Airbnb

81 major milestones

Online marketplace connecting hosts who rent short- and long-term lodging and experiences with guests; founded by Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia and Nathan Blecharczyk in San Francisco.

Latest Valuation

$18,000,000,000

9 Funding Rounds

Company Timeline

Years -5--1

Idea conceived by Chesky & Gebbia

Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia created the original concept — renting air mattresses in their living room — at/around the Industrial Design Conference in San Francisco.

Year -1 • 2007

Years 0-4

Founders' ownership stakes (as reported later)

By filings and disclosures: Brian Chesky ~10%, Nathan Blecharczyk ~10%, Joe Gebbia ~7% (reported in 2024/2025 disclosures).

Year 0 • 2008

Nathan Blecharczyk joins as third co‑founder/CTO

Nathan Blecharczyk joined Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia as the chief technology officer and third co‑founder of AirBed & Breakfast.

Year 0 • 2008

First customers at Industrial Design Conference

The founders secured their first customers during the Industrial Designers Society of America conference where hotels were oversold.

Year 0 • 2008

Website launched (Airbedandbreakfast.com)

Airbedandbreakfast.com (the original site) officially launched in San Francisco, offering short‑term lodging and breakfast.

Year 0 • 2008

Cereal fundraising at political conventions

Founders sold 'Obama' and 'McCain' novelty cereal boxes to raise seed capital, raising roughly $30,000 (about 800 boxes at ~$40) to fund operations.

Year 0 • 2008

Accepted to Y Combinator; $20k funding

Paul Graham invited the founders to Y Combinator's Winter 2009 batch; Airbnb received $20,000 in exchange for ~6% equity.

Year 1 • 2009Valuation: $333,333

Rebranded to 'Airbnb'

The site name was shortened from Airbedandbreakfast.com to Airbnb.com to reduce confusion and broaden appeal beyond air mattresses.

Year 1 • 2009

Early user growth: 10,000 users, 2,500 listings

By March 2009 the site reported about 10,000 users and roughly 2,500 listings.

Year 1 • 2009

Seed investment led by Sequoia Capital (~$600k)

Airbnb received approximately $600,000 in seed funding from Sequoia Capital (with participation from other angels: Jawed Karim, Keith Rabois, Kevin Hartz).

Year 1 • 2009

Series A: $7.2M from Greylock & Sequoia

Airbnb raised a $7.2 million Series A round led by Greylock Partners and Sequoia Capital as the business accelerated.

Year 2 • 2010

1 million nights booked milestone

Airbnb announced its one‑millionth booking since the August 2008 launch.

Year 3 • 2011

SXSW 'App' award

Airbnb's mobile app won the 'app' award at South by Southwest (SXSW) 2011, acknowledging its product strength.

Year 3 • 2011

Acquisition: Accoleo (Germany)

Airbnb acquired German competitor Accoleo and launched its first dedicated international office in Hamburg.

Year 3 • 2011

Large funding: $112M round led by Andreessen Horowitz

Airbnb raised $112 million from Andreessen Horowitz and others, fueling global expansion.

Year 3 • 2011

Opened London office (first international office)

Airbnb established an office in London as part of international expansion.

Year 3 • 2011

Rapid international expansion — multiple European & global offices

In early 2012 Airbnb opened offices in Paris, Milan, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Moscow and São Paulo (in addition to Hamburg, Berlin and London).

Year 4 • 2012

Acquisition: CrashPadder (UK)

Airbnb acquired CrashPadder (March 2012), adding ~6,000 listings and strengthening its UK footprint.

Year 4 • 2012

10 million nights booked milestone

Airbnb reported reaching more than 10 million nights booked across the platform.

Year 4 • 2012

Acquisitions: NabeWise & Localmind; Sydney office opened

Airbnb acquired local recommendation/QA startups NabeWise (Nov) and Localmind (Dec) and opened its Sydney office (Nov 2012), expanding product/localization efforts.

Year 4 • 2012

Singapore office opened

Airbnb opened an office in Singapore as part of its Asia strategy.

