Richard Valtr is the founder of Mews, a cloud-based hospitality operating system that has transformed how hotels manage operations and guest experiences. Founded in Prague in 2012, Mews was born from Valtr's firsthand experience as a hotel owner frustrated by outdated property management software. Under his leadership, the company has grown into a global hospitality technology leader serving more than 15,000 properties across 85 countries.

In January 2026, Mews raised a $300 million Series D round led by EQT Growth, with participation from Atomico, HarbourVest Partners, Tiger Global, Kinnevik, and Battery Ventures. The financing valued the company at $2.5 billion, making it one of Europe's most valuable software scale-ups and one of the Czech Republic's most successful startup stories.

The company has attracted backing from leading global investors including EQT Growth, Atomico, Tiger Global, Goldman Sachs Alternatives, Kinnevik, Battery Ventures, Notion Capital, Thayer Ventures, Revaia, HarbourVest Partners, and henQ. The latest funding will support continued international expansion, strategic acquisitions, and further development of AI-powered solutions for the hospitality industry.