: Built on NIQ’s independent, proprietary global data, grounded in sources marketers can trust.

Built for scale: Global and market-agnostic, engineered to run from a single brand to the full enterprise.

Inside NIQ Cadence


NIQ Cadence empowers users through the following sub-systems:


MyCadence: Personalized command center for guiding decision workflows and team collaboration.


CadenceBI: Always-on business intelligence that carries streaming market signals to outcome measurement and optimization.


CadenceIO: Core data infrastructure that integrates, organizes, and models data across the marketing stack.


CadenceAI: Agent network that automates analysis and surfaces next-best moves for decision-making.


CadenceKM: Shared knowledge system that compounds client-specific intelligence over time.


CadenceIQ: Extensible, purpose-built intelligence suites spanning portfolio, content, commerce, and beyond.


Driving faster, more confident decisions


NIQ Cadence marks a step-change in marketing effectiveness: helping marketers make clearer decisions with faster insights and leaner workflows. The result is a new operating rhythm that moves marketers from insight to impact with greater precision.


Availability


NIQ Cadence is a global, market-agnostic system, currently in beta with NIQ’s marketing mix clients through the remainder of 2026. A broader general market release will follow.


About NIQ


NIQ (NYSE: NIQ) is a leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete and trusted understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. By combining an unmatched global data footprint and granular consumer and retail measurement with decades of AI modeling expertise, NIQ builds decision systems that help companies turn complex data into confident action.


With operations in more than 90 countries, NIQ covers approximately 82% of the world’s population and more than $7.4 trillion in global consumer spend. Through cloud-based platforms, advanced analytics and AI-driven insights, NIQ delivers The Full View™—helping brands and retailers understand what consumers buy, why they buy it, and what to do next.


For more information, please visit www.niq.com.


© 2026 Nielsen Consumer LLC. All Rights Reserved.


#NIQ-General


 


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Contacts

Media Contact: Media.Relations@NielsenIQ.com

Fortegra Strengthens Actuarial Leadership with Appointment of Anthony Katz as SVP, Reserving

 JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Wednesday, 17. June 2026 AETOSWire Print 


(BUSINESS WIRE) -- The Fortegra Group, Inc., a global specialty insurer, today announced the appointment of Anthony Katz as Senior Vice President, Reserving. Mr. Katz will lead Fortegra’s team of professional actuaries, with responsibility for reserving, credit insurance, statistical reporting, and key initiatives including IFRS 17.


“Anthony brings more than 30 years of actuarial expertise and a genuine commitment to building the capabilities our distribution partners depend on,” said Rick Kahlbaugh, Chief Executive Officer at Fortegra. “His background across reserving, actuarial transformation, and international markets will be instrumental as we continue to support our distribution partners.”


A credentialed actuary holding FCAS, FSA, and MAAA designations, Mr. Katz brings more than 30 years of experience across reserving, pricing, and actuarial transformation. He has held senior leadership roles at ToaRe, Everest Re, Arch Insurance, Ernst & Young, and ACE, and most recently served as an independent consulting actuary advising on various actuarial disciplines.


Throughout his career, Mr. Katz has been recognized for modernizing actuarial operations, including automating reserving processes, deploying business intelligence tools across insurance and reinsurance platforms, and leading large-scale actuarial transformation initiatives. He holds a B.A. in Mathematics with a Computer Science minor from New York University.


About Fortegra


For more than 45 years, Fortegra, via its subsidiaries, has underwritten risk management solutions that help people and businesses succeed in the face of uncertainty. As a multinational specialty insurer whose insurance subsidiaries have an A.M. Best Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and an A.M. Best Financial Size Category of ‘X’, we offer a diverse set of admitted and excess and surplus lines insurance products and warranty solutions. For more information: www.fortegra.com.


 


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Contacts

media@fortegra.com



Wednesday, June 17, 2026

Clearlake Capital Closes on $14.8 Billion to Capitalize on AI-Driven Transformation and Continue Sector-Focused Investment Strategy

 SANTA MONICA, Calif. - Tuesday, 16. June 2026 AETOSWire 




Fund VIII Reflects Strong Global Investor Support for Clearlake’s Integrated Platform, Operational Value-Creation Model, and AI-Enabled Investment Approach


(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. (“Clearlake” or the “Firm”), a global investment firm managing integrated platforms spanning private equity, liquid and private credit, and other related strategies, today announced the successful close of its eighth flagship fund, Clearlake Capital Partners VIII (“Fund VIII”), alongside related co-investment vehicles and separately managed accounts. Together, these vehicles represent $14.8 billion of capital commitments and position Clearlake to continue investing behind the secular trends reshaping industries, including artificial intelligence, software modernization, digital transformation, and operational efficiency.


