UAE-Based Proptech Seraya Closes US$1.8 Million Seed Round

Dubai-based short-term rentals startup Seraya has secured US$1.8 million in a seed funding round, which has brought the total capital it has raised to $2.15 million.

Structured as a mix of equity and debt, the round was led by a leading Saudi family office alongside German family office DLL, with additional backing from strategic angel investors. 

Founded by Pepijn Haima and Ibrahim Shami in Dubai in late 2024, Seraya specializes in fully serviced apartments for short-term stays. It prepares guest-ready apartments within just 10 days of key handover from owners, managing the entire process in-house, from renovation and furnishing to ongoing operations. The company manages a steadily expanding portfolio of premium apartments across Dubai, including neighborhoods like Downtown Dubai, Business Bay, and the Marina.  

In an interview with Inc. Arabia, Shami described how Seraya has engineered a model that delivers both speed and quality. “We’ve built what is essentially a design-to-delivery engine in-house," he said. "Every apartment we activate feeds back into a playbook that gets sharper, faster, and more intentional." Shami noted that unlike conventional operators, Seraya signs long-term leases of five years or more, renovates and furnishes each property, and then also oversees the full guest journey. This vertically integrated approach allows the company to control every aspect—from design and operations to quality—ensuring a consistently premium experience across its portfolio. 

According to Shami, adopting this model has helped to differentiate Seraya in the market. “By vertically integrating as much as possible, we’re building a model that gets stronger with every unit, and that unlocks growth at a level we believe hasn’t been done in this segment before,” he said.  And to achieve this, Shami noted that the company has built a fully equipped in-house team covering every discipline required to deliver its apartments. “We now have our own team, from builders to painters to tilers, carpenters, and designers that know the Seraya standard inside out," he shared. "In many ways, it’s a second company within Seraya: architecture, design, and fit-out. But instead of serving the market at large, it exists to serve one purpose; to bring Seraya spaces to life, at speed, without compromise. We have a running joke internally that our only constraints are the laws of physics!"

Wellness also sits at the core of Seraya’s identity. From in-apartment saunas to advanced water filtration, every element is designed to foster restorative travel. This philosophy reflects the company’s focus on rejuvenative stays, a rapidly expanding niche within the $9 trillion global wellness industry. Additionally, Seraya designs and manufactures its own bespoke furniture, a decision that Shami said is as much about philosophy as practicality. “Designing and manufacturing our own furniture locally wasn’t just a practical decision; it was a philosophical one," he said. "It gives us the ability to create spaces that are consistent yet distinctive, efficient yet soulful."

These strategies, Shami explained, have helped the company gain a firm foothold in Dubai’s short-term rental market. “Dubai was the natural starting point," he said. "It’s one of the most competitive hospitality markets in the world, with the short-term rental market growing at double digits year on year. We see the potential for at least 10x growth in this market in the coming years." Today, the company is in a phase of rapid expansion, adding a new apartment to its portfolio every week. Now, backed by the new investment, the company aims to scale to 50 units by the close of 2025, with upcoming openings in Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Creek, several villa communities, and other locations. 

The latest investment, Shami outlined, will fuel the company’s operational growth and long-term scalability. “Around 80–90 percent of the funds are going directly into unit activation; the renovation, furniture, and setup costs that transform raw apartments into guest-ready homes," he explained. "We’re also laying down foundations that will support scale: opening our own warehouse, expanding our internal team, and investing in our technology to run everything from the operations to the booking experience." 

Shami added that, beyond just funds, the investors that have backed the company will provide it with access to key markets as it expands its footprint beyond Dubai. “They’re not just financiers; they’re operators, developers, and builders," he said. "They’ve scaled hospitality and real estate before, and they’re embedded in markets we want to enter. They’re the key to unlocking Seraya’s expansion into other markets."

Looking ahead, Shami laid out Seraya’s vision to carve out a new category in hospitality not just in the region, but globally as well. “Our ambition is big: to build the first global brand that defines premium serviced living, a category that doesn’t exist at scale today,” he said. “In the mid-tier space, there are established players who’ve proven that serviced accommodation can work at scale. But in the premium segment, the field is still wide open. Smaller operators exist, but none have been able to scale. That’s the gap we’re stepping into and the opportunity Seraya was built for.” 

And in doing so, Shami wants Seraya’s name to become synonymous with a lifestyle rather than just a service. “In five years, success for us will be when Seraya becomes a name people instantly associate with a new way of living: homes that are temporary yet deeply intentional, spaces that marry design with soul, and hospitality that feels human again,” he shared. 

For Shami, this ambition is not about scaling a business, but rather about building a global brand from the region. “We want to create a success story that is local and homegrown, that becomes a global staple; a recognized brand that comes out of this region, instead of it always being the other way around," he said. "And this is the space and the time for it to happen, because hospitality in Dubai is world-class, arguably, the best in the world. It’s the ultimate proving ground. And if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere."

Pictured in the lead image is Ibrahim Shami, co-founder of Seraya. Courtesy of Seraya.