Latest news with #Upscale
Trade Arabia
4 days ago
- Business
- Trade Arabia
Major wellness hotels stage top-line comeback
Hotels with major wellness offerings -- those receiving over $1 million or 10% of total revenue from wellness and leisure -- had a strong performance in revenue generation globally in 2024, hospitality advisor RLA Global said in its latest Wellness Real Estate Report. The report was published in partnership with P&L benchmarking firm HotStats for the 6th year in 2025. Average TRevPAR at 'major wellness' properties was 56% higher than at 'minor wellness' hotels, and exceeded that of hotels with no wellness services by a striking 108%. Minor wellness continued to lead in RevPAR and TRevPAR growth in 2024, although major wellness assets increased revenue KPIs by up to 160% in the Upscale hotel category, according to the report findings. Major wellness hotels also fared better in Upscale in terms of absolute profit. 'Major wellness hotels came roaring back in 2024, displaying a standout top-line performance in TRevPAR and RevPAR and impressive year-on-year growth rates in the Upscale category. The all-important bottom line performance showed Major wellness outperforming Minor Wellness in GOPPAR in absolute terms in 2024, but Minor Wellness had higher year-on-year GOPPAR growth compared to 2023,' Roger A Allen, Group CEO of RLA Global, said. 'Major wellness assets in the upscale segment are now outperforming even luxury properties in total revenue per room — a clear sign that traditional assumptions about service levels and positioning are being challenged. This shift could have significant implications for how capital is allocated and how future developments are designed,' Rachael Rothman, Head of Hotels Research and Data Analytics at CBRE, said. Occupancy rates remained largely stable in 2024, slightly up at Major and Minor Wellness hotels and a bit down at hotels with no wellness offerings. Ancillary spending was somewhat lower than in 2023, and accounted for 56% of TRevPAR at major wellness and 38% at minor wellness. 'Occupancy is holding steady, showing that travel demand remains strong. But hotels can't just ride the wave anymore — with revenue growth starting to soften, the real challenge is unlocking more on-property spend, especially in wellness, where guest demand is high but monetisation still lags,' Michael Grove, CEO of HotStats, said. Major Wellness properties had a healthy leisure performance with a profit conversion of 49%. Payroll represents 35% of their leisure income, suggesting significant staff requirements, but departmental expenses are minimal at 16%, reflecting efficient operational spending. Major Wellness was the only group that could increase F&B revenue per occupied room in 2024, but just by 1% – suggesting that TRevPAR is mainly driven by the rooms and leisure departments. 'As wellness offerings evolve, it's clear that operational efficiency and targeted F&B concepts in minor wellness properties are driving profitability, while major wellness must look beyond traditional offerings to sustain growth,' Edward Harvey, Director at Elevate FB, said. Important industry trends the Wellness Real Estate Report identified in 2025 include the return to foundational health habits increasingly driving wellness space design, experiences outvaluing opulence in luxury living, and hotels prioritise sleep to repeat business, among others.
Business Wire
12-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Upscale AI Launches With $5.5M in Funding and Unveils ‘Upscale Studio' — the First AI-Native Platform to Create and Run Performance TV Ads on Streaming Channels
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With over 99% of U.S. households subscribing to at least one streaming service and Americans spending 40% more time watching streaming than social media, it's clear the next frontier for performance advertising is streaming TV. AI startup is helping ecommerce brands make, run, and optimize TV ads using generative AI and machine learning; opens Beta for brands to join. Today, Upscale AI launches to help ecommerce brands win on Streaming. With $5.5 million in seed and pre-seed funding, Upscale launches Upscale Studio —the first end-to-end AI-native platform built to create, run, and optimize performance TV ads across streaming. Seed funding round was led by nvp capital with participation from M12 (Microsoft's Venture Fund), Eniac Ventures, and Breakpoint Capital. Founded by industry veterans from Google, Twitter, Salesforce, Moloco, and MNTN, Upscale AI combines generative AI for high-quality video creation with machine learning-driven programmatic buying, turning traditional TV ads into a performance channel that's automated, scalable, and measurable. 'With streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon, Disney, and even Walmart [Vizio] going all-in on advertising, we believe it's time for a new generation of AI-native tools that help brands meet this moment,' said Herman Yang, co-founder and CEO of Upscale AI. 'Upscale Studio is our answer: a full-stack creative and media engine for streaming video that's designed from the ground up for performance marketers.' Introducing Upscale Studio: Creative + Media + Optimization, All in One With Upscale Studio, ecommerce brands can: Auto-generate streaming-ready video ads using website and social assets Launch campaigns via real-time programmatic bidding across leading CTV platforms Track and optimize performance with integrated ML-powered analytics and targeting tools Beta access to Upscale Studio opens for select ecommerce brands. Early adopters like Branch Furniture and Lalo are already using the platform to speed up production cycles, simplify campaign execution, and drive measurable returns from their streaming investments. 'Upscale has transformed how we approach TV advertising,' said Michael Wieder, Co-Founder, President & CMO, at Lalo. 'Their data-driven platform helped us quickly identify the right channels and times to reach our core audience. The results speak for themselves: higher engagement, better ROI, and more efficient ad spend. They've been a key partner in scaling our brand.' The launch also aligns with Microsoft's broader strategy of enabling the next wave of AI-native vertical solutions for businesses. 'Microsoft has been at the forefront of investing in foundational AI—and we're equally excited to support the next generation of AI applications built on top of that,' said Michael Stewart, Managing Partner at M12. 