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§ Private Profile · Lisbon, Portugal
Uniplaces is a technology company.
Uniplaces has raised $28.9M across 4 funding rounds.
Key people at Uniplaces.
Uniplaces was founded in 2011 by Miguel Santo Amaro (Co-founder).
Uniplaces has raised $28.9M in total across 4 funding rounds.
Uniplaces provides an online marketplace for students and young professionals to book medium-to-long-term accommodation. It offers verified listings, secure payments, and dedicated customer support, enabling users to confidently secure housing remotely. This platform directly addresses challenges of finding reliable accommodation prior to international relocation.
Founded in 2011 by Miguel Santo Amaro, Mariano Kostelec, and Ben Grech, Uniplaces emerged from their experiences. They identified a significant gap for a trusted, efficient online solution to help international movers find housing, standardizing an otherwise complex and uncertain process before arrival.
Uniplaces serves students, young workers, and digital nomads seeking housing in major European cities. The company's vision is to simplify and secure the initial housing phase for those moving abroad, ensuring a smooth transition. It aims to be the definitive platform for trusted international accommodation.
Key people at Uniplaces.
Uniplaces has raised $28.9M across 4 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $24.0M Series A in November 2015.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 1, 2015 | $24M Series A | Atomico | Sweet Capital, Caixa Capital Risc, Octopus Ventures, Shilling | Announced |
| Oct 8, 2014 | $3.5M Series A | Octopus Investments | Alex Chesterman, Robert Sean Mcclatchey, Shilling | Announced |
| Nov 11, 2013 | $1.1M Seed | Octopus Investments | Alex Chesterman, William Reeve | Announced |
| Jul 31, 2012 | $250K Venture Round | — | Alex Chesterman, William Reeve, Shilling | Announced |
Uniplaces was founded in 2011 by Miguel Santo Amaro (Co-founder).
Uniplaces has raised $28.9M in total across 4 funding rounds.
Uniplaces's investors include Atomico, Sweet Capital, Caixa Capital, Octopus Ventures, Shilling, Octopus Investments, Alex Chesterman, Robert Sean McClatchey, William Reeve.
Uniplaces is an online marketplace platform that connects students, young professionals, digital nomads, travelers, and families with verified mid- and long-term rental accommodations, primarily targeting university students.[1][2][5] It solves the challenges of traditional renting—such as guarantors, bureaucracy, and in-person viewings—by offering a fully online booking process with secure payments, tenant protections, and listings in over 30 European cities, including Lisbon, London, Madrid, Berlin, and Barcelona.[1][5][6] The platform generates revenue through one-off booking commissions and premium services for landlords, like professional photos, and has shown strong growth with over 90,000 verified properties, rapid international expansion, and past revenues exceeding $25 million in bookings from users in 140+ countries.[3][5][6]
Uniplaces was founded in 2012 by Miguel Amaro (Portugal), Ben Grech (England), and Mariano Kostelec (Argentina), who met at the University of Nottingham and King's College London.[2][6] The idea emerged in summer 2011 from their own struggles finding student housing; they prototyped it at Lisbon's Startup Weekend in November 2011, launched a working version by early 2012, and secured university partnerships in Portugal.[2] Headquartered in Lisbon with an early London office, the company raised a €1M seed round in 2013 from Octopus Investments, followed by a €3M Series A in 2014 led by the same investors and others, fueling expansion beyond initial cities like Lisbon, London, and Madrid.[2][3] Key milestones include a 2015 site redesign, launches of the Uniplaces Guarantee and Scholarship, a Google partnership, and advisor Martin Reiter (ex-Airbnb VP) joining.[2]
Uniplaces rides the proptech wave transforming rentals through digital marketplaces, capitalizing on rising global student mobility (e.g., Erasmus programs) and urbanization in Europe.[7] Its timing aligns with post-2010s demand for seamless, tech-driven housing amid housing shortages in student hubs like London and Berlin, where traditional processes fail young, international renters.[2][6][7] Market forces favoring it include 500% annual revenue growth pre-2015, expansion to 39+ cities, and €22M Series A in 2015, positioning it as a leader against fragmented competitors.[3][7] It influences the ecosystem by standardizing student housing—organizing supply via tech, partnerships, and guarantees—potentially paving the way for global scale beyond Europe.[3][6]
Uniplaces is poised to dominate student and mid-term rentals as remote work and study-abroad trends grow, potentially expanding to non-European markets like the US or Asia with its verified, online model.[3][6][7] Key shapers include AI-enhanced matching, further proptech integrations, and navigating regulations in high-demand cities. Its influence could evolve from European leader to global platform, humanizing urban mobility for the next generation of students and nomads, much like it started with three friends simplifying their own housing hunt.[1][2]
