Crowdfunding campaign offers a secret list of 1-euro Italian houses and the Golden Visa
Lack of support and services has left property owners looking to rent out houses and apartments in rural areas at a disadvantage compared to urban areas. Improving the visibility and management of rural vacation rentals can help revitalize towns suffering from depopulation and increase income from rental homes
SANT'ANGELO DEI LOMBARDI, Italy – Today, Ruralis, an Italian proptech startup offering a digital management platform for rental properties, has announced that it has raised almost EUR 200,000 at the start of its crowdfunding campaign. The funding will help the company further develop its platform and accelerate its expansion to the East Coast of the United States. The company’s campaign boasts perks such an exclusive list of homes for sale in Italy for 1 euro and an Italian passport through the Golden Visa, promoted by the Ministry of Made in Italy.
While the global short-term rental market was valued at $134.51 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow to almost $260 million by 2030, rural areas are at a great disadvantage compared to cities. Hosts in urban areas have easy access to powerful digital tools and professional property managers, but millions of property owners in rural areas lack the technological support and expertise to effectively maximize the profit of their rentals.
“This problem is particularly evident in Italy and in the U.S., where the demand for vacation rentals in the countryside surged post-Covid, yet property owners struggle to compete with urban listings. Despite a $74.46 billion market across the U.S. and Italy, rural property owners remain underserved, lacking the technology and support needed to compete with urban listings. The migration to large cities has left several buildings in rural areas empty and managing them as rentals is an overwhelming task without support,” says Nicolas Verderosa, CEO and Co-founder of Ruralis.
Hailing from a small Italian village of just 3,000 people, Ruralis has developed an all-in-one digital solution tailored for property owners in rural areas. The platform removes the time-consuming work of driving online visibility for listings and optimizing real estate income.
For example, Ruralis provides integration with more than a hundred online travel agents, improving the visibility of the property significantly by bringing it to the most commonly used sources where travelers browse for accommodation, such as Airbnb and Trivago. In addition, Ruralis brings AI-powered dynamic pricing to the listings, manages bookings, ensures full regulatory compliance, and takes care of damage and liability insurance for the properties.
“In Italy, our customers can make 5,000–30,000 euros per year, depending on the properties they own. There is also the societal aspect: Appealing listings also help make rural areas more enticing for travelers who then can boost local businesses and economic growth, revitalizing small towns. Rural areas in both Italy and the United States suffer from depopulation, leading to economic and social difficulties as well as inequalities, with fewer services and job opportunities. We’re committed to being part of the effort to revitalize rural communities,” says Verderosa.
The ongoing crowdfunding campaign, hosted on Wefunder, includes perks like access to an off-market list of Italian homes for sale for just 1 €, a free stay at an Italian villa, with the highest tier offering an Italian passport through the Golden Visa, promoted by the Ministry of Made in Italy.
Taimak, an Italian-American actor and martial artist, known for his role in the 1985 film The Last Dragon, has invested in Ruralis after becoming a mentor to the company’s CEO.
“Investing in Ruralis is about investing in rural communities. Ruralis empowers property owners, who otherwise would struggle to make their rental homes available to travelers, to revitalize rural areas and villages. I’m very proud of how far the company has gone and I’m looking forward to seeing their future success,” comments Taimak.
In 2023, Ruralis raised $530,000. The company sees a lot of potential in the rural areas of the states of New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Virginia.
###
For additional information:
Media kit with pictures
Nicolas Verderosa, CEO and Founder
Ruralis
nicolas@ruralis.com
Ruralis is an Italian tourism and property management startup, specializing in the digitization and optimization of short-term rentals. Founded in 2022, the company supports vacation rental owners in inland areas and Italian villages by simplifying the management of reservations through advanced technologies.
Ruralis' mission is to simplify vacation rental management in every aspect, particularly in rural areas and villages. The company’s integrated technology platform enables hosts to maximize earnings, reduce management time, and improve the guest experience. What makes Ruralis unique is its focus on enhancing villages and rural areas.
For more information, visit www.ruralis.com.