Founders of UK startup – which attracted investment from KKR Co-Founder, Henry Kravis, Zip Founder, Larry Diamond, and Middleby Corporation – begin US expansion just 12 weeks after launch
On-table ordering startup, Leslie, is bringing its hospitality revolutionizing technology to food service and hospitality companies in the US just 12 weeks after its initial launch. The UK-based company, which offers customers a simplified, more efficient way to order, tip and pay, is accessible to end users via a QR code with no app download required. Delivering a seamless user experience and checkout process, Leslie enables customers to order and pay via their smartphone instantly.
During the COVID-19 lockdown, entrepreneurs Joey Barnett and Dovi David founded the business which, in a matter of months, attracted multimillion-dollar investments from the likes of KKR Co-Founder, Henry Kravis, Zip Founder, Larry Diamond, and Middleby Corporation, the supplier of more than 80% of the top 100 food service chains around the world. Following its UK launch just 12 weeks ago, Leslie has been used by over 10,000 people to order and pay, and has an impressive lineup of US-based venues ready to implement the technology in the coming months.
Read More: Powerbridge Technologies Establishes Powercrypto Holdings For Its Crypto Mining And Digital Asset…
“Driven by the ongoing pandemic, the demand for QR code-powered, contactless payments has skyrocketed,” said Leslie CEO and Co-Founder, Joey Barnett. “We believe the market for scan-and-pay technology is in infancy stages, and this will drastically and rapidly grow in 2022 and beyond.”
Leslie has already recruited over 50 people globally, including senior hires from Deliveroo, Just Eat, Apple, and Amazon. “We are going for a blitzscale approach. This is an execution play and we have the foundations in place to take on a serious chunk of the addressable market,” said Dovi David, COO and Co-Founder. “The US is the biggest market of all, and we are poised to grab this opportunity.”
“Between the challenges of working face-to-face in a pandemic and the ongoing Great Resignation, the hospitality industry is primed for innovation,” said Chris Jones, European President of Middleby Corporation. “On the heels of the traction we are already seeing in the UK from our exclusive partnership between Middleby and Leslie, I’m excited to see this flourish in the US market as well. We believe technology like Leslie is the key to increasing safety and efficiency while creating an all-around excellent customer experience.”
Read More: SalesTechStar Interview With John Bruno, Vice President Of Strategy At PROS