Visitors to a restaurant expect delicious food and a pleasant experience, but the latter is often marred by long waits to order or pay for their meals. The founders of Greet realised how much time and effort this daily inconvenience takes and therefore developed a practical solution to this problem. After successfully participating in the Startup Lithuania accelerator powered by Plug and Play, Greet is now preparing for its journey to Silicon Valley.

Launched less than a couple of years ago, Greet develops digital solutions for businesses in the HORECA (hotel, restaurant and café/catering) sector that allow customers to view menus, order food and drinks, view and pay their bill and leave a tip via their smartphone. Customers access the service by using their smart device to scan a QR code, thus saving restaurants time and increasing operational efficiency.

“The idea was born when visiting restaurants and noticing areas where efficiency and convenience were lacking – sometimes it’s a long wait for the waiter to come to take the order, then it’s a challenge to split the bill with a group of friends or to leave a tip when you don’t have cash. That’s what we decided to solve,” says Arnoldas Gritė, CEO of Greet.

According to him, at the very beginning, businesses feared that the quality of service would suffer and that human contact would decrease. However, the startup has been able to prove that automating certain processes only improves the guest experience, leaving more time for staff to interact with guests, advise or consult them on food, drinks, etc.

“We now have over 600 customers – restaurants, bars, cafés, hotels and other catering businesses. These include several restaurants in Latvia, so we will first focus on this country and then plan further expansion into other markets. We have grown 12 times in the last year, and we have no less ambition for this year,” Mr Gritė points out.

The road to international recognition

To ensure further growth and prepare for international expansion, Greet participated in the third cycle of the startup accelerator programme by Startup Lithuania of the Innovation Agency, which is implemented together with the global innovation platform Plug and Play. The startup learned from international experts and deepened its knowledge about attracting investors and global expansion.

“The accelerator gave us a lot of useful knowledge and contacts. We had the opportunity to meet investors, founders of other startups and industry experts, and we also gained a lot of useful theoretical knowledge that we have already applied to our daily challenges,” comments Mr Gritė.

The startup is also one of the two participants of the third accelerator cycle invited to participate in the GOAL programme in Silicon Valley. According to Karolina Urbonaitė, Head of Startup Lithuania of the Innovation Agency, GOAL participants, With the help of experienced experts, startups can develop a comprehensive business growth strategy, receive tailored consultations, connect with investors, and pitch their solutions to potential partners.

“Our gradually maturing startup ecosystem is still young, so it is important for businesses growing in Lithuania to adopt a Western approach, develop a business culture, mindset and ambition. The accelerator with Plug and Play and especially the GOAL programme provide invaluable opportunities for Lithuanian innovators to learn from the best and enhance their international potential,” states Ms Urbonaitė.

Mr Gritė adds that the USA is one of the leading markets in hospitality and HORECA solutions such as Greet are very popular there, so the company intends to gain relevant experience in Silicon Valley and establish contacts with local investors, and it does not exclude the possibility of directing its further expansion to the USA.

Applications for the Startup Lithuania Accelerator powered by Plug and Play Batch4 are open until March 7. Don’t miss your chance to gain expert guidance, global connections, and the tools to scale your business. Apply here.