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Key people at Vikey.
Vikey develops an automated self check-in system designed for the hospitality sector. This platform integrates digital identity verification and facilitates seamless property access via smartphone applications or web interfaces. Its core offering includes smart lock technology, remote door opening systems, and a digital concierge, all engineered to streamline the arrival and departure experience for guests across diverse accommodation categories.
The company was founded in 2016 by Richard Sasson and Luca Bernardoni. Their founding insight originated from a desire to modernize guest reception within the hospitality industry, recognizing an opportunity to apply technology for more efficient and friction-free interactions between property managers and their visitors. This approach directly addresses traditional logistical challenges.
Vikey serves a varied customer base within the hospitality market, including operators of vacation rentals, independent hotels, and property owners. The company's long-term vision is to significantly enhance operational efficiency for these businesses while elevating the convenience and overall experience for their guests, aiming to establish automated property access and management as a fundamental industry practice.
# Vikey: Transforming Hospitality Through Contactless Access
Vikey is an Italian technology startup that has developed a cloud-based IoT solution enabling self check-in and automated accommodation management for the hospitality sector[4]. The company serves hotels, bed-and-breakfasts, and vacation rentals by providing a combined hardware and software platform that allows guests to access their rooms without traditional key exchanges or front-desk interactions[5].
The core problem Vikey solves is the operational friction and safety concerns inherent in traditional check-in processes. By enabling contactless, self-directed access to accommodations, Vikey addresses a market need that has become increasingly critical in the post-pandemic hospitality landscape. The company has demonstrated strong growth momentum, with 2022 revenue reaching $752.1K and a total funding raise of $2.02M across seven rounds[3]. Most significantly, Vikey achieved a major validation milestone when Zucchetti Hospitality, a major player in hospitality software, acquired a majority stake in the company in June 2025, signaling strong market confidence in the solution's viability and scalability[2].
Vikey was founded by a team of six entrepreneurs: Luca Bernardoni (CEO), Matteo Caruso, Mirko Di Veroli, Federico Raccah, Simon Raccah, and Richard Sasson[2]. The startup emerged from recognizing a fundamental pain point in the hospitality industry—the inefficiency and hygiene concerns associated with physical key exchanges and crowded front-desk operations.
The company's trajectory reflects both market timing and operational resilience. Vikey secured its initial funding and built investor confidence through multiple rounds, culminating in an €800K investment round that brought total funding to €1.6 million[1]. This round included participation from CDP Venture Capital Sgr through the AccelerOra! Program, Italian Angels for Growth (IAG), and LVenture Group. The investor commentary at that time emphasized the team's ability to anticipate market shifts and their technological vision. By June 2025, the startup had matured sufficiently to attract a strategic corporate acquisition, with Zucchetti Hospitality recognizing the value of Vikey's technology and retaining the founding team in management roles[2].
Technology Integration: Vikey's competitive advantage lies in its integrated hardware-software approach. Rather than offering a purely software solution, the company provides IoT-enabled physical access systems that seamlessly connect to cloud-based management platforms, creating a comprehensive ecosystem for contactless hospitality operations[4].
Market Timing and Relevance: The startup positioned itself at the intersection of two powerful trends—the hospitality industry's digital transformation and the sustained demand for contactless services. As noted by CEO Luca Bernardoni, contactless solutions have become increasingly requested across the hotel industry and beyond[1].
Investor Confidence and Network: Vikey attracted sophisticated institutional investors including CDP Venture Capital, which operates Italy's national innovation fund, alongside angel networks and venture capital firms. This investor composition reflects both the startup's credibility and its access to networks that support international expansion[1].
Operational Resilience: Multiple investors highlighted the team's ability to navigate difficulties and adapt to market changes—a critical differentiator in the volatile startup landscape. LVenture Group's CEO emphasized that "resilient, scale-up driven teams like Vikey's are the future of our entrepreneurial fabric"[1].
Vikey operates within the broader digitalization of hospitality and the Internet of Things (IoT) revolution. The company exemplifies how European startups are building specialized solutions for vertical markets rather than pursuing horizontal platforms. This approach allows for deeper product-market fit and stronger defensibility.
The timing of Vikey's growth coincides with several macro trends: the normalization of contactless interactions post-pandemic, the hospitality industry's accelerating digital adoption, and the consolidation of travel-tech solutions into larger platforms. Zucchetti Hospitality's acquisition of Vikey in 2025 reflects this consolidation dynamic, where established software providers recognize that acquiring specialized startups is faster and more effective than building comparable solutions internally[2].
Within the Italian startup ecosystem specifically, Vikey represents the type of resilient, scale-up-driven company that institutional investors and government innovation programs are actively supporting. The involvement of CDP Venture Capital and Italian Angels for Growth underscores how public-private partnerships are nurturing homegrown technology companies capable of competing internationally.
Vikey's acquisition by Zucchetti Hospitality represents a successful exit for early investors and a validation of the self check-in market opportunity. However, the retention of the founding team in management roles suggests this is not a traditional acquisition but rather a strategic integration that will accelerate Vikey's product development and market reach.
Looking forward, Vikey's trajectory will likely be shaped by several factors: the pace of digital adoption across European hospitality, competitive pressure from larger software vendors building similar capabilities, and the expansion of contactless solutions beyond accommodation into other service sectors. The company's founders have demonstrated the ability to anticipate market needs and execute through challenging conditions—capabilities that will be essential as they scale within Zucchetti's infrastructure.
The broader significance of Vikey's journey is that it demonstrates how European startups can build defensible, venture-scale businesses in specialized verticals. Rather than competing globally on horizontal platforms, companies like Vikey succeed by solving acute problems for specific industries with deep technical expertise and strong execution. As the hospitality sector continues its digital transformation, Vikey's technology will likely become increasingly embedded in how guests interact with accommodations across Europe and beyond.
Key people at Vikey.
