AI in restaurants: How Nory’s $37M Series B is powering a new era of hospitality

Hospitality is a tough business — margins are thin, operations are complex, and too many decisions still rely on outdated methods. But that’s changing fast. AI in restaurants is moving beyond buzzwords to backbone, giving operators the tools they need to run leaner, smarter, and more profitably.

That’s exactly the operating system Nory is building, and with a $37 million Series B round led by Kinnevik, that vision is closer than ever. In the latest episode of What’s Cooking?, host Conor Sheridan, Nory’s CEO and founder, sits down with Jose Gaytan de Ayala, Investment Manager at Kinnevik, to unpack how AI is transforming the hospitality industry.

Why AI in restaurants is having a moment

Restaurants can’t afford to leave success to chance. They need control, not just over today, but over what’s coming. Yet for too long, that control has been out of reach, which is exactly why AI is (finally) having a moment in hospitality. As Jose nicely puts it, the industry is ready for a system upgrade.

“For Europe, the hospitality sector is a huge one. I think for many countries, it is actually, if not the largest, the second-largest industry, particularly when you look into some of the more Mediterranean countries. And it's wild to think that at the same time, being such a key strategic sector for Europe, it's widely under-digitised. [... ] It keeps on surprising that most of the customers are still using Excel and pen and paper to carry other workloads.”

The challenges operators face are very real:

• Volatile demand that’s hard to forecast manually
• Labour costs that keep climbing
• Supply chains that break at the worst possible time

The good news: these problems aren’t unsolvable. But traditional tools can’t handle them. 

AI changes the equation. Platforms like Nory combine real-time data with predictive analytics to give operators a live view of their business and even flag what’s coming.

Instead of constantly firefighting, restaurants can anticipate, optimise, and stay ahead. That’s where Nory’s AI steps in.

A different kind of investment for a different kind of product

Nory’s latest milestone reflects more than just capital. It’s a vote of confidence in the product, the team, and the pace of growth.

What makes this Series B interesting isn’t just the figure itself. It’s who backed it up and why. Kinnevik isn’t chasing quick wins. They’re a long-term investor known for deep diligence and concentrated bets.

Jose explains their thinking:

“We look for product maturity, team maturity and commercial maturity. And when we spoke with many of your customers, even prior to our first meeting, it was very surprising. They didn't see this as a working progress type of product. They saw this as a solution that was already the backbone to their operations, and we typically don't see that in companies that are so early in their journey. And we were instantly attracted to it because we recognised many of the feedback that we get from some of our other investments.”

Before making their move, Kinnevik spent months getting to know Nory. They spoke to supervisors, customers, and dug into adoption patterns to understand the impact on the ground. So, this decision wasn’t based on a hunch. It was conviction.

Their belief is clear. AI is set to become the backbone of hospitality operations. And Nory’s ahead of the curve.

Building the AI operating system for restaurants

At Nory, we believe restaurants shouldn’t just survive. They should thrive. Our mission is to give operators full control over their operations, margins, and growth. This latest funding marks the launchpad for the next wave of innovation.

Over the next 12-18 months, Nory is zeroing in on three priorities:

Proactive AI capabilities

No more dashboards gathering dust. Nory is moving beyond reactive reporting to proactive intelligence. Its AI assistants analyse operations in real time, provide actionable recommendations, and even serve as a point of contact for frontline teams. The aim is simple: give operators back hours of repetitive work so they can focus on what truly drives profit. Guest experience and sharper margins.

Expansion for AI in restaurants

Hospitality challenges don’t stop at borders. By expanding into the U.S. market, Nory aims to bring its AI operating system to one of the world’s largest and most complex restaurant ecosystems, setting a new standard for operational excellence at scale.

Operational backbone, not bolt-on

You don’t just plug Nory into your stack and move on. Nory IS the stack. From workforce management and payroll to inventory, supply chain, and profitability, it integrates every core operation into a single intelligent platform. Restaurants run smoother, teams work smarter, and leaders gain a system of record that actually drives action.

Why restaurant operators should care

It’s easy to write off AI in restaurants as another passing tech trend. But this moment is different. For operators, this shift means:

• Predictable profit margins, even in volatile markets
• Smarter labour planning, based on real data, not guesswork
• Less firefighting, more control
• Tools that actually save time, not add admin

This is where AI stops being a buzzword and starts being the operating system of modern restaurants, directly driving stronger margins and healthier bottom lines.

A new chapter for hospitality

With permanent capital, a bold product vision, and a sector-specific strategy, Nory’s Series B marks more than a funding milestone. It signals a new way for restaurants to operate in the future. It’s truly a new era of hospitality — smarter, faster, and more profitable than ever.

🎧 Listen to the full episode of What’s Cooking? on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on YouTube to hear Jose and Conor break down how AI is transforming restaurant operations, boosting profitability, and reshaping the future of hospitality.