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11

IAVRA to Kognitiv

I co-founded IAVRA, a B2B marketplace that helps the travel trade source holiday rentals from reputable property managers around the world, and led its product and brand from concept to acquisition by Kognitiv in 2014. I then joined Kognitiv as Design Director, leading the UX, research and creative teams to launch a new combined product, MetaMarketplace.

Client
IAVRA & Kognitiv
Role
Co-founder, then Design Director
Period
2010 – 2015
Acquired by
Kognitiv, 2014
Model
B2B travel marketplace
Users
Travel agents & property managers
Scope
Co-founder, Design leadership, Product, UX, UI, Branding
The IAVRA homepage: a hero over an infinity pool with the headline ‘The B2B marketplace for the world’s best professionally managed villas, chalets, apartments and vacation rentals’ and a search bar, then entry points for travel professionals, property managers and travellers, and popular properties.
01

The opportunity

Travel agents wanted villas for their clients, but finding reliable ones was slow and risky, and the best property managers had no easy route to the travel trade. IAVRA set out to connect the two.

02

Building IAVRA

As co-founder, I led the design and development of the product and the brand from the ground up: a subscription platform built around how travel professionals work, with comparison search, live availability and one-click branded brochures. It grew into a trusted B2B marketplace.

'The Perfect Getaway' flowchart quiz that guides travellers to a city apartment, ski chalet, wine estate, beachfront villa or Moroccan riad.
'The Perfect Getaway' quiz for agents to share with clients.
Charts of regional and price distribution, and line graphs showing growth in live properties, subscribers and monthly activity from 2011 to 2013.
Inventory mix and growth after launch.
IAVRA account dashboard with quick search, the agent's profile, a selection chart of four Mykonos villas, and most popular properties.
IAVRA account dashboard.
IAVRA search results listing villas in Mykonos with guests, bedrooms, staff and weekly price ranges.
Search results built for comparison.

IAVRA at acquisition

Properties on the platform
12,000+
Properties on the platform
Countries covered
57
Countries covered
Years from founding to acquisition
4
Years from founding to acquisition
03

Acquisition and MetaMarketplace

In 2014, Kognitiv acquired IAVRA. I joined as Design Director, leading the UX, research and creative teams to bring the two businesses together in a new combined product offering, MetaMarketplace, with a brand, a marketing site and a property management platform.

Two MetaMarketplace mobile screens: My properties, listing Villa Infinity and Rocky Retreat in Mykonos with shortcuts to bookings, calendar, pricing and preview, and a preview of Villa Infinity with its infinity pool, guests, bedrooms, baths and amenities.
The MetaMarketplace property management dashboard on a laptop, with a filter sidebar and a grid of villa cards in Mykonos.
04

Outcome

A startup taken from concept to acquisition, and the product and team carried into what came next: one brand and one platform for managing large property portfolios, on desktop and mobile, for both sides of the market.

The MetaMarketplace logo, a monogram M in a double circle above the wordmark, on light grey.
The MetaMarketplace logo in light grey on a dark slate background.
The MetaMarketplace monogram over a darkened photo of a stylish living room.
The MetaMarketplace website on desktop and tablet, with the headline 'Rebuilding travel one marketplace at a time' and buttons to connect your supply or build a marketplace.