ICT

Vilnius-based Breezit raises $2M to power its generative AI wedding planning platform

2023/10/03

Vilnius-based Breezit raises $2M to power its generative AI wedding planning platform

 

  • Led by Practica Capital, the major pre-seed round brings Breezit’s total funding to just over $2 million 

  • The pre-seed round will enable Breezit to further develop the generative AI capabilities of its venue and vendor marketplace in the US to change how people discover and book services

  • Developed in Vilnius, Lithuania during the pandemic, Breezit is a free-to-use platform that hosts more than 2,000 individual wedding and event venues and vendors across two continents

Breezit, the professional event planning digital marketplace, announced today it raised $2 million in funding. The pre-seed round was led by Practica Capital, and Breezit plans to use the funds to further develop the generative AI and machine-learning capabilities of its venue and vendor marketplace, which provides highly detailed pricing information of each venue and vendor to help couples discover services that match their requirements and budgets.

An estimated 80% of American couples do not have a wedding planner due to budget constraints. As a result, most are left to organize their events and weddings by doing their own research and having to individually reach out to numerous service providers just to get their prices. Beyond this, rampant inflation has caused event costs to skyrocket. The average price for a wedding rose from $28,000 in 2021 to $30,000 in 2022, and the average cost for a wedding venue rental rose $500 in that same time frame. Breezit is saving couples an estimated 2 weeks of planning time by providing them with accurate service estimates up front, matching their style to the right service providers, and facilitating consultations like a personal wedding planner but free of charge.

“We streamline the events planning process by putting all the major elements in one place while prioritizing price transparency and discovery,” said Artūras Asakavičius, CEO and Co-Founder at Breezit.  “We’ve made it easier and faster for couples to find everything they’re looking for by sharing information that wedding planners usually possess, and we’re saving venues and small business owners time and money by facilitating site tours with the right couples for them.”

“Hands-down one of the hardest parts of planning a wedding is figuring out how much it’s going to cost,” says weddings fintech expert Anja Winikka. “There are so many elements that factor into the final number – guest count, time of year, location, style, and the list goes on. As a result, most couples end up committing to a date and a venue contract before they really have a solid understanding as to how much it’s going to be. The more pricing transparency and understanding a couple has around cost, the better it is for them and the small businesses that power the industry.”

Founded in 2020 with major operations in Southern California and Vilnius, Lithuania, Breezit takes a top-to-bottom approach to event planning and service management. Instead of sifting through countless individual websites and requesting prices and availability one by one, couples planning their weddings can scroll through multiple venues, DJs, photographers, florists, caterers, and other service providers with full pricing information, saving them countless hours they would have otherwise spent manually emailing individual businesses. Filters for location, date, budget, event type, and more make sorting and finding the right providers even easier. Once a couple has found a venue, package, or service provider they’re interested in, Breezit’s team of planning concierges coordinates inquiry calls and site tours. Unlike other platforms, Breezit does not charge service providers a monthly subscription or for leads. Instead, venues and service providers pay Breezit a small fee only once they’ve booked the couple.

“Although it’s an undeniably crowded field, the event planning market is lagging incredibly when it comes to digitalization,” said Arvydas Bložė, partner at Practica Capital. “It’s dominated by outdated classified portals and overpriced subscription services. Breezit saw this opening and took it. Especially considering the emphasis on price transparency and its vision to use generative AI, this marketplace is designed to make digital event planning as seamless and intelligent as possible. That kind of direct and tech-centric approach to developing new markets is precisely what makes us confident in this partnership.”

Breezit initially courted investor interest for the pre-seed round following its successful launch and integration in Lithuania, where the platform boasts more than 1,500 event vendor and venue listings and between 30,000 and 45,000 users each month. After scouting several different U.S. markets, the company established a satellite office in Los Angeles and integrated itself into the Southern California region. With its expansion into Northern California already underway, Breezit now partners with 805 venues and vendors to service 15,000 active monthly users and counting.

About Breezit

With a comprehensive vendor and venue listing platform that puts everything you need to plan an event all together in one place, Breezit is simplifying event coordination from top to bottom. Launched in Vilnius in 2020, the platform helps engaged couples find the perfect venue and vendor for their wedding day and then connects them directly to help facilitate site tours and bookings. Every venue and vendor listing is not only individually vetted and fully transparent in terms of price, but they’re also free to access. With offices in Los Angeles and Vilnius, Breezit boasts over 2,000 listings of venues, DJs, photographers, florists, and more across the U.S. and Lithuania.

More info: https://practica.vc/en/news

 


Share your News with Vilnius TechFusion Ecosystem by Email