Zeni secures £450k in seed funding from Stuart Ellis, Stuart Nassos, and Wavensmere Homes to scale operations.
The travel tech start up has raised £450k from travel sector figures and real estate developers to expand its geographical footprint and develop an online booking platform.
Zeni provides affordable, self-catered city centre accommodation by utilising vacant high-end student housing during the summer months. The company aims to expand its portfolio and community offerings while developing a dedicated booking platform.
Zeni has secured £450k in seed funding from backers including Stuart Ellis, Stuart Nassos, and Wavensmere Homes. The capital will be deployed to widen the company geographical reach, foster traveller communities through curated events, and build a proprietary booking platform.
Founded initially as a trial of 20 rooms, the company expanded operations during the pandemic and now manages close to 3,000 rooms with occupancy rates exceeding 70% annually. Direct bookings have also grown significantly over the period.
The business plans to introduce a four-star offering in early 2022 following current trials across several major British cities.
From the founder
"We’re expecting direct bookings to reach 30% by 2023"
Raj Patel
CEO at Zeni
Investor perspective
"Zeni fixes a problem I’ve encountered various times over my career – the lack of self-catered accommodation with consistently high standard in city centre locations. Zeni’s team has performed wonders during a very difficult pandemic-affected period, and we’re excited about what the future holds"
Stuart Nassos
Stuart Nassos
Use of funds
- 01Expand into international markets
- 02Continue product development