The successful fundraise comes amid a highly competitive and selective fundraising environment for private markets and underscores continued investor confidence in Clearlake's differentiated sector-focused strategy, integrated investment platform, and proven ability to create value across market cycles. The close was supported by a diverse group of nearly 300 existing and new investors globally, representing six continents and 35 countries, reflecting continued confidence in the Firm’s disciplined investment approach and long-term performance.


“We are grateful for the strong support from both existing and new limited partners around the world,” said José E. Feliciano, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Clearlake Capital. “In an environment where investors are increasingly concentrating capital with scaled, differentiated managers, Fund VIII reflects the strength of our platform, the consistency of our performance, and the enduring partnerships we have built with our investors over the past two decades. We believe our integrated approach, combining deep sector expertise, operational capabilities, and technology enabled value creation, positions us well to capitalize on compelling opportunities for our investors.”


“Periods of disruption often create the most attractive opportunities for value creation,” said Behdad Eghbali, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Clearlake Capital. “We believe our combination of sector specialization, operational expertise, differentiated use of AI, and flexible capital solutions positions us to help businesses accelerate transformation and achieve their next stage of growth. With Fund VIII, we are well-positioned to partner with management teams navigating this evolution and continue delivering long-term value for our investors.”


Fund VIII has already begun deploying capital across investments aligned with Clearlake’s sector-focused strategy and conviction around AI-driven transformation. Through Clearlake AI Labs and external AI partners, Clearlake works alongside management teams to identify and implement high-impact initiatives across operations, product development, customer engagement, and decision-making. Recent investments, including Dun & Bradstreet, Qualus, and ModMed, reflect Clearlake’s focus on partnering with businesses positioned to benefit from technology-enabled transformation and long-term secular growth.


The close follows a period of significant portfolio activity and realized value creation, including approximately $22 billion of realizations over the last five years across investments such as Concert Golf Partners, Brightly, Janus International Group, and Team Technologies, demonstrating Clearlake’s ability to execute its strategy and generate liquidity for investors across varying market environments.


Evercore Private Funds Group acted as the primary fundraising advisor and global placement agent for Fund VIII, and Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal adviser for the Fund.


About Clearlake


Clearlake Capital is a leading global alternative asset manager founded in 2006 with over $185 billion of assets under management. Clearlake offers a broad range of investment solutions across private equity, credit, infrastructure, secondaries, co-investments, and other related private market strategies. Through Pathway Capital Management, a division of Clearlake, the Firm serves institutional and wealth investors seeking diversified access to private markets. Clearlake seeks to partner with experienced management teams by providing patient, long-term capital to businesses across multiple sectors. The Firm aims to drive value through its active, hands-on operating approach, O.P.S.® (Operations, People, Strategy), which combines deep operational expertise with strategic and talent-focused initiatives. Headquartered in Santa Monica, Clearlake maintains 14 offices across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. For more information, please visit clearlake.com or follow us on LinkedIn.


 


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Contacts

Investor Contact:

Patrick Gilligan

310-400-8844

pgilligan@clearlake.com


Media Contact:

Tasha Pelio

310-400-8879

Tasha.pelio@clearlake.com


 

The Smarter E Europe Sends a Strong Message: the Energy Future Is Renewable

MUNICH & PFORZHEIM, Germany - Wednesday, 17. June 2026


(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Europe is once again facing an energy crisis, another reminder of just how vulnerable our fossil fuel-based energy system is. Yet the current crisis is also accelerating the energy transition and the adoption of electromobility. The objective is to reduce dependence on imports of fossil-based raw materials and thereby increase resilience. This year, The smarter E Europe, Europe’s largest alliance of exhibitions for the energy industry, is sending a strong and clear message with its new special exhibit Renewables 24/7: Renewable energies ensure a secure, reliable and affordable energy supply every day, around the clock. This message is scientifically supported by a new study from the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, which will be presented on June 23. From June 23–25, around 2,800 exhibitors will present groundbreaking, market-ready and cross-system technologies for a 24/7 renewable energy supply at Messe München. More than 100,000 visitors are expected.


