Assil Bernossi

Médias24 reported in November 2019 that Assil and Hicham Benyebdri launched a marketing agency for hotels in 2016. The idea behind Userguest, the article says, emerged from that agency. After working with several hoteliers and learning about their problems and challenges, notably around bookings made through their own websites, the founders built software aimed at raising online bookings. Ahmed Chami joined them for the new venture.

Userguest is software that improves the user experience on hotel websites, with the aim of increasing online bookings. Smart messages appear throughout the booking process, drawing on sales techniques such as stressing the urgency or scarcity of an offer. The messages are personalized using data specific to each site user, and an algorithm picks the right message at the right moment. Development began in 2018 and the official launch came in April 2019. Assil said dozens of hotels were already interested and using the solution, especially in Southeast Asia.

Médias24 writes that the team needed to look for funds, and that the startup first turned to the Seedstars program. 212 Founders is a support and funding program for startups in Morocco, developed by CDG Invest, and the startup was one of 20 selected. Assil said the program arrived at the right time, launched while the team was looking to raise more funding. Assil also said the two programs complement each other and that national and international experts and entrepreneurs are available to the team.

An undated WeeTracker report calls Userguest a Moroccan startup founded in 2018 by Assil, Benyebdri and Chami. The report names Al Mada Ventures as lead investor in a seed round, alongside CDG Invest, Saviu Ventures, UM6P Ventures, Kalys VC, Plug & Play and business angels. The amount appears two ways: $2.2 million in the headline and $2.4 million in the body text. The report says the money will go toward developing new features and products and expanding the sales team.