Elenium raises $15M to add staff and expand market reach of airport biometric offerings

Elenium Automation has raised $15 million in a Series A funding round to expand the reach of its biometric technology for airports, iTWire reports.

The funding round was led by Acorn Capital, with participation from Cibus Group, Harris Carlson and Herbert Smith Freehills. Elenium plans to use the funds to add to its staff in 2019, as well as continue product development, construct a purpose-built facility at Essendon Fields, and expand further into overseas markets, according to Co-founder and CEO Aaron Hornlimann. The company was founded in 2015 and currently has over 50 staff, according to the report.

The Melbourne-based company says its automation products are designed to reduce passenger congestion by 60 percent while boosting revenues and improving customer experience. It has designed, developed, and manufactured kiosks for check-in, transfer, and bag drop processes, and deployed 600 check-in kiosks for use by 50 airlines in seven airports around the world.

Elenium and Etihad Airways recently formed a partnership to white-label the facial biometrics-powered Elenium Voyager app, and apply the company’s voice recognition and other biometrics for a range of personalized experiences and airport processes.

“We saw a big opportunity to address the growing challenge of congestion and queues at airports – particularly across Asia where traveler numbers are climbing, and airports don’t have the resources to expand fast enough. Our products are designed with a focus on efficiency to speed up passenger flow and increase passenger satisfaction with a seamless airport experience,” Hornlimann says. “Elenium applies its advanced automation technologies including machine learning, automated applications and Internet of things solutions to optimize operations, ensure greater confidence, drive greater security and business benefits.”

A recent report from Acuity Market Intelligence forecasts the number of biometric touchpoints at airports to grow at a 27 percent CAGR through 2022.

Article Topics

airports  |  Australia  |  biometrics  |  Elenium  |  funding  |  investment  |  passenger processing