The do have legitimate competition abroad and they just purchased Accoleo to get a physical presence in Europe.
Additionally, expansion in the U.S. is going to come at a higher cost as they battle for the lucrative vacation rental market with other well-funded companies like VRBO.
Airbnb is really interesting because their relatively agnostic platform can hit a huge market - couches, single rooms, apartments, houses, boats, independent hotels, etc., along with a lot of international markets to play in, whereas competition has generally been more focused on satisfying a specific segment.
I'll be very curious to see how this company's next series of strategic decisions play out, given this very nice Series B.
Additionally, expansion in the U.S. is going to come at a higher cost as they battle for the lucrative vacation rental market with other well-funded companies like VRBO.
Airbnb is really interesting because their relatively agnostic platform can hit a huge market - couches, single rooms, apartments, houses, boats, independent hotels, etc., along with a lot of international markets to play in, whereas competition has generally been more focused on satisfying a specific segment.
I'll be very curious to see how this company's next series of strategic decisions play out, given this very nice Series B.