Year 4 • 2012

Years 5-9

European headquarters announced in Dublin

Airbnb announced Dublin as its European headquarters (September 2013).

Year 5 • 2013

Employee secondary sale (rumored $13B valuation)

In late 2014 Airbnb arranged employee stock sale events with rumored valuations around $13B for secondary transactions prior to later mega‑rounds.

Year 6 • 2014Valuation: $13,000,000,000

Started collecting and remitting taxes in multiple cities

Airbnb began collecting occupancy/tourist taxes in cities including San Francisco (Oct 2014) and expanded to Amsterdam, San Jose, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.

Year 6 • 2014

Reported early revenue milestone (2014 revenue snapshot)

Airbnb's revenue for 2014 is recorded in financial tables as approx. $0.4 billion (early public financial trend data).

Year 6 • 2014

Planned North America operational HQ in Portland

Airbnb announced plans for a North America operational hub in Portland while keeping main HQ in San Francisco.

Year 6 • 2014

TPG investment (~$450–475M) at ~$10B valuation

TPG Capital invested ~$450M (variously reported $450M–$500M; later disclosed round ~$475M), valuing Airbnb around $10 billion.

Year 6 • 2014Valuation: $10,000,000,000

Partnership: Concur (business travel integration)

Airbnb partnered with Concur to ease business travel expense reporting for Airbnb stays.

Year 6 • 2014

Brand redesign and new 'Bélo' logo

Airbnb unveiled a broad design refresh and introduced the 'Bélo' symbol as part of rebranding.

Year 6 • 2014

San Francisco 'Airbnb law' passed; taxes & collection begun

San Francisco passed short‑term rental rules affecting Airbnb; Airbnb also began collecting transient taxes for SF and other cities.

Year 6 • 2014

Host insurance expanded to $1M liability

Airbnb expanded its Host Guarantee and liability coverage to provide up to $1 million protection for hosts (announced Nov 2014, effective Jan 2015).

Year 6 • 2014

Introduced pricing recommendation tool 'Price Tips'

Airbnb launched a pricing recommendation feature (Price Tips) to help hosts set rates by market and date.

Year 7 • 2015

Prop F in San Francisco — Airbnb-backed campaign

Airbnb spent heavily to oppose Proposition F (Nov 2015) limiting short‑term rentals in SF; the proposition was rejected by voters.

Year 7 • 2015

Expanded into Cuba

Following the easing of U.S.–Cuba restrictions, Airbnb expanded operations into Cuba, becoming one of the earlier U.S. tech entrants there.

Year 7 • 2015

Raised $1.5B (Series E) — valuation ~$25.5B

Airbnb closed a $1.5 billion funding round led by General Atlantic and others, bringing total raised to ~$2.3B and valuing the company around $25.5B.

Year 7 • 2015Valuation: $25,500,000,000

Apple Watch app launched; Vamo & Lapka acquisitions

Airbnb released an Apple Watch app (Sept 2015) and acquired Vamo (trip planning) and Lapka (sensor startup) teams to enhance product and talent.

Year 7 • 2015

First sustained profitability in second half of 2016 (reported)

Airbnb reported being profitable on a company level in the second half of 2016 (first sustained profitability period noted in sources).

Year 8 • 2016

Introduced new host security measures (multi‑factor auth)

Airbnb added mandatory security measures such as multi‑factor authentication to reduce account hijacking and fraud.

Year 8 • 2016

Reported revenue: ~$1.7B (FY2016)

Airbnb reported FY2016 revenue of approximately $1.7 billion (company financial trend).

Year 8 • 2016

Hired Eric Holder to advise on anti‑discrimination

Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder was hired to help craft Airbnb's anti‑discrimination policy after documented racial bias incidents.

Year 8 • 2016

Raised $555.5M from Google Capital (GCV) — valuation ~$30B

Airbnb secured $555.5M from Google Capital and TCV in a round valuing the company at around $30 billion.

Year 8 • 2016Valuation: $30,000,000,000

Acquired Trip4real (activities marketplace)

Acquisition of Trip4real (Sept 2016) strengthened Airbnb's activities/experiences offering in Europe.

