By HTN Staff - 8.29.2019
Hotel technology company Mews today announced that it has raised $33 million in funding. The Series B round was led by global investment firm Battery Ventures, with Battery Principal Sanjiv Kalevar joining the Mews board of directors and Battery General Partner Michael Brown joining as board observer.
The Prague-based company, which has offices in six countries and customers in 45 countries, will reportedly use the funds to accelerate its ability “to fundamentally transform how hotels operate and serve guests,” as well as enable new technology players to find creative ways of providing hospitality experiences. Further, the funding will support the company’s expansion in the U.S. and the imminent launch of its office in New York City where Mews Founder Richard Valtr will be based.
The Mews PMS platform was designed with aim of creating new revenue channels and branding opportunities for hotels as well as offerinf guests more flexibility than other PMS capabilities allow to create and manage their ideal stays. With the new funding, Mews will bring other first-of-their-kind features to hotel operations to establish a new standard of excellence in hospitality.
“The hospitality industry has been slow in adapting to today’s guests’ expectations, to make their stays easy, enjoyable and memorable. Mews was created to help hotels run far more efficiently so that they can switch their focus entirely back to the guest,” said Valtr. “We are building technology that enhances human capabilities to elevate the design and curation of experiences as the primary business of hospitality, away from repetitive data entry.”
Mews has already developed an open hospitality API for its platform to unlock the industry to the wider world of technology and bring innovative solutions to the full range of spaces it helps to manage, from niche alternative properties to hostels to large hotel chains, allowing all kinds of apps to enhance back office and guest experiences.
Currently, Mews reportedly works with over 130,000 beds at over 1,000 properties and is enabling its hospitality customers to transact over $150 million each month in hotel and ancillary purchases. From European-based global chain Accor to African hotel powerhouse Tsogo Sun to hip hostel group Generator, or new hospitality players like the Collective or the LifeHouse Group, Mews’ innovative approach to guest service has been adopted the world over by a broad range of property types, suggesting exciting opportunities in the future for any space management business.
“Mews has a bold vision for where hospitality can go that extends far beyond our mobile check-in technology or plug-and-play marketplace,” said Mews CEO, Matthijs Welle in a company statement. “We want to redefine the modern stay from the ground up by improving operations, enhancing branding and empowering staff to become a high functioning and resourceful experience design and curation team. We’re thrilled to be on course for consecutive 200 percent year-over-year growth, so it’s exciting to see a real appetite for change.”
Welle co-founded Mews in 2012 with Richard Valtr in the Czech Republic. Both of them are ex-hoteliers. Since its launch, the company has grown from five employees to over 250 employees, most of them based in London and New York.