'Upscale AI's platform fits with Microsoft's vision of enabling companies of all sizes to tap into AI technology for real-world, business value generating AI-native applications. ' A New Era for Streaming and Video Advertising Upscale AI's launch comes amid a wave of investment and innovation in the streaming ad ecosystem: Netflix has rolled out its Ad Suite, for creative development Amazon Prime Video is building its own genAI tools for advertisers Roku added interactive ads Walmart's acquisition of Vizio 'Streaming is rapidly becoming the next performance marketing frontier,' said Dan Borok, Managing Partner at nvp capital. 'Upscale AI is positioned to help brands capitalize on this shift with a platform that blends AI-driven creative, precise media execution, and measurable results.' About Upscale AI Upscale AI helps ecommerce brands tap into the power of streaming TV and video for performance advertising. Its flagship product, Upscale Studio, is the first AI-native platform to handle creative generation, programmatic media buying, and real-time optimization for Streaming TV ads. The company is backed by top-tier VCs and led by ad tech veterans from Google, Twitter, Salesforce, Moloco, and MNTN.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Upscale AI Launches With $5.5M in Funding and Unveils ‘Upscale Studio' — the First AI-Native Platform to Create and Run Performance TV Ads on Streaming Channels
AI startup is helping ecommerce brands make, run, and optimize TV ads using generative AI and machine learning; opens Beta for brands to join SAN FRANCISCO, May 12, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With over 99% of U.S. households subscribing to at least one streaming service and Americans spending 40% more time watching streaming than social media, it's clear the next frontier for performance advertising is streaming TV. Today, Upscale AI launches to help ecommerce brands win on Streaming. With $5.5 million in seed and pre-seed funding, Upscale launches Upscale Studio—the first end-to-end AI-native platform built to create, run, and optimize performance TV ads across streaming. Seed funding round was led by nvp capital with participation from M12 (Microsoft's Venture Fund), Eniac Ventures, and Breakpoint Capital. Founded by industry veterans from Google, Twitter, Salesforce, Moloco, and MNTN, Upscale AI combines generative AI for high-quality video creation with machine learning-driven programmatic buying, turning traditional TV ads into a performance channel that's automated, scalable, and measurable. "With streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon, Disney, and even Walmart [Vizio] going all-in on advertising, we believe it's time for a new generation of AI-native tools that help brands meet this moment," said Herman Yang, co-founder and CEO of Upscale AI. "Upscale Studio is our answer: a full-stack creative and media engine for streaming video that's designed from the ground up for performance marketers." Introducing Upscale Studio: Creative + Media + Optimization, All in One With Upscale Studio, ecommerce brands can: Auto-generate streaming-ready video ads using website and social assets Launch campaigns via real-time programmatic bidding across leading CTV platforms Track and optimize performance with integrated ML-powered analytics and targeting tools Beta access to Upscale Studio opens for select ecommerce brands. Early adopters like Branch Furniture and Lalo are already using the platform to speed up production cycles, simplify campaign execution, and drive measurable returns from their streaming investments. "Upscale has transformed how we approach TV advertising," said Michael Wieder, Co-Founder, President & CMO, at Lalo. "Their data-driven platform helped us quickly identify the right channels and times to reach our core audience. The results speak for themselves: higher engagement, better ROI, and more efficient ad spend. They've been a key partner in scaling our brand." The launch also aligns with Microsoft's broader strategy of enabling the next wave of AI-native vertical solutions for businesses. "Microsoft has been at the forefront of investing in foundational AI—and we're equally excited to support the next generation of AI applications built on top of that," said Michael Stewart, Managing Partner at M12. "Upscale AI's platform fits with Microsoft's vision of enabling companies of all sizes to tap into AI technology for real-world, business value generating AI-native applications." A New Era for Streaming and Video Advertising Upscale AI's launch comes amid a wave of investment and innovation in the streaming ad ecosystem: Netflix has rolled out its Ad Suite, for creative development Amazon Prime Video is building its own genAI tools for advertisers Roku added interactive ads Walmart's acquisition of Vizio "Streaming is rapidly becoming the next performance marketing frontier," said Dan Borok, Managing Partner at nvp capital. "Upscale AI is positioned to help brands capitalize on this shift with a platform that blends AI-driven creative, precise media execution, and measurable results." About Upscale AI Upscale AI helps ecommerce brands tap into the power of streaming TV and video for performance advertising. Its flagship product, Upscale Studio, is the first AI-native platform to handle creative generation, programmatic media buying, and real-time optimization for Streaming TV ads. The company is backed by top-tier VCs and led by ad tech veterans from Google, Twitter, Salesforce, Moloco, and MNTN. View source version on Contacts Media Contact:Kevin WeathermanHead of Business & Marketing, Upscale AIkevin@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Mayor
12-05-2025
- Business
- Business Mayor
View the Pitch Deck that Won this AI firm $5.5M to Move Budgets from Meta to CTV
Fresh off a $5.5 million raise led by NVP Capital with participation from M12, AI startup Upscale is making its case to direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands: streaming TV is the next performance channel. And the firm's AI tools are here to help brands use their existing assets to create and serve ads for streaming. According to the startup's investor pitch deck, exclusively shared with ADWEEK, Americans now spend 1.4 times more time on streaming apps than on social media, clocking up 3 hours and 9 minutes a day versus 2 hours and 14 minutes. The firm claims that $30 billion is already flowing into U.S. READ SOURCE
