Phunware names new CEO, taps Disney+ veteran for AI platform push

Phunware Inc (NASDAQ:PHUN, FRA:2RJA) said Thursday it has appointed Dmitry Kroshka arsenic CEO and brought successful a merchandise consultancy led by a erstwhile Disney+ enforcement to accelerate a strategical update of its mobile impermanent quality platform.

Kroshka, who has served arsenic a elder advisor to the institution since October 2025, volition pb what Phunware is calling its "2.0 Strategy," focused connected converting the company's mobile, location-aware, and lawsuit engagement capabilities into a unified, AI-enabled level for large-property operators successful hospitality, healthcare, and adjacent markets.

Jeremy Krol, who had been serving arsenic interim CEO, volition instrumentality to his relation arsenic main operating officer.

The institution besides said it has engaged Build Something Product Group, an AI-first merchandise consultancy founded by Michael Cerda, whose anterior merchandise enactment includes Disney+, the Apple Card (Marcus by Goldman Sachs), and Facebook Newsfeed. Cerda volition service arsenic Phunware's elder merchandise person done the engagement, with BSPG embedding further merchandise and engineering resources to accelerate the rollout.

The enactment changes travel arsenic Phunware seeks to sharpen its commercialized absorption astir what it calls "Guest Intelligence" – knowing and responding to impermanent behaviour successful existent clip connected analyzable properties, alternatively than relying solely connected humanities lawsuit data.

"The institution has a beardown installed basal crossed marquee hospitality and healthcare properties, a much disciplined merchandise portfolio, emerging AI Concierge momentum, and a beardown currency presumption with nary debt," Kroshka said successful a statement. "Our nonsubjective present is to crook that instauration into focused execution."

Phunware said its AI Concierge module, a generative AI instrumentality integrated with indoor wayfinding and mapping, has seen engagement moving astir 40% supra interior forecasts since its authoritative merchandise successful January. The institution besides reported lawsuit retention rates supra 95% crossed its halfway verticals pursuing first-quarter 2026 results reported May 7.

Kroshka brings much than 2 decades of acquisition crossed AI, hospitality technology, SaaS, and integer media, including enactment and advisory roles with Oracle, FCB Global, and FOX Digital Entertainment.

Phunware said it plans to big an capitalist webinar successful the coming weeks and volition show its hospitality offering and AI Concierge module astatine HITEC North America 2026.