Year 8 • 2016

Legal action vs New York City; settlement Dec 2016

Airbnb sued NYC over disclosure/host liability laws; later settled (Dec 2, 2016) agreeing the city would fine hosts but not Airbnb under certain terms.

Year 8 • 2016

Launched 'Experiences' (host‑led activities)

Airbnb launched Experiences, allowing local hosts to list bookable activities and tours alongside stays (expanded the platform beyond lodging).

Year 8 • 2016

Business product: Trips & Experiences expansion (NYC launch)

Airbnb expanded its Trips/Experiences product in 2017 (launched NYC experiences/Trips programs to augment stays with local activities).

Year 9 • 2017

Introduced 'Business Travel Ready' host badge & tools

Airbnb rolled out business‑travel features and a 'Business Travel Ready' badge to attract corporate travelers and managers.

Year 9 • 2017

Acquisitions: Luxury Retreats (~$300M) & Tilt

Airbnb acquired Luxury Retreats (Feb 2017) — a premium/villa rental company for ~$300M in cash & stock — and payment startup Tilt.

Year 9 • 2017

Raised $1B — valuation ~$31B

Airbnb closed a $1 billion funding round in March 2017, bringing total funding >$3B and valuing the company around $31 billion.

Year 9 • 2017Valuation: $31,000,000,000

Launched Airbnbmag (with Hearst)

Airbnb partnered with Hearst to publish Airbnbmag, a travel & culture magazine aimed at extending the brand into editorial.

Year 9 • 2017

Launched 'Open Homes' humanitarian program

Airbnb launched Open Homes to provide free short‑term housing for people in need (refugees, disaster victims, relief workers), aiming to host 100,000 people over five years.

Year 9 • 2017

Years 10-14

Ken Chenault joins board

Ken Chenault, former American Express CEO, joined Airbnb's board — the first non‑founder/non‑investor expansion of the board at that time.

Year 10 • 2018

Travel Stories feature launched

Airbnb added 'Travel Stories' to the site and app for users to share trip photos and short multimedia stories.

Year 10 • 2018

Partnership with SiteMinder for hotels distribution

Airbnb partnered with SiteMinder to allow boutique hotels and B&Bs to list on Airbnb via third‑party distribution systems.

Year 10 • 2018

Launched Airbnb Plus & Beyond (luxury tiers)

Airbnb Plus (vetted higher‑quality homes) and Beyond by Airbnb (luxury vacation rentals) launched to target premium travelers and professional listings.

Year 10 • 2018

Public controversy: removed listings in West Bank settlements

Airbnb announced removal of roughly 200 listings in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank (Nov 2018), triggering lawsuits and political backlash.

Year 10 • 2018

Produced and financed documentary (Rausch Street Films)

Airbnb produced and financed 'Gay Chorus Deep South' under its Rausch Street Films division; rights sold to MTV (2019).

Year 11 • 2019

Announced partnerships (e.g., 23andMe) and hospitality training MoUs

Airbnb struck various partnerships in 2019 including with 23andMe and Indian skill development/Tourism bodies for host training.

Year 11 • 2019

Reported revenue: ~$4.8B (FY2019)

Airbnb reported FY2019 revenue of about $4.8 billion prior to the pandemic year (Reuters/Wiki financial table).

Year 11 • 2019

Acquisition: Gaest (Aarhus, Denmark)

Airbnb acquired Gaest, a platform for posting and booking meeting/event venues, to expand into meetings and events bookings.

Year 11 • 2019

Acquisition: HotelTonight (~$400M)

Airbnb acquired last‑minute hotel booking app HotelTonight for about $400 million to broaden inventory and last‑minute options.

Year 11 • 2019

Reversed West Bank listings removal

After legal challenges, Airbnb reversed its decision to remove listings in the West Bank (April 2019) and pledged to donate any profits instead.

Year 11 • 2019

Angela Ahrendts joins board

Former Apple retail chief Angela Ahrendts joined Airbnb's board as the company prepared for an IPO.

