Uniplaces
Uniplaces is a London-based marketplace founded in 2011 that connects international students with verified accommodation across European markets, earning revenue through booking commissions on its digital platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Uniplaces does
Uniplaces is a London-headquartered marketplace platform founded in 2011 that connects international students with accommodation providers across European markets. The company operates a two-sided digital platform — accessible via web and mobile — where students search, compare, and book verified housing options while studying abroad, and accommodation providers list inventory and reach a cross-border student audience. Its core technology stack and proprietary features are not publicly disclosed, but the platform is described as a leading student accommodation service in Europe, indicating an established inventory network and brand presence built over more than a decade.
Uniplaces generates revenue through a marketplace commission model, taking a fee or percentage on bookings facilitated between students and housing providers. It serves a single primary persona — international students — and targets the pain point of finding trustworthy, suitable accommodation in unfamiliar foreign cities. Go-to-market combines a self-serve digital channel (students book directly online) with a partnership-led distribution motion, exemplified by the April 2026 strategic alliance with MyStudentFlat to extend coverage into Greece and Cyprus. The company has raised approximately $29 million in disclosed equity funding across rounds in 2012, 2013, 2014, and a $24 million Series B in November 2015, with backers including Atomico, Octopus Ventures, Shilling VC, Caixa Capital, Flat Capital, and Sweet Capital.
Operationally, Uniplaces employs 101–250 people and continues to expand its European footprint through local market partnerships rather than capital-intensive direct entry. Leadership comprises CEO Cyril Jessua, Co-Founder and Non-Executive Chairman Ben Grech, and VP Sales & Partnerships Claudio Francese. The company remains private with no disclosed revenue, ARR, or GMV figures, and no AI/ML, patent, certification, or regulatory disclosures are present in the available data.
Uniplaces firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Uniplaces
- Website
- https://uniplaces.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Uniplaces is a London-based marketplace founded in 2011 that connects international students with verified accommodation across European markets, earning revenue through booking commissions on its digital platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Uniplaces industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Student Accommodation Marketplace
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Private Student Housing Marketplaces & Booking Platforms (Aggregators) (EDAIALAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Student Housing Marketplaces & Booking Platforms (THAMAGAJ), Housing Placement Agencies & Local Letting/Relocation Services for Students (EDAIALAH)
Keywords
Where Uniplaces is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
Uniplaces business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations
Revenue model
- Student Accommodation Marketplace: Platform connecting international students with accommodation providers across European markets. Revenue likely generated through transaction fees or commissions on bookings facilitated through the platform.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Uniplaces product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Uniplaces operates an online marketplace that connects international students with accommodation providers across European markets. The platform enables students to search, compare, and book verified student housing options in cities across Europe, including through partnerships with local student housing platforms such as MyStudentFlat for the Greece and Cyprus markets.
Product overview
Uniplaces is a leading student accommodation platform operating in European markets, connecting students with housing options.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Uniplaces Platform
Companies that use Uniplaces
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Uniplaces technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Uniplaces partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- MyStudentFlatcoreStrategic partnership to expand Uniplaces' presence in Greece and Cyprus markets. MyStudentFlat, a student housing platform operating in Greece and Cyprus, will leverage Uniplaces' established European platform to enhance its service offerings. The partnership positions both companies for growth in the Eastern Mediterranean student housing market.
Scale indicators1 record
Expansion highlights3 records
Uniplaces competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Amber Student: Amber Student is a global student accommodation marketplace that helps students discover, compare, and book housing near universities worldwide. It is comparable to Uniplaces in serving international students with a commission-based online booking model.
- Nestpick: Nestpick is a furnished apartment and student housing aggregator serving international students and young professionals across multiple European cities. It is a direct competitor to Uniplaces in the online-bookable mid-term rental segment.
- Spotahome: Spotahome is a mid-to-long-term rental platform with a strong presence in European student and young professional housing markets. It competes head-to-head with Uniplaces in the verified-listing, online-bookable accommodation segment in Europe.
- HousingAnywhere: HousingAnywhere is a well-capitalised European booking platform for student and young professional accommodation, allowing tenants to book rooms online months in advance. It is a direct competitor to Uniplaces across multiple European cities and has been actively raising growth capital.
- UniAcco: UniAcco is an international student accommodation and study abroad platform that aggregates housing options globally. It is a direct peer given its marketplace model, international student focus, and overlap with Uniplaces in key European destinations.
- Student.com: Student.com is a direct competitor operating a global marketplace for student accommodation, serving international students booking housing abroad across multiple markets. It is the closest direct peer to Uniplaces given overlapping target customer (international students) and marketplace business model.
- University Living: University Living is a global student accommodation marketplace serving international students booking housing near universities. It is comparable to Uniplaces in customer base, marketplace model, and cross-border booking workflow.
- Casita: Casita is a student housing marketplace operating in Europe that helps students find and book verified accommodation. It overlaps directly with Uniplaces in geographic focus, target customer, and marketplace business model.
Broad incumbents
- Vrbo: Vrbo (Expedia Group) is a broad incumbent in vacation and short-term rental accommodation, including some longer student stays. It is comparable to Uniplaces as an alternative online booking channel for furnished accommodation in European cities.
- Airbnb: Airbnb is a broad incumbent in short-to-mid-term accommodation and captures a portion of the student long-stay segment, particularly in European cities. While not student-focused, it competes with Uniplaces for the same international student budget on furnished rentals.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Uniplaces social profiles
Digital presenceUniplaces financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Uniplaces leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Uniplaces funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors8 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Uniplaces M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Uniplaces
What does Uniplaces do?
Uniplaces operates an online marketplace that connects international students with accommodation providers across European markets. The platform enables students to search, compare, and book verified student housing options in cities across Europe, including through partnerships with local student housing platforms such as MyStudentFlat for the Greece and Cyprus markets.
When was Uniplaces founded?
Uniplaces was founded in 2011. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Uniplaces based?
Uniplaces is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Uniplaces make money?
One revenue line is on record: student Accommodation Marketplace.
Who are Uniplaces's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Amber Student, Nestpick, Spotahome, HousingAnywhere, UniAcco, Student.com, University Living and Casita. Broad incumbents are Vrbo and Airbnb.
Does Uniplaces have an API?
No public API is recorded for Uniplaces.
What industry is Uniplaces in?
Uniplaces's product category is Student Accommodation Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAIALAE, Private Student Housing Marketplaces & Booking Platforms (Aggregators), with a secondary code of THAMAGAJ, Student Housing Marketplaces & Booking Platforms. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.