Airbnb, a site for listing and finding rent lodging, has raised $1.5 billion, according to an SEC filing:
Back in June, the WSJ reported that Airbnb had raised a massive $1.5 billion round of funding. Today, the company confirmed those reports by way of an SEC filing.
The total offering and sold amount is $1,499,937,904.00 for those keeping score.
Airbnb's valuation is now at or above $25 billion, which is just staggering. It sounds like Airbnb is going to focus on strengthening itself overseas before even thinking about going public.
The company is also busy fighting fires here in the States, as cities have tried to put a cramp in their style with not much success.
(Score: 3, Disagree) by Fnord666 on Wednesday December 09 2015, @05:03AM
Rather than renting out a spare room to a local, you rent it to a traveler while the local sleeps under a highway overpass.
Unfortunately you are making the false assumption that the local homeless person could afford the rent on the room. Since your assumption is false your conclusion is irrelevant.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 09 2015, @05:41AM
Without short-term rental services such as AirBNB, short-term visitors might only consider hotels for their accommodation. The rent expected would be lower because of lower (apparent) demand. The local person might be able to afford that lower rent and, as a result, wouldn't necessarily be homeless.
(Score: 2) by richtopia on Wednesday December 09 2015, @03:36PM
Or AirBnB provides infrastructure to facilitate short term housing. The traveler or the local both could rent the room.
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Wednesday December 09 2015, @01:20PM
what they could otherwise afford to do is rent a single room in a shared house, but they don't have the money to rent an entire house.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 2) by Fnord666 on Thursday December 10 2015, @03:37PM
what they could otherwise afford to do is rent a single room in a shared house, but they don't have the money to rent an entire house.
That is a good point, but I didn't think Airbnb was for long term lodging. I suppose they could bounce from one location to another periodically.