Stephan Wiesener, Founder at Apaleo: Building The Industry’s Most Flexible Property Management Platform

Tell us about Apaleo

 

Apaleo is a next-generation, open property management platform designed for hotels, serviced apartment groups and alternative residential property portfolios. Unlike traditional, all-in-one property management systems (PMS), Apaleo is an API-first platform. This enables users to integrate seamlessly with over 250 specialised apps – creating an operations system perfectly tailored to their hospitality concept and unique needs.

With Apaleo, our users build customised, flexible “tech stacks” that adapt and evolve with the business. Think of it like buying Lego blocks instead of a ready-made house.

We’re in over 30 countries and growing, managing more than 85,000 units across nearly 2,000 properties.

 

 

How did you come up with the idea for the company?

 

Apaleo was founded in 2017 when we noticed a problem in the market: legacy PMS solutions were inflexible and difficult to integrate with modern technology. We created Apaleo from the ground up with an API-first, MACH-based architecture (Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native, Headless).

Our mission was to build the industry’s most flexible property management platform. We want hospitality businesses to have the freedom to bring their unique concepts to life.

But what truly sets Apaleo apart is our commitment to openness. Our users aren’t locked into a single vendor – they can choose the best tools for their needs. And they don’t need to be computer whizzes to master Apaleo. Our no-code and low-code capabilities further empower operators to build their tech stack without any developer expertise.

Unlike costly legacy systems, Apaleo operates in a pay-for-what-you-use mode. This allows businesses to integrate best-in-class apps, APIs, and custom code while only paying for the features they need.

We’re also the only future-proof property management solution designed for an API-powered and inevitably AI-agent-first world. Our architecture ensures businesses can seamlessly adapt to new technologies without costly system overhauls.

 

 

What is your advice to aspiring entrepreneurs?

 

We’ve learned great lessons on our quest to disrupt a traditional industry dominated by legacy players. Firstly, always set out to solve a real problem with actual value. Apaleo’s mission has always been unequivocally to break away from the rigidity of legacy PMS systems with a flexible, modular solution. Secondly, commit to remaining agile. The fast-evolving world of technology demands adaptability. Thirdly, prioritise scalability. The sweet spot of disruption lies in delivering great products that drive efficiency at a fraction of the cost. Lastly, build a strong team and seek strategic investors who can add real value, drive quality growth, and don’t care solely about the exit strategy.

 

What most excites you about Apaleo?

 

What excites me most about Apaleo is working with an incredible team, all united by our vision. When we founded Apaleo, it wasn’t certain that a fully open hospitality platform would spark an entire ecosystem. But today, tech vendors–from AI-driven startups to the biggest travel tech companies in the world–are building on Apaleo’s APIs, while hospitality players create their dream ‘tech stacks’. Now, Apaleo is emerging as the platform bringing AI into hospitality, giving businesses the flexibility to innovate, experiment, and adapt to rapid technological change.

 

How has the company evolved over the last couple of years?

 

We’ve grown rapidly in recent years, expanding our operations to over 30 countries and bringing more than 85,000 units under management across an increasingly diverse range of accommodations. Beyond hotels and serviced apartments, our use cases now include short-term rentals and alternative residential accommodations such as co-living, senior living, multifamily, and Build-to-Rent.

A major milestone for us in 2024 was securing €20 million in growth equity funding in a round led by PSG Equity, fueling our international expansion and innovation. We’ve deepened partnerships with leading hospitality brands like citizenM, easyHotel, and Numa, proving that our model scales effortlessly from boutique operators to enterprise chains.

 

What can we hope to see from Apaleo in the future?

 

We are expanding into more countries and hospitality segments while growing our ecosystem and client base. Most importantly, we’re becoming the AI ecosystem for hospitality. With so much AI innovation happening on Apaleo, we’re launching the ‘Agent Hub’, the first AI agent marketplace and collaboration space in hospitality. It’s a network where hospitality players can find the best developers, service providers, AI specialists, and AI-driven solutions that fit their unique needs. From marketing and sales automation to guest service and intelligent process automation, they can find agents that function like an on-demand digital staff, ready to handle tasks more efficiently.