Raising 27 million euros after less than 3 years of existence is the feat that the startup Ukio, one of the leaders in PropTech, has just achieved. But where does this young shoot come from? How did she stand out in the real estate field? Business Cool explains everything to you!
What is Ukio?
Ukio is a company founded in 2020 by two French brothers, Stanley and Jérémy Fourteau, both living in Barcelona. They launched their startup on a simple concept: placing themselves between the tenant and the owner, by renting the real estate to the owners themselves then furnishing it and managing the entire property (furniture, decoration, insurance, etc.) . Carrying a very “ high-end », they are located somewhere between the hotel and the apartment, and offer services such as concierge services for example. The objective is therefore to attract a wealthy clientele who travel relatively regularly around the world (since Ukio only offers these goods for a maximum of 11 months).
Already seen as one of the flagship PropTech startups, Ukio currently has nearly 200 employees and already manages more than 700 properties in various cities in Western Europe. To be at the heart of innovation and attractiveness, the company has also surrounded itself with nearly forty different designers, all working on the furnishings and internal design of the properties they rent. It is mainly aimed at an audience wishing to stay only a few months in a city. In this context, offering owners and tenants a turnkey solution, stable and without excessive constraints, is an option that seems to have strong added value. The company presents the gains for owners of nearly 20% to 25% compared to a traditional rental.
Ukio, a successful startup
This positioning does not prevent Ukio from having real stability: almost 95% occupancy rate, several hundred properties distributed between the largest cities in Western Europe and nearly 200 employees in total. The company wants to reach 1,000 properties before the end of 2023, for a turnover of nearly 25 million euros. Very ambitious, the objective does not seem incoherent when we know that during the year 2022, the company had multiplied its turnover by 7. Excellent results which, as we have seen, have started to bear fruit. fruits, since the company has just completed a fundraising of 27 million euros from Felix Capital.
Also read: Startup Kaptcher raises one million euros
What does Ukio intend to do with the funds raised?
For the moment, the objective is above all to procure as many apartments as possible and settle in other European cities: the company is particularly aiming to establish itself across the Channel, with its first apartments in London and Dublin. This type of goods and services is in fact so financially engaging that such a sum allows you to increase your stock.
And it is indeed one of the main challenges to develop: many companies, established across the Atlantic, have a model similar to that from Ukiooften with greater ease in raising funds. Increasing its presence and its fleet could therefore consolidate the position of the startup, currently the leader in its sector in Europe. It remains to be seen whether the model proves beneficial for her.
