Hipcamp Raises $9.5 Million for Campsite Booking: Travel Startup Funding This Week
Sean O'Neill
June 15th, 2018 at 1:00 AM EDT
Skift Take
Public campgrounds were already an alternative form of travel. But now there's "alternative alternative travel." Meet the startup Hipcamp, which is like an Airbnb for privately-owned campsites and hosted experiences.
The total publicized this week was more than $17 million.
>>Hipcamp, a booking site for camping experiences, raised $9.5 million in Series A funding, though it is unclear how much is equity and how much is convertible debt or other types of financing.
Benchmark led the round in the 28-person company. Other investors included Affirm co-founder Max Levchin and former Twitter CEO Dick Costolo.
First debuting online in 2013, Hipcamp is a kind of Airbnb for sourcing alternative options for pitching a tent from hosts who have potential campsites to rent out by the day, such as ranches, nature preserves, farms, and vineyards.
Like Airbnb, the San Francisco-based startup also offers posher experiences, such as tiny houses and yurts. One lucrative part of the market is to reach customers who don't own their own tents or gear. This segment is called luxury glamping, or glamorous camping.
Co-Founder and CEO Alyssa Ravasio said, "Our model empowers landowners to create new reven
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