The new study, Cost-Optimal Transformation of the German Energy System by 2045 – Setting the Course for a Reliable, Resilient and Climate-Neutral 24/7 Energy System, was conducted by Fraunhofer ISE on behalf of The smarter E Europe. Based on facts, it demonstrates that a renewable energy system is reliable, cost-effective, resilient and climate-neutral while promoting growth and prosperity in industrialized nations.


Special exhibit Renewables 24/7


The special exhibit Renewables 24/7 – Secure Energy for a Changing World in hall C5 demonstrates how this vision can be put into practice. It is the standout attraction at this year’s event. The exhibition shows how a renewable energy system functions.


The energy transition is a mindset challenge


On June 23, Michael Kellner (Member of the German Bundestag), Ursula Heinen-Esser (President of the German Renewable Energy Federation, BEE), Prof. Dr. Christian Stöcker (journalist and media researcher) and Luisa Neubauer (climate activist) will discuss how a fully renewable energy system is both technically practicable and socially viable. Hosted by energy expert Dr. Tim Meyer.


E-mobility and grid integration


The Bidirectional Zone is the place to discover how electric vehicles can be used to charge, store and feed electricity back into the grid. Companies operating large fleets benefit from add-on technologies such as smart charging or virtual swarm storage, which allow them to achieve attractive returns on investment.


Green hydrogen: the key to the transformation


At the newly designed Hydrogen Dialogue Forum & Expo exhibition segment ees Europe is placing the topic firmly in the spotlight. On June 24 and 25, the Hydrogen Dialogue Summit at the International Congress Center München (ICM) will explore current trends and challenges in the hydrogen sector. The event is sponsored by Bavarian Minister of State for Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy, Hubert Aiwanger, who will be opening the summit on June 24.


Technology transfer from space


The results of the ees Island Challenge 2026 (BEYOND EARTH) will be presented on the ees Innovation Hub Stage in hall B0. Solutions developed for operation in space conditions can also be applied to critical infrastructure and stand-alone power systems, or microgrids, on Earth.


For more information, please visit:


www.TheSmarterE.de


 


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Contacts

Contact:

Solar Promotion GmbH | P.O. Box 100 170 | 75101 Pforzheim

Horst Dufner | Tel.: +49 7231 58598-0 | Fax: +49 7231 58598-28

dufner@solarpromotion.de


Press contact:

RYSM | Schlesische Straße 26/c4 |10997 Berlin

Roberto Freiberger | Tel.: +49 163 8430 943

roberto.freiberger@rysm.com


Solar Promotion GmbH | P.O. Box 100 170 | 75101 Pforzheim

Peggy Härter-Zilay | Tel.: +49 7231 58598-240

haerter-zilay@solarpromotion.com

Moody’s Launches Decision-Grade AI Skills for Major AI Platforms

 NEW YORK - Wednesday, 17. June 2026 AETOSWire  


Launching today on Microsoft 365 Copilot Cowork, with availability expanding across compatible AI platforms


 


(BUSINESS WIRE)--Moody’s Corporation (NYSE: MCO) today announced the release of its first set of AI skills – purpose-built, platform-agnostic instruction kits that encode Moody’s analytical frameworks and connect AI agents to its decision-grade intelligence. Available across compatible AI platforms beginning with Microsoft 365 Copilot Cowork, Moody’s skills enable customers to execute complex analytical workflows through a single natural-language request, with outputs grounded in Moody’s proprietary ratings, research, and risk intelligence.


“Moody’s is among the first financial data providers to deliver a full library of skills on an open standard, and today’s launch is just the beginning,” said Cristina Pieretti, Head of Digital Content and Innovation at Moody’s. “AI platforms are becoming the interface for financial decision-making, and the next phase of adoption will be defined by execution. Skills are how we encode Moody’s expertise into that execution layer.”


Skills are emerging as the standard for how AI agents execute specialist work. By publishing its analytical frameworks as skills that run on the platforms where market participants already build and operate, Moody’s is embedding its decision-grade intelligence at the center of how financial analysis is executed across the industry.


Moody’s first wave of skills covers high-priority financial workflows where Moody’s expertise is most concentrated:


Earnings Call Summary – Summarizes earnings call transcripts, covering revenue trends, pricing dynamics, consumer health, tariff exposure, and more.

