i Live tower architecture

About us · Micro Living specialist from Aalen since 2011

Wherever you are in the world, you're
welcome as a friend from the first moment

Founded in 2011 in Aalen, i Live is Germany's leading micro-living specialist. All i Live brands have one philosophy: Friendship by design, from land to community.

Founded 2011 · Aalen

Germany's first
living brand that builds friendship

Read the cultural story →

Founded in 2011 in Aalen. Amos Engelhardt opened the first Micro Living property with a simple conviction: people deserve more than four walls and a roof. Within a decade, i Live was named FOCUS Growth Champion, welcomed Art Invest as strategic shareholder, and grew into Germany's leading Micro Living specialist. In 2024, the founder was made Honorary Citizen of Rio de Janeiro by Mayor Eduardo Paes, in recognition of cultural exchange between Brazil and Germany.

Every step of the value chain. i Live stays with a project beyond completion. The company sources land, designs, builds, invests and operates, all in-house. Fifteen years of learning and optimizing.

Three living brands across the lifecycle. i Live serves students and young professionals as Germany's No. 1 PBSA brand. Rioca welcomes business travellers and short-stay guests as a SO!APART Award winning apartment hotel with Brazilian soul. we Live brings best agers, single parents and students under one roof, the first multi-generational Micro Living product in Germany.

The first living brand with a cultural DNA: Friends from the first moment describes how i Live works. The company learned how friendship is built and brings it into every place it creates. The result is continuous growth, because people feel the value of the concept. This way, i Live and Rioca became leading players in their market.

History

Key milestones

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Foundation
Founded by Amos Engelhardt in Aalen. First Micro Living properties open their doors.
2011
Award
FOCUS Growth Champion
Recognised as one of Germany's fastest growing companies.
2016
i Live Group GmbH
Rebranding. Ewald Schwenger joins as CFO & Managing Partner.
2017
Art Invest joins
Strategic shareholder onboard, unlocking new capital and development capacity.
2018
20th project
A major operational milestone. The 20th Micro Living project opens.
2019
Rioca is born
10-year anniversary. Rioca launches in Vienna & Munich. Micro Living meets Brazilian Spirit.
2021
Award
No. 1 PBSA Brand Germany
Bonard Student Housing Report ranks i Live Germany's leading PBSA Operator.
2023
Flagship Frankfurt
Adickesallee, Europe's largest Micro Living project, 1,158 units with Commerz Real.
Rioca expansion
Opening of 4 new Rioca apartment hotels.
2024
Award
Honorary Citizen of Rio de Janeiro
Amos Engelhardt receives Honorary Citizenship from Mayor Eduardo Paes at the Palácio da Cidade.
30th project
Opening of the 30th Micro Living project in Hannover.
2025
Award
4 SO!APART Awards
i Live and Rioca jointly win four SO!APART Awards.
J.P. Morgan Joint Venture
JPM and i Live Group form a joint venture to develop a €1.5 billion PBSA portfolio across major German cities. Initial sites in Frankfurt and Berlin secured, comprising approximately 1,000 beds.
2026

For investors

From a single building in 2011 to a €1.2 billion platform with a J.P. Morgan joint venture.

Be part of the growth story →

Innovation Hub

The i Live Tower

Our headquarters in Aalen is more than an office. The i Live Tower is our Innovation Hub, the place where every new concept is born, tested and refined. Green, bold and entirely Brazilian in spirit.

Offices styled in Brazilian flair, a rooftop football pitch, a slide between floors, community kitchens, jungle staircases and murals from Rio. We live what we build, and test our own innovations before they reach our residents.

Join our team →

Leadership

Meet the people
behind i Live
Amos Andreas Engelhardt
Amos Andreas Engelhardt
CEO & Managing Partner
Founder of i Live Group. Over 30 years in the living sector. Honorary Citizen of Rio de Janeiro, 2025. The entrepreneurial force behind i Live's vision and Brazilian spirit.
Ewald Schwenger
Ewald Schwenger
CFO & Managing Partner
28 years of financial expertise. Former Deutsche Bank AG. Certified Bank Specialist. Joined i Live in 2017. Drives financial strategy and sustainable growth.
Angela Di Liberto
Angela Di Liberto
Managing Director Real Estate Services
MBA in General Management. Former VP Program Management at Paul Hartmann AG. Leads organisational development, HR and customer experience.
Thomas Loretz
Thomas Loretz
Managing Director Hospitality
Managing Director Hospitality, leading the Rioca apartment-hotel business within i Live Group.
Leandro Criscione
Leandro Criscione
Managing Director Construction
MEng Construction Project Management. Former Turner & Townsend. Leads all project management and construction across the i Live portfolio.
Alexander Bezold
Alexander Bezold
Managing Director Property Management
Responsible for in-house property management across all i Live locations in Germany and Austria.
Klaus Riek
Klaus Riek
Managing Director Invest
Oversees investor relations, capital deployment and the individual unit sales division of i Live Group.

We don't develop assets. We develop products

Friendship by design
From land to community

Most developers hand the keys over and move on. We stay. i Live covers the entire value chain, from development to operations, and is a recognised leader in every single step. That is what makes us a valuable partner. Every resident experience feeds back into every next project, in a cycle of continuous improvement.

01
Development
We source land and design every project in-house, from concept to planning permission. Our offices in Aalen, Munich and Vienna originate opportunities across Germany and Austria. We choose locations where life happens, close to universities, public transport and the city.
“I chose i Live because the location just made sense for my life.”
02
Construction
Fixed-price turnkey execution with monthly reporting and quality control at every stage. 164,000+ sqm of residential space delivered since inception. Every detail, from the communal kitchen to the rooftop terrace, is designed for people, not just occupancy.
“You can tell someone thought about how I live.”
Continuous
learning
03
Investment
JV frameworks, institutional co-investment and individual unit sales. i Live structures deals that work for all parties, from single asset to portfolio, from land contribution to whole asset acquisition. We stay invested because we live in it too.
“Moving into a place where people invested in a home, not just a building.”
04
Operations
In-house property management, dedicated community teams and a resident app. 98%+ average occupancy over five years. Every resident survey and every piece of feedback flows directly back into the next development project.
“Built by people who are still here. That changes everything.”

For partners

We work with developers, landowners and capital partners through joint ventures, co-invests and whole-asset deals. Find the track that fits.

Explore partnership tracks →
i Live Community and Warmth

The Brazilian Soul

Our values,
learned in Brazil

How we create places called home.

Calor Humano
Human Warmth
"In Brazil, the smile speaks before the words do."
Every interaction, from the first hello to daily life, is shaped by human warmth. That warmth is the foundation of everything we build.
Comunidade
Community
"In Brazil, a whole beach applauds the sunset, every day. That's how community feels."
We design spaces and moments that turn neighbours into friends and buildings into communities.
Alegria
Joy
"In Brazil, joy crosses every language, every status, every border."
From events to daily rituals, we bring energy and lightness to the places people call home. We make sure there is always something worth celebrating.
Cuidado
Care
"In Brazil, friends look out for each other."
Someone always notices when you have gone quiet. From a warm check-in to help when you are unwell, we look out for one another. Here, care is simply how we live together.

Investors

Invest in
Germany's No. 1.

JV, co-invest or whole asset. Let’s build something lasting together.

Investor Contact →

Residents

Find your
home.

A place with neighbours who know you and a door that stays open.

Find an i Live →Find a Rioca →

Careers

Join
our team.

From architecture to community management, all in-house. Work where friendship is the product.

See open positions →

About, FAQ

What people ask us about i Live Group

Background, history and the basics. The questions we hear most often.