Guesty raises $130M to accelerate global expansion

Property management software platform Guesty has raised $130 million in Series F funding, led by global investment firm KKR. Inovia Capital, along with existing investors Apax, BDT & MSD Partners and Sixth Street, also participated.

Founded in 2013, Guesty operates in more than 80 countries and provides a comprehensive property management system for short-term rental and other hospitality businesses to automate and streamline their operations.

The Israel-based company said it will use the funding to continue growing, both through acquisitions and through organic growth as it expands its offerings to accommodate medium-term rentals, corporate housing and fully serviced stays. It will focus on the United States and Europe, specifically France, Germany and Spain.

“Guesty has enjoyed astonishing five-fold growth during the last three years,” said Amiad Soto, Guesty’s co-founder and CEO.

“We’re delighted that this has been recognized by top-tier investors KKR and Inovia, and we’re excited to have them onboard alongside our other investors as we enter our next growth period. The surge in those seeking short-term rentals continues, and our platform remains at the vanguard of the industry. As we embark on creating the industry’s first intelligent property management platform, we’ll continue to develop its functionality and AI [artificial intelligence] capabilities to deliver first-to-market features and best-in-class support for our customers.”

Even before Wednesday’s announcement of new funding, Guesty was the top fundraiser among short-term rental startups, according to the Phocuswright Travel Startups Interactive Database. The company had totaled $283 million in funding — over $100 million more than any other startup since 2005.

The Phocuswright database shows that the short-term rental sector has raised more than $16 billion overall since 2005, making it the fourth-rated vertical among startups, behind only taxi-hailing, ride-hailing and urban transportation sectors.

“Guesty is a best-in-class operator and one of the clear leaders in the property management sector,” said Stephen Shanley, partner and head of Europe tech growth at KKR. “There has been a significant shift towards the short- term rental market, and this investment will support the company as it continues to meet that growing customer need.”

Shanley, along with KKR tech growth principal Lauriane Requena and Inovia Capital partner Dennis Kavelman will join Guesty’s board.

“We have been thoroughly impressed with Guesty's track record in consolidating the STR segment,'' Kavelman said.

“We are excited to further invest in this category as its importance in the travel sector continues to grow, and we are confident in Guesty's position as one of the clear software leaders in this area.”

Guesty raised $170 million in Series E funding in August 2022. Since then it has made several acquisitions, including YieldPlanet, Kigo and HiRUM and StaySense.