What ExploreTECH does

ExploreTECH is a Dubai-headquartered B2B digital marketplace and intelligence platform that structures the fragmented hospitality technology landscape for buyers and vendors. Founded in 2022 and operating with 11-50 employees, the platform catalogs 2,490 products from 1,535 verified vendors across 135 technology categories — spanning property management systems, revenue management, payments, guest experience, ICT, robotics, and sustainability. Its core offering combines a self-serve discovery and comparison interface with AI-guided workflows (including the ExploreTECH PRO chatbot, currently in BETA), a vendor verification system using "green verified" tags, and a structured comparison framework that standardizes functionality, integration, and pricing data. Customers include named enterprise hotel groups such as Rotana, Shangri-La, Premier Inn, Millennium Hotels & Resorts, Address Hotels & Resorts, and Global Hotel Alliance, alongside independent properties.

The platform operates a multi-stream revenue model: a freemium core tier with free account creation and dashboard building, a quote-based enterprise solution for hotel groups and brands seeking portfolio-wide technology governance, on-demand advisory services through the "Voice of the Expert" network of vetted independent consultants (booking and payment facilitated through the platform), and event-based monetization via TECH Pavilion and TMM events. An automated RFP tool is scheduled for Q4 2026, positioning the platform to move further upstream into procurement workflow automation. Go-to-market blends self-serve with sales-led enterprise engagement (Request a Demo, Book a Call CTAs) and event-driven community building.

ExploreTECH is privately held, raised a $2,000,000 seed round in November 2023, and is led by co-founders Mona Faraj (CEO), Ralph Melis (Co-Founder & Managing Partner / COO), and Antoine Medawar (Seed Investor & Co-Founder), with Wasiq Ghaznavi as CTO. The company claims a global footprint spanning Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Pacific, and South America, anchored by founding partnerships with hospitality technology vendors Shiji and D-EDGE. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and no institutional investors beyond the seed round are identified in available data.

Name

ExploreTECH

Legal name

ExploreTECH

Website

https://exploretech.io

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ExploreTECH is a Dubai-based B2B marketplace and AI-guided intelligence platform that catalogs 2,490 hospitality technology products from 1,535 verified vendors across 135 categories, serving hotel buyers from independent properties to global enterprise chains with discovery, comparison, advisory, and RFP automation tools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospitality Technology Intelligence Platform

NAICS

Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Computer Systems Design Services (541512), Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services (519290)

SIC

Wholesale-Computers & Peripheral Equipment & Software (5045), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Review-Led Travel Discovery & Booking Platforms (THAKAAAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Partner Network & Supplier Onboarding/Connectivity Platforms (Mapping, Certification, QA) (THALAJAO), B2B Marketplaces & Wholesale Platforms (BPAMAGAD), Travel, Hospitality & Local Discovery Recommendations (HDAAAGAG)

Keywords

• Hospitality technology marketplace
• Vendor discovery platform
• Hotel technology comparison
• RFP automation software
• Advisory services marketplace

Headquarters

HQ city

Dubai

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Platform Marketplace: ExploreTECH operates a B2B marketplace connecting hospitality technology buyers with vendors. The platform provides vendor discovery, comparison tools, and verification services.
2. Advisory Services (Voice of the Expert): On-demand access to vetted, independent hospitality technology consultants for quick sanity checks, deep-dive workshops, or multi-session advisory plans. Consultants are booked and paid through the platform.
3. Enterprise Solutions: Dedicated enterprise solution for hotel groups or brands seeking technology governance at scale. Mentioned as 'I want to learn about the Enterprise Solution for my hotel group or brand' in contact form options.
4. Event Participation: Technology providers can participate in TECH Pavilion or TMM events through the platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ExploreTECH operates a B2B digital marketplace and AI-powered hospitality technology intelligence ecosystem that connects hospitality technology buyers with 1,535 verified vendors across 135 categories and 2,400+ solutions. The platform provides structured vendor discovery, side-by-side comparison tools, AI-guided workflows, an in-beta conversational AI chatbot (ExploreTECH PRO), and an independent advisory service (Voice of the Expert) for RFP support and technology validation.

Product overview

ExploreTECH is an AI-powered hospitality technology intelligence ecosystem structured as a platform with integrated modules. The core platform provides structured discovery and comparison of 2,400+ hospitality technology solutions across 135 technology categories, featuring the ExploreTECH PRO AI chatbot for conversational queries. Key modules include: the Comparison Tool for side-by-side vendor evaluation; the upcoming RFP Tool (Q4 2026) for automated proposal management; Voice of the Expert (VoE) Advisory Services for independent consultant connections; and Vendor Connection Services for facilitated outreach. The platform also lists vendor products from partners including Stayntouch (Hotel PMS and Hotel Kiosk) as examples of the hospitality solutions in its marketplace. The ecosystem serves independent hotels to global brands with AI-guided workflows for technology decision-making.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ExploreTECH PRO: AI assistant tool currently in BETA for hospitality technology guidance.
• Voice of the Expert (VoE)

