Yannik Schmidt-Grimm, founder of Paphos-based dreamfactory Hospitality and guest automation platform Foyera, has been named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe Class of 2026.
Schmidt-Grimm is one of 300 young entrepreneurs selected from more than 20,000 nominations across Europe. The recognition is notable for Cyprus, where internationally scaling companies remain relatively rare.
Schmidt-Grimm started his hospitality business in 2023 and moved to Paphos in 2024 with approximately 5,000 euros in personal capital and no external investors.
The group now manages more than 350 units across properties in Vienna and Krakow, including hostels, serviced apartments and co-living spaces operated under a franchise model.
Expansion studies are under way in Lisbon and Athens, and a new flagship serviced apartment property in Vienna opens this month. Growth has been financed entirely through operational cash flow and real estate lending, with no venture capital used at any stage.
The Foyera platform
Alongside the hospitality group, Schmidt-Grimm developed Foyera, a platform that automates guest communication for hotels and short-term rental operators without requiring round-the-clock front desk staffing. The platform handles multilingual messaging, check-in coordination and real-time guest queries, with the aim of reducing operational costs and increasing revenue per booking.
Originally built for dreamfactory’s own properties, Foyera is now being offered to external operators across Europe. The Cyprus market is the first commercial priority, with hotels and short-term rental accommodation on the island targeted first.
Paphos as a base for international growth
Schmidt-Grimm relocated from Vienna to Cyprus in 2024, citing EU membership, a stable regulatory environment and what he describes as a serious but underappreciated base for building an internationally active business. Both companies are privately held by Schmidt-Grimm and headquartered in Paphos.
In a statement, Schmidt-Grimm said that “Cyprus gave us the legal framework, the strategic position, and the stability to build properly”.
He continued, saying “with Foyera, the next step is to bring that back to the island: help local hotels handle guests better, generate more revenue per booking, and compete at a level that brings more visitors to Cyprus. The Forbes list is a big milestone. The work here is what I care about.”