Emilia AI closes US$1.5 million pre-seed round led by Prosus Ventures

Emilia AI, an artificial intelligence startup focused on restaurants, closed a US$1.5 million pre-seed round led by Prosus Ventures, the early-stage investment arm of the group that owns iFood. Founded in 2024 by Colombians Andrés Cajiao and Sebastian Rojo, the company is headquartered in the United States and chose Brazil as its primary launch market.

The remaining US$500,000 of the round came from a group of angel investors in the technology sector whose names were not disclosed.

Artificial intelligence built on existing infrastructure

Emilia AI’s approach builds on infrastructure already found in most restaurants: security cameras. However, the company says video is usually reviewed only after an incident occurs.

To change this, the startup adds an artificial intelligence layer to existing cameras and connects it to point-of-sale data, allowing owners to identify situations and act on them the same day.

The system does not use biometrics, record conversations outside the service, or store videos off-site. This design is intended to comply with Brazil’s LGPD.

“Emilia was built to be the owner’s eyes on the restaurant floor, even when they’re not there,” said Andrés Cajiao, co-founder of Emilia AI.

Two AI agents with different functions

The platform operates through two agents with specific roles.

Coach monitors the dining area in real time and identifies sales opportunities that could be missed, such as when dessert is not offered after a meal or a drink is not suggested.

Sentinel, meanwhile, functions as an anti-fraud layer. The system can identify situations such as a dish leaving the kitchen without being rung up, cash not being put in the register, or unauthorized access to the stockroom.

The solution has already been tested with restaurant operators in Brazil. At Alife Nino, a group that operates more than 100 locations in the country, the pilot generated an estimated return of 28 times the investment.

At Jin Jin, an iFood franchise chain that is currently scaling the solution to more than 77 locations, Sentinel condensed 12 hours of footage into a small set of relevant incidents and identified fraud that had previously gone unnoticed.

Prosus strengthens its bet on the foodtech ecosystem

The investment reinforces Prosus Ventures’ thesis of building a technology ecosystem around the restaurant sector, beyond delivery and logistics.

“We see Emilia AI as a strategic bet to deepen AI integration across our ecosystem, particularly in the foodservice sector, where Prosus already has a strong presence,” said Matheus Campos, Head of Latin America at Prosus Ventures.

With the new capital, Emilia AI will accelerate the development of its platform and its expansion in Brazil, where most restaurants still operate with basic point-of-sale software. The company plans to expand across the rest of Latin America afterward.

Technology to address staff turnover

Emilia AI’s approach also addresses operational challenges related to staff turnover in restaurants.

According to information shared by the company, a typical Brazilian restaurant replaces its entire staff every 16 months, with annual turnover exceeding 70%.

The business’s structural argument is that if the tool helps staff sell more and earn more, they should stay at the establishment longer.