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The vacation rental industry has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past decade. What was once a fragmented, largely offline market has evolved into a digital-first ecosystem.
Yet, despite this shift, the industry still has a way to go - particularly in Europe, where over 95% of properties remain privately owned and hosts struggle to professionally manage their offerings efficiently and at scale.
This is where Holidu comes in. Founded by brothers Johannes and Michael Siebers in 2014, Holidu has built a comprehensive technology and service platform that's reshaping how vacation rentals operate in Europe.
The recent €46m financing round, announced by Holidu, backed, among others things, their acquisition of Cybevasion- the operator of France's leading rental portals Gites.fr and Chambres-hotes.fr. This strategic move strengthens Holidu's presence in France and marks the company's eighth acquisition to date.
What drew us to Holidu was its unique ability to fuse scalable technology with the personal touch that both hosts and their guests value most. We're excited to help propel the company's next phase of growth.
Let's break down why we invested:
The global accommodation market is projected to reach $1.8 trillion by 2030, with vacation rentals accounting for approximately $191 billion. Europe represents the world's largest and most attractive short-term rental market, characterized by high fragmentation across multiple distinct markets, regions, languages, and regulations, and a clear need for professional solutions.
With over 100,000 providers of vacation rentals that range from individual homeowners to property managers, the market is ripe for consolidation and professionalization.
While many competitors offer pure software solutions, Holidu's approach stands out by combining cutting-edge technology, multi-channel demand generation (accessing leading demand platforms like Booking.com, Airbnb,) and crucial on-the-ground and local support.
Their platform isn't just another SaaS tool - it's a complete ecosystem that transforms independent hosts into polished, professional operators through:
This holistic approach has resulted in extraordinary customer loyalty (i.e., retention), a testament to the platform's stickiness and value proposition.
Something that stood out for us in particular was Holidu's sophisticated approach to market expansion. Their region-by-region strategy, supplemented by strategic M&A, has proven highly effective. By establishing strong footholds in specific territories and scaling through both organic growth and targeted acquisitions, they've achieved significant market shares in mature destinations.
This measured expansion approach, combined with their ability to execute successful acquisitions, positions them perfectly for sustainable growth across Europe's most attractive markets.
Holidu has found a sweet spot in the market by bridging the gap between pure marketplaces and traditional property management. Their usage-based take rate structure strikes a compelling balance, offering more comprehensive services than marketplace players while maintaining significantly lower rates than traditional agents.
This strategic positioning, combining professional-grade services with technology-driven efficiency, has created both strong unit economics and strong customer adoption.
The founding team brings a perfect blend of business acumen and technical expertise. Johannes Siebers (CEO) and Michael Siebers (CTO) complement each other's strengths, combining deep business understanding with technical innovation. Their vision of creating Europe's leading vacation rental platform is backed by exceptional execution capabilities.
Our investment comes at an exciting moment in Holidu's journey. With proven product-market fit, strong unit economics, and a clear path to market leadership across multiple European markets, they are perfectly positioned to consolidate their position in Europe's vacation rental market.
The investment will accelerate their penetration into new markets and deepening their foothold in existing regions and markets.
As growth investors, we're particularly excited about partnering with Holidu as they build the continent's leading vacation rental platform. This funding round will go towards accelerating their AI roadmap, expanding its property management software (PMS) business, and further expansion in strategic markets.
With their proven playbook for market expansion and a clear path to leadership in vacation rentals, Holidu is positioned to capture the immense opportunity ahead. We're proud to support their journey in building Europe's defining property management platform.