Year 11 • 2019

Acquisition: Urbandoor (extended‑stay marketplace)

Airbnb acquired Urbandoor to expand services for corporate and extended‑stay customers.

Year 11 • 2019

Announced intention to IPO in 2020

Airbnb announced plans to become a public company 'in 2020' (preparing confidential filings and IPO readiness).

Year 11 • 2019

Scale milestone: ~2 million people staying per night

By October 2019, Airbnb reported that roughly two million people stayed in Airbnb listings every night.

Year 11 • 2019

Shares offered to hosts at IPO pre‑allocation

At IPO, Airbnb offered hosts shares (hosts sold ~$238M worth of stock at the IPO price of $68/share as part of allocations).

Year 12 • 2020

COVID‑19 bookings collapse

During the early COVID‑19 pandemic, Airbnb bookings fell dramatically (as much as ~96% in some cities), particularly international & short‑term travel.

Year 12 • 2020

Pledged $250M host relief patch

Airbnb pledged $250 million to compensate hosts for guest cancellations due to the pandemic (March 30, 2020 letter to hosts).

Year 12 • 2020

Silver Lake & Sixth Street: $1B equity at $18B valuation; $1B debt

Private investment: Silver Lake and Sixth Street bought $1B in Airbnb shares at an $18B valuation and provided $1B in debt financing (Apr 2020).

Year 12 • 2020Valuation: $18,000,000,000

Layoffs: ~1,900 employees (~25% of workforce)

Airbnb laid off approximately 1,900 employees (about 25% of its workforce) across regions due to the pandemic's business impact.

Year 12 • 2020

IPO on Nasdaq; raised $3.5B

Airbnb went public on Nasdaq (ticker ABNB) on Dec 10, 2020, raising about $3.5 billion in the IPO; shares surged giving a market cap near ~$100B on debut.

Year 12 • 2020Valuation: $100,000,000,000

Financial recovery: revenue rebound

Airbnb's business rebounded in 2021 with strong recovery in domestic & longer‑term stays as travel resumed (FY2021 revenue reported $5.9B).

Year 13 • 2021

Suspended operations in Russia & Belarus

In March 2022 Airbnb suspended business in Russia and Belarus following sanctions in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Year 14 • 2022

Adopted unlimited remote work policy

Airbnb instituted a policy allowing unlimited remote working for nearly all employees (April 2022), reshaping office footprint plans.

Year 14 • 2022

Exited Chinese domestic business

Airbnb announced it would cease domestic operations in China (decision May 2022; closures executed July 2022) citing regulatory and Zero‑COVID challenges.

Year 14 • 2022

Permanent global ban on parties & events

Airbnb permanently banned parties and events in listings globally (June 2022) and later rolled out enforcement tech (Aug 2022).

Year 14 • 2022

Years 15-19

Reported revenue & profitability surge: FY2023 revenue $9.9B; net income $4.8B

Airbnb reported FY2023 revenue $9.9B and net income $4.8B (reported in Company filings), reflecting strong post‑pandemic recovery.

Year 15 • 2023

Acquisition: GamePlanner.AI

Airbnb acquired AI startup GamePlanner.AI (Nov 2023) to enhance AI capabilities for planning and personalization.

Year 15 • 2023

FY2024 financials: Revenue $11.1B; Net income $2.65B

Airbnb reported full‑year 2024 revenue of $11.1 billion, net income $2.65 billion, total assets $20.9B and ~7,300 employees (2024 results filed Feb 2025).

Year 16 • 2024

Joe Gebbia joins DOGE (public controversy)

In Feb 2025 co‑founder/board member Joe Gebbia joined the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE); the move sparked boycotts and media scrutiny.

Year 17 • 2025

Commercial partner for FIFA Club World Cup & 3‑year accommodation deal

Airbnb became a commercial partner for the FIFA Club World Cup and agreed a three‑year deal that includes fan accommodation for 2025–2027 events including the 2026 World Cup.

Year 17 • 2025