Peer Analysis – Produces an investor-grade comparison across leverage, profitability, ESG, credit quality, and more.

Public Information Book – Builds a comprehensive dossier on a single entity, spanning financials, governance, competitive landscape, and risk profile.

Rating Pitch – Generates a structured pitch deck covering sector context, rating history, and peer positioning.

Sector Analysis – Combines Moody’s proprietary research with live market intelligence to deliver a full sector-level outlook.

Each skill encodes analytical steps and quality standards to produce outputs that are consistent, sourced, and defensible for high-stakes decision-making in regulated environments. A skill defines how the work is done; Moody's Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers connect it to the data it runs on. MCP is the open standard that lets an AI agent draw directly on Moody's ratings, research, and risk intelligence, so the outputs are grounded in proprietary data rather than general-purpose web content.


A skill teaches an AI agent how to perform a task to a defined standard, captured in a simple, shareable instruction file. Moody's skills are built on the open SKILL.md format, which originated with Anthropic and has since been adopted by platforms like OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon. Because the standard is open, the institutional knowledge encoded in each skill is a durable, portable asset rather than a capability locked to one provider, built once and able to run on any compatible platform.


Moody's plans to expand its library of skills to include credit analysis, lead generation, third-party due diligence, and insurance underwriting – extending its analytical frameworks into more of the high-stakes workflows where financial professionals operate. Each new skill will follow the same open, platform-agnostic standard, ensuring the institutional knowledge remains a durable, portable asset across compatible AI platforms.


To learn more, visit https://www.moodys.com/web/en/us/creditview/blog/moodys-skills.html


About Moody’s Corporation


In a world shaped by increasingly interconnected risks, Moody's (NYSE: MCO) data, insights, and innovative technologies help customers develop a holistic view of their world and unlock opportunities. With a rich history of experience in global markets and a diverse workforce of approximately 16,000 across more than 40 countries, Moody's gives customers the comprehensive perspective needed to act with confidence and thrive. Learn more at moodys.com.


“Safe Harbor” statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995


Certain statements contained in this document are forward-looking statements and are based on future expectations, plans and prospects for Moody’s business and operations that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Such statements involve estimates, projections, goals, forecasts, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those contemplated, expressed, projected, anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. Stockholders and investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements and other information in this document are made as of the date hereof, and Moody’s undertakes no obligation (nor does it intend) to publicly supplement, update or revise such statements on a going-forward basis, whether as a result of subsequent developments, changed expectations or otherwise, except as required by applicable law or regulation. Factors, risks and uncertainties as well as other risks and uncertainties that could cause Moody’s actual results to differ materially from those contemplated, expressed, projected, anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements are described in greater detail under “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A of Moody’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, and in other filings made by the Company from time to time with the SEC or in materials incorporated herein or therein. Stockholders and investors are cautioned that the occurrence of any of these factors, risks and uncertainties may cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from those contemplated, expressed, projected, anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements, which could have a material and adverse effect on the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition.


 


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Contacts

For Moody’s Communications:

Chris Cashman

Moody’s Corporation

+1 212-553-1461

chris.cashman@moodys.com

Respond.io Raises $62.5M Series B to Scale AI-Powered Customer Conversations Into North America and Europe

 KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Tuesday, 16. June 2026 AETOSWire Print 


62.5M Series B led by Camber Partners, with existing investors participating.

Respond.io is profitable with $35M ARR, 169% year-over-year growth, and a 30% profit margin.

New capital will fund expansion into and mergers and acquisitions within North America and Europe.

 


 


(BUSINESS WIRE)--Respond.io, a customer conversation management platform, today announced a $62.5 million Series B round led by Camber Partners, with participation from Endeavor Catalyst and existing investors.


What respond.io does


Respond.io enables mid-market B2C businesses to grow revenue from high volumes of customer chats and calls. It unifies WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, Messenger, LINE, Telegram, WeChat, voice calls, email, web chat and 16 more integrations into a single platform with AI agents, automation, and CRMs. This turns fragmented customer conversations into a measurable revenue engine, purpose-built for real-world scale and complexity.


The company serves industries where customers initiate conversations before buying, booking, or committing, including education, healthcare, automotive, retail and travel. The platform powers 2 billion messages per quarter for more than 10,000 businesses in over 180 countries, including Toyota, British Airways, Radisson, Hertz, and Decathlon.


