Rakuten invests $2.8m in Singapore-based serviced apartment startup www.techinasia.com

The company doesn’t own the apartments, but taps private property owners or large asset management companies who have idle properties up for lease. MetroResidences takes care of setting up and styling the apartments, as well as the viewing, leasing, and maintenance checkboxes. In exchange, it charges owners property management and marketing fees; no commission on rentals or user booking fees.