What Colonies does

Colonies is a Paris-headquartered residential housing operator founded in 2017 that manages furnished apartments, coliving spaces, and shared housing across 20+ European cities in France, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, and Germany. As of mid-2026 the company manages a portfolio of 2,000+ units across five product formats: Colocation (shared apartments, €500–1,500/month), Coliving (premium communal residences with coworking and amenities), Appartement Privé (furnished individual apartments), Corporate Offers (B2B employee housing), and an emerging XXL Buildings sub-brand of large-scale residences (79–220 units) under individual names (Vatea, Waka, Evaki, Diana, Hamori, Norna, Paris La Défense). The company operates 101–250 employees across offices in Paris, Berlin, and Brussels, and is incorporated as SAS COLONIES, a French Société par Actions Simplifiée.

The technology stack consists of a proprietary digital platform with a tenant mobile application, a landlord portal, and an investor reporting dashboard; AI is embedded for tenant credit screening, maintenance ticket triage, and pricing anomaly detection, all with human-in-the-loop supervision. Listings are automatically syndicated to 15+ channels including SeLoger, LeBonCoin, Facebook, and Google with retargeting capabilities. Revenue comes from two streams: direct rental income from owned/managed properties under a subscription all-inclusive monthly model, and recurring property management fees from third-party landlords (5% HT/month core package, 0.4%/year asset management), supplemented by design/renovation services. The company serves three segments: individual renters (professionals, students, expats), corporate clients with employee housing needs, and institutional investors/landlords seeking managed rental assets; occupancy runs at 95% and tenant satisfaction at 4.6/5.

In December 2023 Colonies raised €30M in its third funding round to expand across Europe. Recent strategic activity has shifted from organic portfolio growth to institutional capital partnerships: in June and July 2026 the company entered BEFA/VEFA agreements with institutional investors (Banque des Territoires, Groupama Rhône-Alpes Auvergne, Ampère Gestion/CDC Habitat, MAIF Habitats et Inclusion) and major developers (Sogeprom, Bouygues Immobilier) for build-to-rent residences totaling 226 new units near Geneva and Basel.

Name

Colonies

Legal name

SAS COLONIES

Website

https://livecolonies.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Colonies is a Paris-headquartered European residential housing operator managing 2,000+ furnished apartments, coliving spaces, and shared housing across 20+ cities in France, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, and Germany, serving individual tenants, corporate clients, and institutional investors via a proprietary digital platform with AI-assisted screening.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Managed Residential Housing (Co-living and Colocation)

NAICS

Rental and Leasing Services (532), Lessors of Real Estate (5311), Rooming and Boarding Houses, Dormitories, and Workers' Camps (72131)

SIC

Operators Of Apartment Buildings (6513), Real Estate Operators (No Developers) & Lessors (6510), Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Co-Living Property Management (BPAJAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Coliving (Monthly, Shared Amenities) (THAMAFAL), Office Tenant Representation (BPAJALAA), Housing & Neighborhood Services (Local Housing Programs) (BPAIACAJ)

Keywords

• Co-living housing
• Furnished apartment rentals
• Residential property management
• Build-to-rent operations
• Flexible urban housing

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Rental Income from Managed Properties: Colonies operates and manages residential properties, earning rental income from furnished apartments, coliving spaces, and shared housing. All-inclusive monthly rent covering rent, utilities, internet, maintenance, and common area access.
2. Property Management Services: Property management fees for landlords: 5% HT du CA/mois for core package (management + admin + technical). Asset management at 0.4% of property value per year. Design accompaniment priced per project.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Colonies is a European residential housing operator that rents fully furnished apartments, shared housing (colocation), and premium coliving residences to individuals and businesses on flexible, all-inclusive monthly leases across 20+ cities in France, Belgium, Spain, Germany, and Switzerland. It complements its tenant offering with property management and asset management services for landlords and institutional investors, supported by a proprietary digital platform with AI-driven tenant verification, maintenance triage, and real-time investor reporting.

