Kleo’s Foundation

Kleo is a company that has quickly made a name for itself in the technology sector, especially within the retail and hospitality industries. The company’s founders, Thanvi Poonja and Joe Robson, set out to create a business that would address the unique challenges faced by companies in these sectors. Their shared expertise, paired with a vision for improving business operations through technology, laid the foundation for Kleo.

A Shared Vision and Complementary Expertise

When Thanvi Poonja and Joe Robson founded Kleo in 2023, they were driven by a desire to tackle the inefficiencies they saw in the retail and hospitality industries. Poonja, with her background in finance and her experience in tech and retail, brought a keen understanding of how businesses needed better ways to manage customer interactions and operations. Having earned a master’s degree in finance from Warwick Business School, Poonja knew the importance of not just technology, but the seamless integration of technology that could transform entire business ecosystems.

Robson, on the other hand, brought an extensive background in entrepreneurship. With an MBA and a history of founding and exiting successful tech companies, he had a sharp understanding of how to turn ideas into scalable solutions. His experience in business development helped Poonja ensure that Kleo wasn’t just another tech company but one with the potential to make a tangible difference in its target industries. Their combined experience—Poonja’s in finance and retail, Robson’s in tech entrepreneurship—was the ideal mix to build a company that could change the way retail and hospitality businesses operate.

Why Kleo?

At its core, Kleo was born out of a recognition that the retail and hospitality industries were facing major operational hurdles. These industries were often bogged down by inefficient point-of-sale (POS) systems, long customer wait times, and an overall lack of integration in technology that could streamline business operations. The founders identified a gap: businesses needed technology solutions that were not only innovative but also user-friendly and scalable.

Kleo set out to fill that gap with a product lineup that includes integrated EPOS systems, self-ordering kiosks, tax-free shopping kiosks, and digital displays. Their aim wasn’t to create the most complex or cutting-edge technology for the sake of innovation; rather, it was to provide businesses with tools that were easy to implement, would improve customer experience, and allow for smoother operations. In short, they wanted to create technology that could seamlessly blend into existing business models, rather than force businesses to overhaul their operations entirely.

A Commitment to Simplification and Efficiency

The idea behind Kleo wasn’t to complicate things for businesses but to make them simpler. The goal was to offer solutions that would make the customer experience better, while also making it easier for businesses to manage transactions, inventory, and customer relationships. Kleo’s integrated EPOS systems, for example, combine payment processing with inventory and customer management features, enabling businesses to handle all their operations through one system. This integration helps reduce human error, increase speed, and allow employees to focus more on customer service instead of worrying about tech issues.

Similarly, the self-ordering kiosks and tax-free shopping kiosks aim to address specific problems faced by businesses, particularly in hospitality and retail environments. Self-ordering kiosks give customers more control, reducing wait times and enhancing their overall experience. Meanwhile, the tax-free shopping kiosks simplify the often complicated process for international tourists, making it easier for them to claim refunds on their purchases. These practical solutions are designed to meet real-world needs, which is at the heart of Kleo’s mission.

Since its founding, Kleo has shown a remarkable ability to adapt to the fast-changing demands of the industries it serves. One of the company’s strengths lies in its ability to scale its products, ensuring that businesses of all sizes—from small shops to large chains—can benefit from Kleo’s solutions. The flexibility of its products allows the company to grow alongside its clients, which has played a major role in Kleo’s success. By addressing both large-scale operations and smaller businesses, Kleo has carved out a niche that sets it apart from many of its competitors.

Kleo’s growth has been bolstered by its ability to form strategic partnerships, with one of the most notable being its collaboration with Londis, a major UK-based convenience store chain. This partnership showcases the real-world impact of Kleo’s technology, as it’s helping Londis modernize its store operations, reduce queuing times, and improve staff efficiency. While this is just one example, it demonstrates Kleo’s capacity to apply its solutions to various business types and industries, positioning it as a leader in the tech space for retail and hospitality.

As Kleo moves forward, its founders remain committed to the same vision they had when the company was created: to provide businesses with technology that enhances their operations without adding unnecessary complexity. The future looks promising, with ongoing efforts to expand their offerings and build new solutions that meet the evolving needs of businesses in retail and hospitality. Their approach to technology—simple, scalable, and effective—continues to resonate with businesses and customers alike.

Kleo’s story is one of ambition and insight, driven by two founders who saw the potential to improve the way businesses in the retail and hospitality sectors operate. By leveraging their expertise in technology, finance, and entrepreneurship, they built a company that is helping businesses not just survive, but thrive in an increasingly digital world. Their journey shows that with the right vision and expertise, even the most complex problems can be solved with straightforward, effective solutions.