Respond.io generates $35M in annual recurring revenue, growing 169% year-over-year, at a 30% profit margin. It is ISO 27001 certified, GDPR compliant, and an official Meta Business and TikTok Marketing Partner.


Why Camber Partners


The funding was led by Camber Partners, a New York City-based growth equity firm that invests in only a handful of capital-efficient software businesses per year, with a pre-fund portfolio that includes Dropbox, PandaDoc, and Pipedrive. Camber brings deep operational engagement to their partnerships, including support in go-to-market, data science, and talent. As a US-based firm with European market experience, the relationship maps directly to respond.io's geographic expansion plans.


"When we started talking to Camber Partners, that conversation felt different," said Gerardo Salandra, CEO and co-founder of respond.io. "We built respond.io over nine years across markets most competitors never entered and did it profitably. Camber Partners and other investors backed us because they understand what that means: real product-market fit, with great unit economics, and a business that raises to accelerate, not to survive."


"Respond.io spent nine years building the infrastructure for high consideration, AI-native customer conversations - and they did it profitably in diverse markets. They have an exceptional team that has leveraged AI to accelerate rapidly. We believe respond.io is positioned to lead this category at a global scale," said Scott Irwin, founder and partner, Camber Partners.


From omnichannel inbox to native AI infrastructure


Respond.io launched in 2017 to solve a straightforward problem: customers were moving to messaging apps, but businesses struggled to respond from separate channel inboxes. The founding team built a platform that consolidated fragmented conversations into a single platform with automation and routing.


As frontier LLMs matured, the team realized this foundation was exactly what autonomous agents needed to operate on to enable rapid revenue acceleration for the high-consideration businesses they serve. Respond.io had spent years assembling the infrastructure — every major messaging channel, voice, email, CRM integrations, compliance controls — and accumulating the kind of operational depth that comes only from years of running high-volume conversations. This enabled it to roll out native AI technologies that meaningfully address real business needs.


This advantage is structural and compounds over time. Processing more conversations than any comparable platform creates a data flywheel — aggregate intelligence about how businesses actually deploy AI in high-volume messaging, the patterns that work, the edge cases that don't — that continuously shapes how respond.io's AI features are built and improved. Newer or lighter platforms building on the same frontier models cannot buy these operational signals or guarantee the same 99.999% uptime at the volumes AI brings. Today, Respond.io’s AI Agents engage thousands of leads daily, qualify them and close B2C sales autonomously, handing off to human operators with full context for edge cases.


The speed of respond.io’s innovation attracted some of the largest partners in the ecosystem. Meta and TikTok chose respond.io for early rollouts of WhatsApp Business Calling API, TikTok Business Messaging, and TikTok Messaging Ads — making it one of the few platforms offering end-to-end integrations for both messaging and calling.


"Most businesses still treat customer conversations as a cost to manage. The ones winning right now treat them as the revenue channel they actually are, and they're automating everything that doesn't require a human so the humans can focus where they add the most value,” Salandra said. “We see it in our customers every day — we have case studies showing AI Agents are handling 600% more leads with conversation rates as high as 84%.”


Entering North America and Europe


Respond.io built category leadership across APAC, LATAM and EMEA — markets where mobile messaging is the primary commercial channel — and reached profitability doing so. The capital from this new round will accelerate the company’s expansion in North America and Europe, where social commerce on TikTok, Instagram, and WhatsApp is growing, and mid-market B2C businesses are increasingly running the same types of revenue-critical conversations that respond.io has powered for years.


"The customer conversation management space is at an inflection point," Salandra said. "North America and Western Europe are moving toward leveraging conversations as a competitive advantage to generate revenue, using similar workflows we've already built and tested in markets where this shift happened first. We know how to serve these businesses, and with this funding, we now have the resources to reach them faster."


Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn and Chairman of Endeavor Catalyst commented: "We are thrilled to be investing in respond.io in this new round. Respond.io is exactly the kind of company we are proud to support — founders building profitable infrastructure in emerging markets and scaling them into the world's largest economies. So proud to have them in the Endeavor Catalyst family!"