Product overview

Colonies is a European residential housing operator offering a multi-product platform centered on managed furnished housing. The core portfolio consists of three housing types: Colocation (shared apartments with private bedrooms), Coliving (premium communal residences with extensive amenities), and Appartement Privé (fully furnished private apartments). The company operates through several branded XXL residences (Vatea, Waka, Evaki, Diana, Hamori, Norna, and upcoming Paris La Défense) featuring large-scale units with coworking, fitness, and social spaces. Additional offerings include Property Management Services for landlords (covering marketing, AI-powered tenant verification, maintenance coordination, and real-time investor reporting), Design & Renovation Services for asset valorization, a Corporate Offers program for business clients, and digital tenant/investor portals. The platform generates revenue from both tenant rentals and property management fees, operating across 20+ European cities in France, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, and Germany.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Colocation (Shared Apartments) Shared apartment housing where residents rent a private bedroom in a fully furnished shared apartment with shared kitchen and living areas. Targeted at professionals, students, and expats seeking affordable, flexible urban housing with all-inclusive monthly pricing of €500-€1,500 depending on city and unit.
• Coliving Residences Premium communal living in dedicated residences with extensive amenities (coworking, lounges, gardens, fitness), organized community events, and a Community Leader program. Furnished private units with access to extensive shared facilities.
• Appartement Privé (Private Apartment) Fully furnished individual apartments for residents seeking maximum privacy and independence with all-inclusive pricing and professional management services. Includes dedicated living space, bathroom, and kitchen facilities.
• Corporate Housing Offers Tailored housing solutions for businesses needing to accommodate employees, remote workers, or relocating staff. Provides bulk booking, dedicated account management, and flexible terms for corporate clients.
• XXL Residences (Branded Large-Scale Buildings) Large-scale, branded residential buildings with 80-220+ furnished units featuring premium shared amenities such as coworking, social lounges, gardens, rooftops, fitness centers, cinema, pools, and spas, targeted at student housing and premium residential segments across European cities.
• Property Management Services Full-service property management for landlords and institutional investors covering marketing across 15+ channels, AI-powered tenant screening, rent collection, maintenance coordination, and real-time investor reporting. Core package priced at 5% HT of monthly revenue with optional 0.4%/year asset management.
• Design & Renovation Services Asset valorization service through interior design, renovation, and furniture installation, designed to achieve approximately 50% rental value increase and 3-4 DPE (energy performance) level improvements. Priced per project.
• Investor Portal Digital platform for property investors providing real-time reporting on occupancy rates, pricing, internal rate of return (TRI), and financial performance, with automated accounting exports and portfolio-level asset management dashboards.
• Resident App & Tenant Portal Digital tenant application providing online booking, arrival instructions, document management (lease, inventory reports), rent payment with receipts, roommate information, and help center access for support requests.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% occupancy rate achieved through professional property management and multi-channel marketing
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Ampère Gestion (CDC Habitat subsidiary)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 July 2026Colonies and Ampère Gestion signed a BEFA (forward purchase agreement) for the Résidence Nanto development in Saint-Louis, France (border town near Basel). Bouygues Immobilier is developing the 97-unit residence. Ampère Gestion, acting on behalf of MAIF Habitats et Inclusion, acquired the asset through VEFA while Colonies operates the managed residence.
• Bouygues ImmobiliercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 July 2026Developer of the Résidence Nanto in Saint-Louis, France (97 furnished units). Bouygues Immobilier developed the residence under the partnership between Colonies and Ampère Gestion.
• SogepromcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 June 2026Property developer for the 129-unit build-to-rent residence in Ferney-Voltaire. Sogeprom developed the property acquired by Colonies' institutional investors, with Colonies operating the managed residence.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Habyt: Berlin-headquartered coliving and flexible housing operator active across multiple European cities. Competes directly with Colonies for tenants, landlords, and institutional build-to-rent mandates in France, Germany, Spain, and Belgium.
• Quarters: European coliving operator offering fully furnished apartments with flexible leases and community programming. Direct competitor to Colonies' colocation, coliving, and corporate housing offerings across Continental Europe.
• Cohabs: Belgian coliving company operating large shared houses with all-inclusive pricing. Highly comparable to Colonies on product format, target tenant (young professionals), and geographic footprint overlapping in Belgium and France.
• The Collective: Original large-scale coliving operator (UK-origin) with flagship XXL-style buildings and community-led operating model. Comparable to Colonies' XXL residences on format, scale, and amenity-rich positioning.
• Blueground: Global furnished-apartment operator with monthly stays and a tech-enabled management platform. Comparable to Colonies' Appartement Privé line and property management stack, particularly for medium-term corporate and relocation stays.
• Paris Attitude: Long-established French furnished-apartment rental agency serving Paris and major French cities. Direct overlap with Colonies' private-furnished-apartment and corporate housing products in the French primary market.
• Lodgis: Paris-based serviced-apartment and corporate housing provider with a broad furnished rental portfolio. Comparable to Colonies on tenant profile (corporate, expatriate), all-inclusive pricing, and French urban footprint.

Emerging players

• Common: US coliving operator with large multi-unit buildings and a tech-enabled operating model. Comparable in product format and asset-management approach, but primarily serving North American cities rather than competing directly in Europe.
• Ollie: Operator of large-scale, amenity-rich coliving buildings in major US cities. Comparable to Colonies' XXL residence strategy on building format and operational complexity, with limited current European overlap.

Regional players

• Héméra (formerly H1): French residential real estate operator and manager with portfolio of student and young-professional housing. Comparable to Colonies on resident profile, French market focus, and institutional co-investor relationships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/live.colonies
• Xx.com/colonies__

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors7 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Colonies