Products and services

• ExploreTECH Platform AI-powered hospitality technology intelligence ecosystem that maps the fragmented technology landscape across 135 categories and 2,400+ solutions, providing structured discovery, comparison, and decision-making tools for hospitality technology buyers. Includes vendor profiles, product specifications, integration requirements, pricing models, and unified comparison frameworks for objective vendor evaluation.
• ExploreTECH PRO (AI Chatbot) AI-powered conversational chatbot that processes natural language queries about hospitality technology, vendors, products, and solutions. Currently in BETA with continuous learning capabilities; provides conversational guidance for technology decision-making.
• Voice of the Expert (VoE) Advisory Services Independent advisory service connecting hospitality decision-makers with vetted, tech-agnostic consultants for expert guidance on technology selection, RFP processes, and implementation. Consultants are booked and paid through the platform, with profiles including Li Hawkins (project management), Angie Lacia (hotel distribution), Carlos Abou-Diwan (infrastructure), and Ralph Melis (distribution technology). 25+ satisfied clients supported.
• ExploreTECH Enterprise Solution Dedicated enterprise solution for hotel groups and brands requiring technology governance at scale across multiple properties. Includes portfolio-wide technology standardization, dedicated account management, and enterprise-level access to the ExploreTECH intelligence ecosystem. Quote-based pricing with annual billing cadence.

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• StayntouchcoreTechnology or IntegrationStayntouch is listed as a verified vendor on ExploreTECH's marketplace. They offer cloud PMS solutions for hotels. ExploreTECH provides market visibility and lead generation for Stayntouch.
• ShijicoreTechnology or IntegrationShiji is a founding partner of ExploreTECH platform. Shiji Senior Vice President APAC & Middle East Nikkie-Randhawa Singh expressed excitement about collaborating with industry professionals passionate about innovation.
• D-EDGEcoreTechnology or IntegrationD-EDGE is a founding partner of ExploreTECH. Chief Commercial Officer Heinrich Kessler noted the Middle East is an important market and praised the platform's comprehensive overview of available solutions.
• LighthousecoreTechnology or IntegrationLighthouse partnership provides hoteliers with rate shopping, market intelligence, parity management, and business intelligence solutions through ExploreTECH collaboration.
• CendyncoreTechnology or IntegrationCendyn is listed as an early adopter community member and verified vendor on the platform, offering marketing and revenue management solutions.
• dailypointcoreTechnology or Integrationdailypoint is an early adopter and verified vendor, offering CDP for CRM and loyalty solutions. They have signed partnerships with Serena Hotels and Mirror Lake Inn Resort & Spa.
• AdyencoreTechnology or IntegrationAdyen is an early adopter community member and verified vendor offering payment solutions for hospitality.
• Pace RevenuecoreTechnology or IntegrationPace Revenue is an early adopter community member and verified vendor offering revenue management solutions.
• HotelogixcoreTechnology or IntegrationHotelogix is an early adopter community member and verified vendor offering property management solutions.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• HotelTechReport: HotelTechReport is the most direct comparable: a B2B marketplace and review platform helping hoteliers discover, compare, and select hospitality technology vendors across similar categories. Both platforms target the same buyer persona and rely on vendor-side content.

Broad incumbents

• Capterra (Gartner Digital Markets): Capterra is a broad B2B software marketplace owned by Gartner with substantial coverage of hospitality technology categories. It competes on discovery and comparison but lacks ExploreTECH's hospitality-specific taxonomy and AI-guided workflow depth.
• G2: G2 is a leading B2B software marketplace with verified reviews and comparison tools. While not hospitality-specialized, it competes for buyer attention in adjacent categories like CRM, BI, and revenue management.
• GetApp: GetApp is a Gartner-operated B2B software discovery platform covering business applications including hospitality. It overlaps with ExploreTECH on vendor discovery and lead-generation mechanics.
• Software Advice: Software Advice is a Gartner-owned B2B software advisory and comparison platform. It serves similar buyer-research workflows through advisor calls and side-by-side feature comparisons.

Emerging players

• Shiji: Shiji is a global hospitality technology platform spanning PMS, POS, and distribution. It is both an ExploreTECH founding partner and a potential competitor as it broadens its marketplace and ecosystem positioning.
• Lighthouse (formerly OTA Insight): Lighthouse provides rate shopping, market intelligence, parity management, and BI for hotels. As a founding ExploreTECH partner, it overlaps on the BI and market intelligence categories hosted on the marketplace.
• D-EDGE: D-EDGE is a hospitality distribution and digital marketing platform and an ExploreTECH founding partner. It overlaps on the booking engine, channel manager, and digital advertising categories.
• Cloudbeds: Cloudbeds is a hospitality management suite covering PMS, booking engine, and channel manager. It competes indirectly by aggregating its own vendor ecosystem and positioning as a one-stop platform.
• TrustYou: TrustYou is a guest feedback and reputation platform serving hotels and is listed as a category within ExploreTECH's marketplace. Both platforms intersect at the buyer-research and guest-experience intelligence layers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/exploretech
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/exploretech

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ExploreTECH