Wimdu captures mammoth $90M funding round for apartment rental push
Looks like investment bragging rights belong to apartment rental service Wimdu after confirming an eye-watering $90 million funding round ahead of rival Airbnb making its own deal official. Rumours of...
View ArticleChina search giant Baidu takes travel seriously with $306M punt on Qunar
While some industry folk in the western hemisphere gasp at levels of money being thrown into the likes of Wimdu and Airbnb, over in China there are even bigger sums in play. Baidu, the market leading...
View ArticleAirbnb captures $112M funding round, wants global domination
Almost two months after rumours first surfaced of a mammoth funding round, Airbnb has finally completed its Series B injection of $112 million in capital. The round was financed by Andressen Horowitz,...
View ArticleTen critical questions for person-to-person business models in travel
Extraordinary amount of intense debate recently regarding issues around person-2-person (P2P) business models for tours and accommodation. As I wrote recently, these new business models are certainly...
View ArticleFlat-Club targets trust factor in buzz around short-term lettings
TLabs Showcase on travel startups featuring UK-based Flat-Club, an online marketplace for short term lettings between friends and members of organisations and clubs. Who and what are you (including...
View ArticleWhy the belle has no clothes at the rental marketplace ball
NB: This is a guest article by Jay Karen, president and CEO of the Professional Association of Innkeepers International. Airbnb and the fast-growing number of rental marketplaces seem like the belles...
View ArticleWimdu to check-in with global insurance, traveller protection to follow
Wimdu is to follow rival Airbnb with the introduction of a policy to protect property hosts in the next few weeks. The company says it’s currently talking to insurance companies to devise a “global...
View ArticleCouchSurfing captures $7.6M funding, ends not-for-profit status
Long before the likes of Airbnb and Wimdu got people excited and/or hot under the collar about rental marketplaces, there was enormous buzz surrounding Couchsurfing. The site was created in 1999...
View ArticleWimdu follows through on host insurance promise
Wimdu has introduced a global insurance policy for its hosts which will take effect from the beginning of October. The policy, which is free, protects hosts from theft, negligence, vandalism and fire...
View ArticleLove Home Swap targets high-end owners with home swap service for travelers
TLabs Showcase on travel startups featuring UK-based Love Home Swap, a new platform for luxury home and apartment owners to exchange properties in short-term deals. Who and what are you (including...
View ArticleAirbnb buys UK apartment rental service Crashpadder
Airbnb is starting to sweep up some of its competition around the world with confirmation that it has this week bought rival brand Crashpadder in the UK. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed by...
View ArticleWimdu sees revenue quadruple in three months, says social travel sky-rocketing
Accommodation rental specialist Wimdu attributes a fourfold increase in revenue in the past quarter to the increasingly mass market appeal of the concept. Monthly revenue now totals more than €5...
View ArticleAirbnb seeks further occupancy tax discussion, San Francisco Treasurer stands...
Peer to peer rental service Airbnb is holding out for further discussion on San Francisco’s occupancy tax after the city’s Office of Treasurer clarified the regulation last month. Airbnb says it is...
View ArticleFlat-Club secures Series A funding, recruits managers for European push
Short-term rental specialist Flat-Club has completed Series A funding just weeks ahead of launching new markets across Europe. The funding round was led by Jeremy Coller of Coller Capital and Professor...
View ArticleOneFineStay raises $12M, plots move into US and elsewhere
More significant sums of money heading into the home rental marketplace with news that UK-based OneFineStay has captured $12 million in funding. The Series B financing was led by Canaan Partners and...
View ArticleHang on a minute – Is social media destroying tourism?
We were just outside of Milan. Spending an enchanting evening in our small villa. The owner, an Italian version of your favorite aunt, came down from the main house to invite us to the local pizza...
View Article9Flats buys iStopOver, targets home turf of Airbnb
Consolidation in the world of private rental marketplaces as European startup 9Flats acquires North America specialist iStopOver. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the agreement puts 9Flats in...
View ArticleFrom not-for-profit to investment bucket in 12 months – CouchSurfing takes...
CouchSurfing was once a fine example of how a web brand could capture a market without feeling the need to make heady revenues and kowtow to the needs of its backers. Luckily all bad things must come...
View ArticleHomeAway retires Holiday-Rentals brand, claims poor brand recognition
Seven years after starting its aggressive expansion strategy outside of its US homeland, HomeAway is axing the brand of one of its first acquisitions, Holiday-Rentals. The vacation rental giant will...
View ArticleTujia secures Series B funding, total at $64 million as vacation rental...
China-based vacation rental service startup Tujia secured its Series B funding from GGV Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, CDH Ventures, Qiming Venture Partners, Ctrip and HomeAway. The funding...
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