11. Hostmaker

Founder: Nakul Sharma
Founded: December 2013 (Launched July 2014)
Website: www.hostmaker.co

Cracking the top 20 ranking in last year’s Startups 100 index, 2017 marks an even better year for hospitality management service Hostmaker as it moves up nine places in our list.

Founded in 2013 by Nakul Sharma, Hostmaker was inspired by Sharma’s travels with his wife to Rome, Rio and Jaipur. Inspired by the charm and care bestowed upon them by their hosts, the pair decided to give it a go themselves and become hosts for their home once they returned to London.

Underestimating how much hard work it actually was, the duo decided to channel their efforts into helping other hosts – and the seeds of Hostmaker were sown.

Offering two types of service to users, the start-up offers a full-management option – aka “hands off-hosting” – to help Airbnb hosts with everything from property photography, listing, pricing, reservations, guest communication and housekeeping to linen rental, in-person check-ins and maintenance.

The business also offers a “pay-as-you-go-service” which allows customers to book on-off services online such as help with checking-in or changing linen.

Growing to a headcount of over 150, across four different cities, Hostmaker currently supports over 1,000 hosts across Europe and has got investors on side. Just last February, the start-up took total funding to just over £7.5m after securing £5m in a Series A funding round led by Parisian venture capital fund Ventech and DN Capital.

So, after already building on 2016’s success, where does the future lie for Hostmaker?

As well as strengthening its position across current markets, Sharma says that Hostmaker has “a pipeline of interest from over 25 cities around the world” and will further invest in delivering superior income to homeowners through a new pricing algorithm.