Nesto, a Karlsruhe-based startup building an AI-driven platform for workforce management in the hospitality industry, has secured €11 million in growth equity funding from Expedition Growth Capital.
With this capital, the company plans to support continued product investment and accelerate its expansion across Europe.
Dr Theodor Ackbarow, co-founder and Executive Chairperson of Nesto, “We are deeply rooted in this industry and know first-hand how complex day-to-day life in restaurants and multi-location businesses can be. Our vision is to absorb this complexity through our platform and be a valuable companion to the operator, who can focus on making the final decision. With Expedition, we have found the right partner to support the next chapter of our ambitious growth journey.”
Founded in 2017, Nesto provides restaurant groups with an AI-driven workforce management platform that automates scheduling, HR workflows, and payroll preparation.
According to Nesto, labour is the highest controllable cost in the hospitality sector, yet most operators still rely on fragmented systems and manual decision-making. Nesto focuses on this challenge and claims to deliver meaningful profitability impact through an AI-native workforce management layer that combines demand forecasting, workforce planning, and operational execution in a single system.
The company states that its proprietary forecasting engine is at its core, predicting demand and staffing needs in real time. By integrating data from point-of-sale systems, suppliers, payroll providers and more, Nesto automates workforce scheduling, HR processes, payroll preparation and agentic workflows that support managers in their daily operations. As a result, restaurant groups can improve labour productivity by up to 10% while reducing administrative workload.
Felix Kaiser, co-founder and CEO of Nesto, said, “The hospitality industry is at the beginning of a fundamental AI-driven shift – and operators are feeling it through rising labour costs, staff shortages, and growing complexity. Nesto acts as a digital co-pilot for site managers: from demand forecasting and shift planning to real-time operations. A restaurant is only as good as its team, and our platform gives managers and employees the insights and automation to focus on what matters most – incredible food and great guest experiences.”
With the fresh capital, Nesto plans to expand its AI capabilities, deepen its data platform, and further develop NORA, the company’s AI assistant and agent framework for operational and administrative workflows. In parallel, Nesto will also accelerate its rollout into additional European markets.
Nesto is currently in use at over 3,000 restaurants and serves more than 100,000 employees daily, ranging from independent establishments to large chains. Its platform is used by leading brands such as McDonald’s, L’Osteria, and Lagardère. The company has grown without institutional capital to date.
Read the orginal article: https://www.eu-startups.com/2026/04/germanys-nesto-secures-e11-million-to-scale-its-ai-workforce-management-platform-for-hospitality/
