We’re pleased to announce the 20 startups shortlisted for the 2019 VrTech Startup Competition! Three of these innovative vacation rental technology companies will have the opportunity to prove themselves on stage at the VrTech Finals at the Vacation Rental World Summit on October 5-6 in Lake Como, Italy. The winners will be selected by three different groups of voters – a jury of property managers, a jury of experts and investors, and the public. We reveal here the 20 contenders (in no particular order) and the projects they’re building to revolutionise the short-term rental industry!
Voting is open! Which vacation rental tech startup would you like to see on stage?
1. Autohost.ai
Founded date: 09/09/2017
Registered location: Canada
Category of services: guest screening
Autohost is an intelligent guest-screening assistant for vacation and short-term rental operators. They scan all reservations to identify flags, determine risk levels, and provide you with a list of action items to handle potential issues proactively, working with all major OTAs.
2. Have You Got
Founded date: 10/01/2017
Registered location: Australia
Category of services: guest referral system
Have You Got is a global network of independent short-term accommodation providers, offering monetised referrals and a no-search accommodation service that connects guests to book direct.
3. My-Cierge Inc
Founded date: 09/01/2017
Registered location: USA
Category of services: welcome app, guest communication
My-Cierge provides the technology to vacation rental managers, empowering them to digitise all things related to their guests’ experiences.
4. Operto
Founded date: 10/01/2016
Registered location: Canada
Category of services: home automation, smart locks & keyless entry, noise control
Operto provides a range of tech solutions – from keyless entry to temperature control, noise monitoring and more – that help property managers achieve operational efficiency and a highly personalised guest experience, all managed from a single dashboard.
5. Key Data Dashboard
Founded date: 11/07/2017
Registered location: United States
Category of services: data solutions
Key Data is the leading provider of real-time data for the alternative accommodations sector. Through direct integrations with the reservation systems for vacation rental professionals and resorts around the world, Key Data aggregates historical and forward-looking data in real-time to create the industry’s leading analytics dashboards for vacation rental managers, DMOs, and real estate professionals.
6. StayFi
Founded date: 05/18/2018
Registered location: United States
Category of services: data solutions, marketing automation
StayFi‘s mission is to empower vacation rental managers with guest data to grow their brands and deliver a better rental experience. We enable rental managers to collect and monetize guest data through branded captive WiFi splash pages.
7. CheKin
Founded date: 05/20/2017
Registered location: Spain
Category of services: check-in automation
CheKin is a digital guest reception provider for touristic accommodations. It’s the number one mobile app solution for easy and safe digital check-ins that are in compliance with the law.
8. Modosmart
Founded date: 01/01/2017
Registered location: Spain
Category of services: home automation, IoT solutions
Modosmart is a plug-and-play solution for intelligent control of air conditioning in vacation rental properties. It saves money, time and problems for property managers and owners, and it helps the environment.
9. Keesy
Founded date: 12/06/2016
Registered location: Italy
Category of services: check-in automation, payment solutions, smart locks & keyless entry, key safes & drop boxes
Keesy is the first self-check-in and check-out service for vacation rental properties, available 24 hours, 365 days a year. It’s a time-saving solution that provides a worry-free hospitality experience with the help of tools like Keesy box (for picking up and depositing keys) and Keesy Smart (a smart system designed to manage secure and affordable property access).
10. Check-In Scan
Founded: 2017
Registered location: Spain
Category of services: check-in automation
Check-In Scan is an app that lets property managers quickly scan in their guests’ photo IDs and send them to the police for security checks. It’s a fast and easy way to automate your check-in process and meet all legal requirements.
11. Bookipro
Founded date: 10/05/2019
Registered location: Spain
Category of services: property management system
Bookipro gives professional vacation rental property managers the steering wheel they need to run their business. Their open plug&play PMS lets them take control and raise their productivity.
12. Rabbu
Founded date: 01/01/2017
Registered location: United States
Category of services: home automation
Rabbu‘s smart home automation software combines features like automated guest entry, energy savings, and Wi-Fi management to help owners and property managers make guest stays better, internal operations more efficient, and property offerings unique. The hands-off solution is tied into popular booking channels and property management systems, meaning users can count on comprehensive, event-triggered smart device automation that responds to live guest interactions.
13. Padlifter
Founded date: 05/01/2017
Registered location: Australia
Category of services: software comparison, marketplace
Padlifter is the world’s largest marketplace of short-term and vacation rental service providers. Find products and services, both locally and globally, that simplify your life, enhance your guests’ experience and make you more money.
14. Vrolio
Founded date: 01/01/2018
Registered location: United States
Category of services: investment technology, data solutions
Vrolio is aiming to offer short-term rental investors a single place to buy and sell investment properties by providing an all-in-one platform with investment information and data analytics. Their sophisticated search function helps investors eliminate the guesswork involved in looking for properties for sale by owner and broker.
15. Mi Casa Es Tu Casa
Founded date: 09/13/2017
Registered location: UK & France
Category of services: referral network
Mi Casa Es Tu Casa is a trust-based network to rent out homes for long or short-term via a freemium offer of ads posting. They provide a way to rent an apartment or house to friends and acquaintances with complete confidence, without difficulty and without any agency.
16. TripsCommunity
Founded date: 02/09/2019
Registered location: Estonia
Category of services: peer-to-peer booking platform
TripsCommunity is a peer-to-peer booking platform for vacation rentals built on the Ethereum blockchain with 100% open-source software. They are creating an open and neutral protocol on which every participant can build a business, free from the constraints and costs associated to the centralised OTAs. The project is tokenised: all participants in the community will be rewarded in Trips Tokens when value is created.
17. Cohosting
Founded date: 01/07/2017
Registered location: Spain
Category of services: guest services, upselling
Cohosting gives vacation rental property managers access to a wide range of commercial agreements with local suppliers, so they can offer complementary services and earn a commission for each service booked. It also allows you to create customised guestbooks, present information about your property and provide guests with a things-to-do guide.
18. EDGAR Smart Concierge
Founded date: 12/03/2017
Registered location: Italy
Category of services: check-in automation, welcome app
EDGAR is a Guest Management Service that enables Hosts to customise their own App Concierge to assist Guests before, during and after their stay and to increase revenues by up-selling both internal and external services.
19. B2BOOK
Founded date: 04/17/2017
Registered location: Italy
Category of services: distribution
B2BOOK helps all travel operators (travel agents, TO, B2B wholesalers) get global vacation rental offers at the best commission fees in the market, using a B2B-only vacation rental platform. It’s the only pure B2B platform able to enlarge the global vacation rental distribution through API integrations with all travel online operators like airlines, OTAs, and B2B wholesalers.
20. iGMS (formerly AirGMS)
Founded date: 08/16/2016
Registered location: Canada
Category of services: property management system
iGMS is a professional all-in-one vacation rental software with native integration to major platforms such as Airbnb, HomeAway, and VRBO. iGMS offers automated guest communication, reviews, team management, channel management, financial reporting and lots more to set your vacation rental business on autopilot.
Which company would you like to see pitch at the 2019 VrTech Startup Competition final?
