Mews began with the practical work of running a hotel. Its journey from Prague to international hospitality software offers a useful lesson for founders: understand a customer's daily operations before trying to build a business around them.
A hotel guest sees a room, a welcome and perhaps a restaurant. Behind that experience are reservations, payments, room availability, housekeeping and a constant flow of information between staff.
For Richard Valtr, those everyday processes became the starting point for Mews. Founded in 2012, the company grew from a Prague hotel project into a platform serving hospitality businesses internationally. Valtr remains its founder, while Matt Welle leads the company as CEO. Mews — company history and leadership
The story is interesting for anyone following Czech startups. It connects a local operating problem with a product that could be used abroad, then shows how funding, acquisitions and an expanding product range changed the business.
The hotel came before the platform
In an interview with the US Chamber of Commerce, Valtr described working as a night receptionist in a hotel operated by his mother. Later, after studying in London, he returned to Prague and worked on his family's property and hotel projects.
One of those projects became The Emblem Prague Hotel. Developing the hotel gave him a reason to look closely at the systems supporting its operations. He wanted software that could connect hotel work in real time.
According to Valtr, he hired two engineers from Charles University's Faculty of Mathematics and Physics to build the first version. The work started with online and kiosk check-in and developed into a broader property management system. In 2013, The Emblem became the first hotel to run entirely on Mews. US Chamber of Commerce — interview with Richard Valtr
A property management system, usually shortened to PMS, is the software at the centre of hotel operations. It helps a hotel manage reservations, stays and guest accounts. For a young supplier, winning that role means earning a customer's trust in a system used throughout the working day.
Growing beyond the first customer
The company's history records its first acquisition, Planet Winner, in 2019, alongside further funding and new offices. By 2022, Mews reported a customer base of more than 5,000 properties. Mews — company timeline
In December 2022, it announced that it had closed a $185 million Series C round led by Kinnevik and Goldman Sachs Asset Management. The stated purposes included product development, international expansion and acquisitions. Mews — Series C announcement, 15 December 2022
A further announcement in March 2025 described $75 million in funding led by Tiger Global, with expansion in the United States and German-speaking markets among its priorities. In the same release, Mews reported revenue of more than $200 million for 2024. That is a company-reported historical figure. Mews — funding announcement, 4 March 2025
These milestones show the growing resources behind the business. They also show why a company profile needs more than a list of investment rounds: the commercial question is what those resources helped the company build and deliver.
A broader role in hotel operations
Mews expanded its product range partly through acquisitions. Its published history lists Bizzon, a hospitality point-of-sale provider; Atomize, a revenue management system; and Flexkeeping, a housekeeping and task management solution. Mews Ventures — acquisition history
Those products address different parts of a hotel's day. Point-of-sale software handles transactions in places such as restaurants and bars. Revenue management helps operators make pricing decisions. Housekeeping software coordinates the work needed to prepare rooms.
In May 2026, Mews presented its broader operating system for hospitality, bringing multiple functions together. The announcement describes an approach connecting property management, pricing, distribution, messaging and other operational tools. Mews — operating system announcement, 27 May 2026
For a hotel evaluating such a platform, the practical questions concern its own operations: which systems need to connect, how staff will use them, and how a migration will be managed. A wider product range makes those questions more important.
What the 2026 figures show
On 22 January 2026, Mews announced a $300 million Series D funding round led by EQT Growth, valuing the company at $2.5 billion.
The release also reported these operating figures for 2025:
| Company-reported metric | Figure | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Customer base | 15,000 | 2025 |
| Countries served | 85 | Reported in January 2026 |
| Checked-in reservations | 42.3 million | 2025 |
| Platform transaction volume | $19.7 billion | 2025 |
These measures describe different things. Platform transaction volume is the value of transactions passing through the platform, rather than Mews' own revenue. Valuation is the figure associated with the funding round; it does not measure annual sales or profit. Mews — Series D announcement, 22 January 2026
The figures provide a dated picture of scale. They should be read alongside the product and customer developments that followed.
Recent developments: Accor and guest communication
On 30 September 2026, Mews announced an expansion of its food and beverage technology deployment for Accor's Premium, Midscale and Economy portfolio. According to the release, Mews POS was already operating at more than 850 properties in over 20 countries. The announcement concerns point-of-sale technology for food and beverage operations; it should not be read as a claim that all those hotels use every Mews product. Mews — Accor announcement, 30 September 2026
On 1 October, the company announced Guest Messaging and Automations, adding tools for guest communication and operational workflows. Mews — product announcement, 1 October 2026
Together, these announcements illustrate the direction of the product: serving more of the work around a hotel stay, from restaurant transactions to communication with guests.
What the story means for Czech startups
Mews has Czech origins and an international business. EQT's portfolio page lists the company under the Netherlands, illustrating why a founder's home market and a growing company's corporate location need to be considered separately. EQT — Mews portfolio profile
The useful lesson is specific. A problem encountered in Prague became the basis of a product with customers in many countries. That does not predict the outcome for other startups, but it offers a starting point for founders and partners: look for a clearly understood customer problem, evidence that a product solves it, and a credible route to customers beyond the first market.
The main conclusion
Mews is worth following because its development connects product design with the daily operations of a real industry. For founders, the story encourages close attention to the customer. For buyers and partners, it encourages a practical assessment of the product, its integrations and the work required to use it successfully.
How Kodo can help
Kodo helps international technology companies prepare the commercial and operational side of entering Czechia. We support early market validation, partner mapping, local positioning, English and Czech communication, web content and coordination of the first implementation steps.
For legal, tax, regulatory, certification and investment-incentive matters, companies should work with qualified specialists and the responsible authorities.
Related reading
- What Phonexia's South Korean acquisition reveals about Czech deep tech
- Entering the Czech market: what international businesses should prepare
- Finding business partners in the Czech Republic
Sources
- Mews — company history and leadership
- US Chamber of Commerce — interview with Richard Valtr
- Mews — Series C announcement, 15 December 2022
- Mews — funding announcement, 4 March 2025
- Mews Ventures — acquisition history
- Mews — operating system announcement, 27 May 2026
- Mews — Series D announcement, 22 January 2026
- Mews — Accor announcement, 30 September 2026
- Mews — Guest Messaging and Automations, 1 October 2026
- EQT — Mews portfolio profile
This article provides general business information as of 5 October 2026 and is not investment advice. Company-reported figures are attributed to their sources.
