Yoan Kamalski Turns Co-living Into A Way Of Life For Modern Times

Yoan Kamalski, CEO and co-founder of Hmlet, turns co-living into a way of life for modern times

- Zara Zhuang

Following Singapore, Hong Kong and Sydney, co-living operator Hmlet made inroads into Japan when it debuted its Shibuya co-living building this October, and it has its sights set on Osaka, Nagoya, Melbourne and Brisbane next. Since its launch in 2016, the company has experienced 420 percent year-on-year growth, tripling its unit count to 1,500. Last November, it secured Series A funding of US$6.5 million led by Sequoia India, and this July it secured Series B funding of US$40 million led by Burda Principal Investments.

Hmlet brings together properties, reconfigures or renovates them, adds in spaces such as lounges and communal rooftops and services such as regular cleaning and social events, and rents out individual rooms or apartments on flexible leases to members who are grouped based on how well they are predicted to get along. Its name is derived from (and pronounced the same as) “hamlet,” defined as a small village, and the company’s goal is to “provide its members with a seamless living experience that reflects the ever-changing demands of their increasingly mobile lifestyle.”

Boasting an occupancy rate of more than 90 percent, the listings under Hmlet tend to be let to those between 23 and 37, representing about 50 nationalities, who stay 13 months on average. Members in Singapore and Hong Kong are more likely expats, while those in Australia and Japan are roughly equally divided between locals and expats.

The company was founded in Singapore by Mr. Yoan Kamalski, together with Mr. Zenos Schmickrath, after their own experiences with house-hunting and living in shared flats in Singapore, and hearing of others’ complaints about flatmates and landlords. “Hmlet makes sense, because people moving into the city want a community and flexibility and a seamless product, where they can simply arrive and live,” Mr. Kamalski says.