British private equity firm Oakley Capital has announced its investment in Paraty Tech, a Spanish hotel demand generation platform founded in Malaga in 2012 by siblings Gina and Franz Matheis. Its cloud-based demand generation tool is used by independent hotels, hotel chains, and mid-range properties throughout the Iberian Peninsula, and it has a growing presence in Latin America and the United States.

Paraty Tech's offering consists of a fully customizable platform that allows hotels to manage direct bookings, prices, and availability in their own direct channels, both online and by phone. For Oakley Capital, its success is due to its intuitive interface, easy integration with property management systems, and proven ability to significantly increase direct bookings and reduce dependence on OTAs (online travel agencies).

Additional services
The Spanish company's business model is primarily based on commission and is complemented by a range of additional services, such as digital marketing and outsourced call centres. With these ingredients, it has achieved significant growth in revenue and market share at the expense of traditional providers.

The aim of Oakley's investment will be to support Paraty's international expansion and seek strategic acquisitions in the currently highly fragmented travel technology sector in order to create a leader with a broader product offering. The British manager has already supported the growth of cloud businesses in Spain, such as the SaaS ERP platform Grupo Primavera, now part of the Cegid group, and legal technology specialist vLex, which it recently agreed to sell for a valuation of $1 billion.

Revolutionizing the sector
Oakley Capital co-founder and managing partner Peter Dubens said, "We see a significant opportunity to support fast-growing, founder-led technology businesses across Iberia. Gina and Franz have already turned Paraty into a market leader that is revolutionizing the entire hotel booking sector, not only in its local market, but increasingly on a global scale. We look forward to supporting the team in its transformation to make Paraty an international leader in its category."

Paraty Tech co-founder and CEO Gina Matheis explained, "We were looking for a partner who shared our vision and business values, and who aligned with Paraty's DNA: a customer-centric philosophy, with a clear focus on delivering value and providing exceptional customer service. Oakley's strong track record with Iberian founders, through investments such as Idealista, Seedtag, and vLex, made them the natural choice for us."

^{Photo: Oakley Capital}