How Business Works in Findr: Venue & Space Booking
Last month, a photographer messaged us asking why she couldn't list her second studio. She had three spaces across London, each booked solid most weeks, and she wanted to manage them all from one account. That question shaped the last quarter of how we think about Findr's business model.
The two-sided marketplace nobody else was building
When we started MRVL Technologies, we noticed something odd about UK venue booking. Either you were hunting for a studio on a massive platform full of holiday rentals, or you were emailing strangers on Instagram hoping they'd rent you their space. Nothing existed for creative people who needed a room for four hours, or event organisers who wanted flexibility, or freelancers who needed somewhere professional to host a client meeting.
Findr began as a simple question: what if we built a marketplace just for that? Not hotels. Not long-term rentals. Purpose-built for studios, halls, meeting rooms, photography venues, event spaces. The kind of spaces creatives actually use.
The business model emerged from talking to both sides. Hosts (property owners with spare or dedicated space) don't want to manage bookings themselves, take payments, and handle cancellations. Renters want a reliable way to find and request space without cold-calling people. So we built that bridge. Hosts list free. Renters browse free. When a booking happens, we take a commission split. That's it.
How hosts actually get into the system
Not everyone can list on Findr. We're strict about this because our entire reputation depends on it. If someone books a space and it's a scam, or the host disappears, that breaks trust for everyone. So every host goes through Stripe KYC (Know Your Customer) verification and MRVL approval before they can publish a listing.
That friction matters. Yes, it takes longer to onboard than some competitors. But when a renter finds a space on Findr, they know the person behind it is real, verified, and accountable. We've turned away hosts who didn't pass verification. We'll keep doing that.
Once a host is live, they can manage calendar sync, see booking requests, message renters directly through our app, and track their earnings. Hosts at our Free tier get one active listing. Host Pro unlocks ten listings, which is where that photographer from earlier landed. For property managers or companies with many spaces, Business tier opens unlimited listings. They pay nothing upfront. Money moves only when someone books.
Why renters have a free tier and three tiers above it
A renter starts on Findr for nothing. Browse all day. Request three bookings per month for free. That's enough to test the platform and see if it works for their needs. Some people need nothing more. A photographer booking one studio a month, a startup meeting a freelancer once quarterly. Free is perfect for them.
But we heard from power users (people booking multiple venues per month, or teams needing advanced filters) that they wanted more. So Plus tier exists. It unlocks natural language search (you can type 'affordable studio with natural light in Shoreditch' and actually find it), plus advanced filters for amenities, capacity, hourly rates. Everything for finding the exact space.
Pro tier goes further. On supported venues, you can book instantly instead of sending a request and waiting for approval. It's faster, especially for flexible hosts who trust the system. Exact pricing lives in the iOS paywall because it shifts with demand and what we're testing. The point isn't to nickel and dime. It's to offer power users the tools they actually ask for.
What happens when a booking actually occurs
A renter finds a space, sends a booking request or hits Instant Book. The host gets a notification and can approve, decline, or message back. Once both sides agree on terms, Findr handles the payment. Host receives their earnings minus our commission split. Renter gets a confirmed booking with the host's details and any house rules.
From there, in-app messaging keeps things clear. Host and renter can sort out access codes, parking, setup times, or any other detail without leaving the app. When the booking is done, the host can adjust their calendar (synced with their own systems), and both sides can rate each other.
We don't take a monthly fee from hosts. We don't charge renters to browse. This sounds obvious, but it means the entire incentive structure is aligned. We only win when actual bookings happen. Hosts only pay when they earn. Renters only upgrade if they find the platform valuable. Everyone has to be useful or the whole thing falls apart.
The approval process isn't a punishment, it's protection
I get messages sometimes from hosts frustrated that they had to wait for MRVL approval. They see competing platforms with zero barriers and wonder why we're 'gatekeeping'. The honest answer is that speed isn't the same as quality. A platform full of unverified listings and no accountability doesn't help anyone. It creates a worse experience for renters, which shrinks the market for honest hosts.
Our approval is quick but not instant. We're checking that people are who they say they are, that their space actually exists, that they're operating legally. It takes a few days. After that, hosts are fully live and can list multiple spaces (depending on their tier), sync calendars, see all their bookings, and withdraw earnings. The friction stops at entry. Everything after that is frictionless.
Stripe Connect Express handles payments and verification, so we're not processing sensitive financial data ourselves. Hosts control their own payout schedule. It's built for people who want to earn from their space without becoming a full-time property manager.
One question that tells you everything about how we see this
We've built Findr around a simple belief: great spaces shouldn't be hard to find, and spare space shouldn't be wasted. A photographer with two studios. A design firm with a meeting room that sits empty three days a week. A community hall that hosts events on weekends but sleeps midweek. All that potential space, just waiting for the right person who needs it for three hours.
The business model works only if both sides trust it. If hosts feel like they're paying too much, they'll list elsewhere. If renters feel like they're paying too much for poor discovery tools, they'll book their studios the old way. We've built something where renters get value (verified spaces, quick discovery, flexible booking) and hosts get money (zero upfront cost, they control pricing, we only take a cut when they earn).
The real test isn't whether Findr can process a booking. It's whether a renter books a second time, and whether a host lists a second space.
What does your ideal venue-booking experience look like? One where you hunt on your phone and book in minutes, or one where you can reach out directly to the owner and discuss exactly what you need?