Finland’s Hostaway, an all-in-one vacation rental software and management system, has announced that it is the world’s first short-term rental (STR) property management system (PMS) to achieve unicorn status.

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Helsinki-based Hostaway, an all-in-one vacation rental software and management system, has announced that it is the world’s first short-term rental (STR) property management system (PMS) to achieve unicorn status.

Since its funding round of $365M (approximately €315M) in 2024, which valued the company at $925M  (approximately €798M), Hostaway has grown by over 50 per cent.

Marcus Rader, CEO and Co-Founder of Hostaway, says, “Unicorn status has always been part of the trajectory we set for Hostaway. This is a huge recognition of the dedication of our team and the power of the software we’ve developed, as well as the support of our users, who are at the centre of everything we do.

The announcement comes seven months after introducing Hostaway AI, an advanced suite of automation tools for vacation rental managers, as a part of its 10th anniversary celebration. 

The platform includes AI Review Sentiment Analysis to scan guest feedback and flag recurring issues, and a Host Quality Dashboard that tracks listing performance and guest satisfaction across platforms. 

Other tools in the suite include AI Guest Replies, AI Listing Optimisation, AI Dynamic Pricing, AI Task Management, AI Message Automation, and AI Payments and Protections, which together help save users about an hour per booking. 

Hostaway: Vacation rental software and management system

Hostaway was launched in 2015 by Marcus Rader, Saber Kordestanchi, and Mikko Nurminen, who saw a need for better technology in the short-term rental (STR) market.

“The first 10 years of Hostaway have been about building a product to revolutionise the vacation rental industry. Now, we want to supercharge that growth and improve the lives of even more property managers all over the world.”

The company provides professional vacation rental property managers with easy-to-use software and serves as a reliable two-way API connection to major online travel agencies. 

Hostaway allows property managers to manage all key aspects of their vacation rental business, including:

  • Property Management
  • Channel Management
  • AI
  • Automation Tools
  • Analytics & Reporting
  • Marketing, communications and operations

Recently, the company celebrated its 10th anniversary and now has users in over 90 countries.

It continues to grow by hiring more staff and expanding its European presence.

In 2025, Hostaway was recognised as one of the 100 fastest-growing software companies by G2.

With a fully remote team across 44 countries, Hostaway blends local knowledge with a global viewpoint to create technology that meets the needs of property managers everywhere.

The platform is suitable for STR managers of all sizes, ensuring that whether someone has just a few properties or hundreds, they can access high-quality technology.