About respond.io


Respond.io is a customer conversation management platform that unifies messaging, calls, email, and CRM to help mid-market B2C businesses drive revenue from customer conversations. The platform powers 2 billion messages per quarter for 10,000+ businesses in over 180 countries and territories with 99.999% platform uptime. Respond.io is ISO 27001 certified, GDPR compliant, and an official Meta Business and TikTok Marketing partner. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, it raised US$7 million in Series A funding in 2022. For more information, visit https://respond.io.


 


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Contacts

respond.io

pr@respond.io


 







RealTime Reservation Acquires STAY to Create Leading Global Guest Experience Platform Serving 2,000+ Properties Across 75+ Countries

 Wavecrest Growth Partners invests to enable combination and support growth of the combined company


 


(BUSINESS WIRE)--RealTime Reservation (RTR), the industry leader in dynamic hospitality booking technology for onsite activities, amenities, and ancillary revenue management, today announced its acquisition of STAY, creating a global end-to-end guest experience platform for the hospitality industry. The combined company will serve more than 2,000 hospitality properties across 75+ countries throughout North America, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. The combination significantly expands RTR's international footprint and strengthens its position as a leading provider of guest engagement, ancillary revenue, and guest experience technology.


The transaction was supported by a strategic investment from Wavecrest Growth Partners (“Wavecrest”), a Boston-based growth equity firm focused on high-growth B2B software, AI, data, and technology-enabled services companies. Together, the combined platform connects the entire guest journey – from booking and pre-arrival planning to in-stay engagement and service delivery.


"The hospitality industry is moving toward a more connected, guest-centric experience, and together we are uniquely positioned to help hotels deliver it," said Shawn Tarter, CEO of RealTime Reservation. "By combining our platforms, we can provide operators with a unified solution that drives revenue, improves efficiency, and enhances the guest experience from booking through departure. What began as a shared vision several years ago has now become an opportunity to deliver that vision at a global scale."


The combined company will serve many of the world’s leading hospitality brands, including Hyatt, Radisson, RIU, IHG Hotels & Resorts brands (IHG), and Barceló, among others. By bringing together RealTime Reservation’s pre-arrival commerce and ancillary revenue platform, with STAY’s in-stay guest engagement capabilities, hospitality operators gain a more comprehensive solution to manage guest interactions, personalize experiences, drive incremental revenue, and streamline service delivery throughout the guest journey.


"From the beginning, we shared a belief that the future of hospitality lies in delivering a more connected and personalized guest experience," said Joan Lladó, President, Europe, STAY. "By joining RealTime Reservation, we gain the scale, resources, and complementary technology needed to accelerate that vision and deliver even greater value to hotel operators and guests around the world."


Looking ahead, the combined company plans to accelerate product innovation, deepen platform integrations, and expand its global presence to help hospitality operators. STAY will continue to operate as part of the combined platform under the leadership of Joan Lladó, ensuring continuity for customers while advancing the companies' shared vision for the future of hospitality technology. By bringing together pre-arrival commerce, ancillary revenue optimization, and in-stay engagement capabilities within a single platform, RealTime Reservation and STAY are well-positioned to support the evolving needs of hotels, resorts, and hospitality brands worldwide.


“RealTime Reservation and STAY are unique, purpose-built platforms addressing a large and increasingly important priority for the hospitality industry: helping operators drive incremental ‘non-room’ revenue while maintaining a high-quality guest experience,” said Vaibhav Nalwaya, Managing Partner of Wavecrest Growth Partners. “The combination brings together two highly complementary products, exceptional teams led by visionary founders, and a shared customer-centric vision to create what we believe will be the leading end-to-end guest experience platform for hotels and resorts globally. We are excited to partner with Shawn, Joan, and the combined team to support the company’s next phase of growth.”


For more information, visit https://www.realtimereservation.com/press-2/


High-res images can be found here.


About RealTime Reservation


RealTime Reservation is an institutionally-backed, high-growth hospitality tech company that enables the world’s leading hotels and resorts to manage the full guest journey through a unified hospitality platform. From reservations and pre-arrival planning to on-property experiences, RealTime enhances the guest experience, increases ancillary revenue, and streamlines the management of amenities, activities, and services. RealTime also helps hospitality operators deliver seamless digital engagement through branded mobile and web experiences, allowing guests to access services, interact with the property, and transact effortlessly throughout their stay. For more information, visit realtimereservation.com.


 


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Contacts

Cessie Cerrato

Cessie C. Communications

Cessie@cessiec.com

786-295-0493