This Corporate Housing Startup Is Poised to Make Steady Gains — At the Expense of Hotels

It’s almost becoming a cliche in these pandemic times — the start-up looking to take advantage of crisis-induced trends. This time it’s over to the corporate housing sector, one that’s well-suited to the nervous business traveler, and a sector where fledgling booking platform AltoVita spots a chance to step up. Its founders Karolina Saviova and Vivi Cahyadi incorporated the company at the end of 2016, before launching in January 2018 after a year of onboarding mostly “alternative accommodation” suppliers. This segment makes up 80 percent of its 20,000-strong inventory, with more traditional serviced apartments contributing the rest. The platform allows company travel managers to source and book long-term stays for their employees, for relocations or temporary projects and assignments. It connects those travel managers to property management companies, property managers and homeowners. "We manage the managers," said Saviova, who claims AltoVita has automated the sou