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The Dubai-based startup, backed by PlusVC, Orbit Ventures, and VMS, targets Saudi expansion with technology designed to transform the fragmented long-term stays market.
estaie, the world’s first AI-native extended-stay platform, has announced a seven-figure pre-seed funding round led by PlusVC and Orbit Ventures, with participation from Falak Angels, Value Makers Studio (VMS) , and Vasil Zdravkov. The startup is supported by in5, Dubai’s leading startup incubator founded by TECOM Group PJSC.
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The funding will accelerate estaie’s expansion across the region, with a strategic focus on Saudi Arabia as the company scales from its Dubai base to Riyadh.
The Problem: A Fragmented Extended-Stay Market
Founded in 2025, estaie was designed from day one to address one of the most structurally underserved segments in hospitality: long and extended stays—a category that sits awkwardly between traditional hotels, residential leasing, and corporate travel.
While short-stay travel is dominated by platforms built around nightly pricing logic, the extended-stay market remains fragmented across:
- Disconnected operators
- Inconsistent pricing models
- Manual, outdated processes
- Poor distribution systems
The result is systemic inefficiency: underutilized inventory, lost revenue for operators, and poor discovery and pricing transparency for guests.
The Solution: An AI-Native Operating Layer
estaie has built a category-defining platform from the ground up, with core technology designed in-house and supported by three pending patents. The platform serves as an AI-native operating layer for long-term stays, bringing together:
- Demand aggregation
- Pricing intelligence
- Ecosystem connectivity
All within a single, unified platform.
A Team with Deep Industry Experience
estaie is led by a seasoned founding team:
| Founder | Role | Background |
|---|---|---|
| Osama Shawky | Founder & CEO | Six-time founder with three exits; former commercial leader at Orange Business and Concentrix |
| Nimit Solanki | CTO & Co-founder | AI, tech, and product leader formerly at Careem, Grab, and Deutsche Telekom |
| Mark Reed | COO & Co-founder | Travel and hospitality executive with experience at Finnair, Trailfinders, and The Walt Disney Company |
Investor Perspectives
“Extended stay is a massive, fast-growing category that has been operating without the infrastructure it deserves,” said Osama Shawky, Founder and CEO of estaie.
“estaie is being built as an AI-native operating layer for long-term stays, bringing together demand, pricing intelligence, and ecosystem connectivity into a single platform. We’re grateful for the support of our investors as we accelerate our expansion across the region and build the category-defining platform for extended stay.”
“estaie is building the category-defining platform for long-term stays, addressing a fast-growing yet underserved segment of the hospitality market,” said Hasan Haider, Founder and Managing Partner of PlusVC.
“Operating at the intersection of real estate, travel, and technology, estaie’s platform has the potential to transform how extended stays are discovered, booked, and managed. This aligns strongly with PlusVC’s commitment to backing disruptive, tech-enabled startups that are redefining traditional industries.”
“The MENA region is experiencing a dynamic transformation, attracting the best talent from around the world,” said William Bao Bean, Managing General Partner of Orbit Ventures.
“estaie is enabling workers to book stays of a month or longer at significantly lower rates, reducing the historical barriers to living and working in the region. At the same time, they are unlocking new revenue opportunities for their hotel partners, digitizing a very traditional business with manual execution.”
“At VMS, we participated in this round through a direct cash investment in estaie, reflecting our commitment to backing founders who build new market categories and transform traditional sectors,” said Moataz Abuonq, CEO of Value Makers Studio (VMS).
“Operating at the intersection of hospitality, real estate, and technology, estaie is well-positioned to capture growing demand for tech-enabled extended stays in Saudi Arabia under Vision 2030. Beyond capital, we are supporting the team on market entry, partnerships, and institutional access to ensure sustainable expansion in the Kingdom.”
Strong Early Traction Since Launch
Since its launch in April 2025, estaie has demonstrated strong early traction across both supply acquisition and demand growth:
Supply Side
| Metric | Achievement |
|---|---|
| Hotels signed | 400+ |
| Holiday homes signed | 1,000+ |
| Major regional agreements | 3 |
Demand Side
| Metric | Achievement |
|---|---|
| Room nights booked | 3,000+ |
| Month-over-month growth | 17–18% |
This momentum positions estaie among the fastest-growing hospitality technology startups in the region.
Strategic Focus: Saudi Arabia Expansion
With the fresh funding, estaie is strategically scaling into Saudi Arabia, a market aligned with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 initiative, which is driving significant inbound talent mobility, tourism, and business travel.
The company’s AI-native platform is designed to reduce barriers to living and working in the region by enabling extended-stay bookings at significantly lower rates—unlocking value for both guests and hotel partners.
in5
estaie is supported by in5, Dubai’s leading startup incubator founded by TECOM Group PJSC, which provides entrepreneurs with access to infrastructure, mentorship, and growth opportunities.
