Edinburgh-based hospitality technology provider Criton has been acquired by rival company Nonius.
The merger of Criton's hotel guest app tech with the GuestU mobile solution is aimed at allowing the merged companies to better serve a market that has grown exponentially since the pandemic hit in 2020.
Criton was founded in 2016 by Julie Grieve and provides white-labelled apps to more than 300 locations, including hotels and serviced apartments. Recent growth has been driven by hotels struggling to meet guest demand for contactless solutions, allowing speedier check-in, as well as use of mobile keys and ordering facilities.
Nonius was founded in 2005 and serves more than 3,950 hotels across the world with internet access, networks management, interactive TV and digital signage.
The combined mobile business unit will serve 700 hotels and serviced apartments worldwide.
Grieve will continue as director of Criton. The deal value was not disclosed.
She said: “I’ve been hugely impressed with their Nonius Hub and believe that together, our products will deliver exactly what hoteliers and their guests want, simple and effective mobile solutions bringing much needed digital transformation to a sector that has a challenging technology landscape and has been significantly impacted over the past two years of the pandemic.
“Since starting Criton, we have always taken a customer-first approach, I am hugely proud of all we have achieved and I firmly believe this merger will create a world-leading mobile service allowing hoteliers to embrace the digital service their guests are demanding.”
Antonio Silva, chief executive and co-founder of Nonius, said: “We have been watching Criton’s growth in the market with interest over the past five years and we are delighted that we have been able to agree on terms to acquire Criton.
“Since its inception, Criton has grown an inspiring client list and we are now starting to implement our plan to fully integrate our platforms to create a world-leading offering from which hoteliers and their guests can benefit.
“In Criton, we have found a business with a similar customer ethic and this acquisition gives Nonius an excellent customer base within the UK from which to continue to scale.”
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