how Livvi came to be: it started with one host from Istria

*By Lovro Tovernić, founder of Livvi*

Livvi didn't come out of a startup weekend or a market analysis spreadsheet. It came out of one specific problem.

the client who wanted less booking

Alongside Livvi, I run the marketing agency MonkeyMedia. In 2025, we worked for a host from Istria who wanted to depend less on Booking. He didn't want to build his own platform or become an IT company. He was looking for a tool that works for him, not against him.

We couldn't find such a tool. There were property management systems and there were the big platforms. There was nothing that would let a host manage their guests, especially returning ones, on their own, professionally and without a high commission.

from idea to project

The idea became a project in September 2025, when an EU call opened that addressed exactly this problem. We applied and got going.

Over the next six months, Leon built the first version of the platform, my brother Tom led the design, and I ran the agency in parallel and talked to hosts about what they actually need.

On 1 March 2026, Livvi went into beta.

where we are today

Today, 157 hosts are registered on Livvi (as of 2 October 2026). We got to them without spending a single euro on paid marketing, mostly through Facebook groups for hosts and direct contact. The first booking went through Livvi from start to finish.

That isn't a big number. But it's enough for us to know we weren't the only ones looking for a tool like this.

what livvi is and what it isn't

Livvi doesn't try to replace Booking or Airbnb, it works alongside them. On Livvi, new guests can find you, and there are also those who return to you, direct bookings, automatic registration in eVisitor and payment that goes straight to your account.

We don't put ourselves between you and the guest. We charge for the tool, not for brokering.

If you rent out and want to see how it looks on the inside, sign up for Livvi.