DAI - First Annual Hospitality AI Start-Up Competition
The Destination AI, Hospitality AI Start-Up Competition is designed to spotlight early-stage AI companies building transformational solutions for the hospitality industry and to provide visibility for innovation within our industry. All finalists will present and gain exposure to our highly senior audience of hotel brands, operators, ownership groups, investors, and technology leaders. Winners will be awarded by our expert judging panel as well as people’s choice award voted on by conference attendees.
Eligibility Requirements
Companies must be legally formed and in good standing, with founders retaining ownership, agreeing to attend and pitch live, and limited to one entry per company.
Capital Raised
No more than $2M total capital raised; preference for companies with no (or very minimal) existing hotel-tech provider investment. Companies newly entering the hospitality technology space may still qualify, including those with higher total capital raised, if they have been operating in the industry for less than one year and remain under 200 employees.
Product Readiness
Must have a functional MVP, beta, or early deployed solution (not concept-only), with at least one pilot or early customer strongly preferred. Exceptions allowed where feasibility limits deployment.
AI Core Requirements
AI must be core to the product (the business model wouldn’t function without AI), including but not limited to LLM- or ML-driven workflows; predictive models for pricing, forecasting, personalization, or optimization; computer vision, voice AI, robotics, or autonomous/agentic systems; recommendation engines, anomaly detection, or automated decision-making.
Hospitality Focus
Solutions must directly serve at least one hospitality sector: such as hotels, restaurants, F&B, casinos/gaming, cruise lines, STR, outdoor hospitality/glamping, venue management, meetings & events, or hospitality-related real estate operations. Entrants must address a problem or materially improve guest experience, operational efficiency, revenue performance, workforce enablement, or content generation for hospitality.
Please Note: These criteria are intended to guide the qualification committee and reflect the spirit of the program. The application review committee retains discretion to include or exclude companies based on whether they meet the intent of the guidelines, even if they do not strictly meet every specific requirement.
What the Winner Gets
The DAI Start-Up Competition winner won’t just take home bragging rights. They’ll get the spotlight.
The winning company will be recognized live on stage at the DAI Hospitality Summit and promoted across the Destination AI community, putting them in front of hotel owners, operators, brands, investors, and technology leaders actively looking for what’s next.
They’ll also be featured on Hospitality Daily and The Modern Hotelier, two of the top podcasts in hospitality, giving them a chance to share their story, showcase their solution, and build buzz across the industry.
Choose your entry package
The cost to enter is $250. Our independent judging committee will review all applications and select who will present live at DAI. Please note: the application fee is non-refundable, regardless of selection outcome.
Application Timeline
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June 30, 2026
Applications Close
Final call for all early-stage AI startups to submit their pitch decks and product demos.
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By July 31, 2026
Notification Date
Finalists are selected and notified. Onboarding begins for the live pitch event.
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September 30, 2026
The Competition
Live pitch off on the main stage in Washington, D.C. at the National Housing Center.
Competition Location
National Housing Center
1201 15th St NW,
Washington, DC 20005