The Altitude story: Hotel platform going global
Two forward-thinking tech entrepreneurs have created one of the world’s first hotel experience platforms, with Kāpiti Coast as their remote business base.
Altitude, co-founded by Anthony Radich and Ella Blake, is a state-of-the-art hospitality software platform currently used in Aotearoa, Australia, the Philippines, Japan, and Scotland. With a seven-person development team in Vietnam and partners across the globe, the start-up is set only to scale.
“I started building websites when I was 15 and have developed solutions for all kinds of customers over the years, from government agencies to investors wanting an app,” says Anthony, 34, who launched Altitude in 2019. “One of those customers was a hotel where Ella was working. They needed a tech replacement across several systems, so we built an app for tablets in all the hotel rooms, which meant every room was paperless.”
Spotting a gap in the market for a smoother guest experience, Anthony began building an all-in-one technology solution, supported by his team in Vietnam.
With advanced operational tools, Altitude offers a suite of cloud-based solutions including self-service kiosks, and guest and in-room apps.
With advanced operational tools, Altitude offers a suite of cloud-based solutions including self-service kiosks, and guest and in-room apps.
Anthony was ready to start selling the software when COVID hit in 2019. Seeing the devastating impact on accommodation providers, he knew that a platform focused on relieving team pressure and reducing operating costs would be vital to the sector’s recovery.
That same year, Ella joined the team. With nearly a decade of hands-on hotel experience across New Zealand and the UK, she brought deep industry knowledge to the company.
“I’ve seen firsthand how legacy systems and manual processes impact teams and guests. When I saw what Anthony was working on, I knew how powerful it could be for hotels. The opportunity to help shape it was really exciting.” Ella was instrumental in helping to build Altitude and within a couple of years, Anthony invited her to be a Co-Founder and Director.
Altitude Co-Founders, Ella and Anthony
The people here are welcoming, collaborative, and incredibly talented, and there’s an awesome ecosystem emerging. A lot of great things are coming out of Kāpiti.”
– Ella Blake, Co-founder Altitude
“There are other software companies that focus on different parts of the hotel tech stack, but Altitude acts as the top layer that brings it all together,” she explains. “It’s a flexible solution that enhances service, streamlines tasks, and allows guests to personalise their stay.”
Altitude has also expanded into hardware, offering kiosks that allow guests to check in, access room upgrades, and create their own keys, all while skipping the queue at reception.
The business has built strong traction in Australia, where the accommodation sector is booming, and is expanding into Southeast Asia, where it is already working with industry-leading customers.
“Our other goal is to stay agile. When you’re transforming hotel technology or redefining what that looks like for the future, things change fast,” says Anthony. “Being able to adapt quickly and roll out new features gives us a real advantage.”
Last year, the co-founders met their Vietnamese team in person for the first time after more than a decade of collaboration and also travelled to the Philippines to work directly with one of their major customers.
Locally, Anthony and Ella are active members of the Kāpiti Coast District Council’s Tech Cluster, a monthly gathering of industry professionals, speakers, and networking events.
“Altitude is a remote-first company, and the Kāpiti Coast is a fantastic environment to work from,” says Ella, who is the Tech Cluster coordinator.
“The people here are welcoming, collaborative, and incredibly talented, and there’s an awesome ecosystem emerging. A lot of great things are coming out of Kāpiti.”