Bestie Bite Raises $1.6M to Bring AI Video Reviews to US

Jan de Vries · 2026-06-15

### A Fresh Approach to Restaurant Discovery Bestie Bite, a Rome-based startup, just closed a new $1.6 million funding round. The money is for expanding its video review app into the United States. This app is changing how people find restaurants, bars, and hotels. It focuses on short, real videos from users, not polished ads. ### The Funding Details This round was done through a SAFE instrument. It was led by the Grassi family through their holding company G&G. They are shareholders of E80 Group S.p.A. The capital came less than four months after a $760k round led by Techstars. Total funding for Bestie Bite now sits at $2.4 million. ### The Problem They're Solving According to the founders, there's a big disconnect. On one side, people, especially younger ones, struggle to find trustworthy spots. They're tired of fake reviews and influencer posts. On the other side, small restaurants lack the budget for marketing. They stay invisible even when customers are looking for them. "Authenticity is the most valuable and scarce asset on the web," said co-founders Carlotta Robbe Di Lorenzo and Caterina Vertefeuille. "We're building a new standard with AI, starting from real content." ### How AI Powers the Platform Bestie Bite uses AI to help both sides. For users, the app understands their preferences and search intent. It navigates video content to find the right choice quickly. Each video goes through verification standards, including fraud detection and AI video detection. This is unique to the platform. The app builds trust through gamification. Users get cashback for uploading authentic videos. The best rewards come from "Missions" at partner restaurants, where cashback is higher and tied to the business model. ### The AI Marketing Employee For restaurants, Bestie Bite offers an "AI Marketing Employee." This system replaces social media managers and agencies. Starting from one authentic video, the AI creates a full editorial plan for the month. It then publishes across the venue's channels without owner input. The service costs a fraction of a traditional agency. It also provides sentiment analysis and performance insights. ### Growth and Goals The startup reports strong organic growth. They have over 100,000 users and more than 120,000 videos uploaded across 80 countries. One early use case is Pescaria, which uses the platform for reusable video content and customer experience analysis. The main goal of this round is to strengthen Bestie Bite's presence in Italy and push into the US. The founders are confident: "With this round, we are accelerating from Italy to the United States to make this the global standard." ### Key Takeaways - **Funding:** $2.4 million total, with $1.6 million new from the Grassi family. - **Problem:** Fake reviews and invisible small businesses. - **Solution:** AI-powered, authentic video reviews with cashback rewards. - **Business Tool:** AI Marketing Employee at low cost. - **Growth:** 100,000+ users, 120,000+ videos, 80+ countries.