Ukrainian startup Choice has announced the raising of $7.1 million in funding, which will be used to accelerate the company’s expansion into European markets, particularly Portugal, Spain, and Italy. The new round was led by Portuguese fund Alea Capital Partners with participation from Polish fund Smartlink, while existing investors Reflex Capital and J&T Ventures also joined the round. In total, the company has raised $11.6 million to date.
Choice develops an automated platform for restaurants that integrates a CRM system, table reservations, review collection, website and online menu creation, as well as other tools for the digital automation of restaurant operations. The platform operates on a subscription model, with pricing depending on the selected set of features.
The company was founded by childhood friends and serial entrepreneurs Oleksii Ilyash and Volodymyr Olianytskyi. Since its launch, Choice has significantly expanded its functionality, evolving from a QR-menu solution into a comprehensive platform offering a range of digital tools for restaurant operators. The platform enables restaurant owners to create their own apps and websites, launch delivery services without couriers, manage orders, and use built-in CRM and table reservation systems.
Choice also incorporates elements of artificial intelligence (AI). Currently, AI tools help edit and enhance food photos, while future plans include automated email campaigns, social media management, and AI-generated responses to customer reviews. According to co-founder Olianytskyi, the company’s goal is for Choice to replace a restaurant’s marketing manager through AI-driven automation.
More than 30,000 restaurants are already registered on the Choice platform, including 7,000 paying customers. The platform processes over 1.5 million orders per month, with a total transaction volume of around $35 million monthly. Clients include restaurant chains “Pryvit,” restaurants owned by Ihor Sukhomlyn, the Zavertailo family, Alex Cooper, “Chornomorka,” “Idealist,” and others.
Choice is also actively developing its key market in Poland, where the platform is used by more than 1,000 restaurants. In the Polish market, the company operates a local team of 30 specialists responsible for sales, customer support, and partnership development.
With the new investment, the startup aims to strengthen its presence in the European market, expand the platform’s functionality, and introduce AI-driven solutions for automating marketing and restaurant management.
