Emilia AI Raises 1,500,000 USD in Pre-Seed Round Led by Prosus Ventures

Emilia AI has raised 1,500,000 USD in a pre-seed funding round led by Prosus Ventures.

Startups Latam reported that the investment includes 500,000 USD from a group of undisclosed angel investors from the technology sector. Prosus Ventures is the early-stage investment arm of the group that owns iFood.

The company, which was founded in 2024, provides artificial intelligence for restaurants. Its technology integrates with existing security cameras and point-of-sale data to allow owners to take action on the same day. The system is designed to comply with Brazilian LGPD regulations by avoiding biometrics, not recording conversations outside of service, and not storing video outside the premises.

The software utilizes two distinct agents. One agent, Coach, monitors the dining area in real time to identify missed sales opportunities, such as unoffered desserts or drinks. The second agent, Sentinel, serves as an anti-fraud layer to detect unauthorized warehouse access, cash that does not enter the register, or dishes leaving the kitchen without being paid for.

In a pilot with the Alife Nino group, which operates over 100 establishments in Brazil, the system generated an estimated return of 28 times the investment. The Jin Jin chain, an iFood franchisee, is scaling the solution to more than 77 locations, where Sentinel identified previously unnoticed frauds and condensed 12 hours of recording into a few relevant incidents.

Based in the United States, Emilia AI has selected Brazil as its primary launch market. The company intends to use the new capital to accelerate platform development and expansion within Brazil before moving into the rest of Latin America. This strategy addresses the high staff turnover in typical Brazilian restaurants, which exceeds 70 percent annually with full staff renewal every 16 months.