Loading organizations...
§ Private Profile · Katariinankatu 1 A, 00170 Helsinki, Finland
Valpas is a technology company.
Valpas develops intelligent bed bug prevention systems designed for the hospitality sector. Their core product integrates seamlessly into hotel room beds, proactively detecting and safely containing bed bugs. This technical approach provides hotels with a continuous, sustainable solution to mitigate infestations, thereby safeguarding guest well-being and operational integrity.
The company was founded in 2017 by Martim Gois. His personal experience with a significant bed bug incident during a trip ignited the realization that the hotel industry lacked an effective, permanent solution. This pivotal insight, born from a challenging travel experience, became the impetus for establishing Valpas, aiming to address the problem at its source.
Valpas' technology serves hotels worldwide, enabling them to uphold a bed bug-free environment, which is crucial for guest satisfaction and brand reputation. The company's vision is to establish a new global standard for bed bug safety, fostering worry-free travel and supporting more sustainable and reliable operations across the entire hospitality industry.
Valpas has raised $4.9M across 2 funding rounds.
Valpas has raised $4.9M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Valpas has raised $4.9M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Valpas's investors include Zenith VC, Icebreaker.vc.
Valpas has raised $4.9M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $4.3M Seed in June 2024.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 26, 2024 | $4.3M Seed | Zenith VC | — | Announced |
| Jun 1, 2018 | $580K Seed | — | Icebreaker.vc | Announced |
# High-Level Overview
Valpas is a Finnish IoT technology company that develops smart bed legs to prevent bed bug infestations in hotels without using pesticides.[1][2] Founded in 2013 and based in Helsinki, the company has raised $6.59M in funding, with its most recent €4M seed round completed in 2024.[1] Valpas serves the global hospitality industry by offering a patented solution that captures bed bugs at first contact, automatically alerts hotel staff, and provides digital certification of bed bug-free rooms to guests.[2][3]
The company addresses a €15 billion annual problem for hotels and short-term rentals, driven by lost revenues, pesticide-related cleaning costs, and reputational damage.[4] With over 300 certified hotels across 70+ destinations, Valpas is positioning itself as the new standard for safe, sustainable hospitality.[5] The company has ambitious growth plans to reach 2 million hotel beds using its technology by the end of 2030—a 50x increase from current deployment levels.[1]
# Origin Story
The founding of Valpas emerged from a personal experience. In 2013, co-founder Martim Gois brought bed bugs home from a trip, which sparked a deeper realization about the health and environmental risks of traditional pesticide-based pest control.[3] Rather than accepting this as inevitable, Gois launched Helle Oy in 2013, a company specializing in heat-based bed bug control services.[2] This evolved into Valpas in 2017, which introduced the first autonomous bed bug detection and prevention system in the world.[2]
The company's early traction came from recognizing a critical gap in the hospitality market: hotels had no proactive, non-toxic solution to prevent infestations. By combining bioengineered bed legs with IoT sensors and smart notifications, Valpas transformed bed bug management from reactive pest control to preventive technology. This innovation resonated with major hotel chains—Valpas now counts Marriott International, Arp Hansen Hotel Group, Esprit de France Hoteles, and Hotels en Ville among its significant customers.[2]
# Core Differentiators
# Role in the Broader Tech Landscape
Valpas operates at the intersection of three significant trends: the rise of IoT-enabled preventive solutions, the hospitality industry's sustainability imperative, and growing consumer demand for health and safety transparency in travel.
The company is riding the wave of hotels increasingly adopting technology to differentiate themselves and meet guest expectations around wellness and environmental responsibility. As bed bug infestations have become more prevalent globally, traditional pest control has become both costly and reputationally damaging. Valpas' approach—replacing reactive, chemical-intensive management with proactive, data-driven prevention—represents a category shift in hospitality operations.
By joining the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance in December 2025, Valpas is positioning itself as a thought leader in defining what sustainability means in practice for the hospitality sector.[5] This institutional validation signals that bed bug-safe, pesticide-free stays are becoming a competitive necessity rather than a luxury feature.
# Quick Take & Future Outlook
Valpas is well-positioned for significant growth as hospitality operators increasingly prioritize guest safety and sustainability. The company's 50x expansion target by 2030—reaching 2 million hotel beds—reflects confidence in market demand and the scalability of its technology.[1] Strategic investments from Canon Marketing Japan and European venture firms signal strong backing for international expansion, particularly in high-value markets like Japan.[4]
The key inflection point ahead is whether Valpas can achieve rapid adoption across mid-market and budget hotel chains, not just premium properties. Success here would transform bed bug-safe certification into a standard hospitality expectation, similar to how cleanliness ratings became ubiquitous. As regulatory pressure on pesticide use increases globally and travelers become more health-conscious, Valpas' timing and positioning suggest it could define an entirely new category in hospitality standards—one where the absence of bed bugs and toxic chemicals becomes as marketable as the presence of luxury amenities.