Airbnb
American online marketplace for short-term homestays and experiences, connecting hosts who rent out their properties with guests seeking accommodation worldwide.
Company Type
public
Founded
2008
Headquarters
San Francisco, California, USA
Stock
NASDAQ: ABNB
About Airbnb
What does Airbnb do?
Airbnb operates an online marketplace connecting hosts who list their homes, apartments, rooms, or unique properties with guests seeking short-term accommodations. The company charges service fees to both hosts and guests on each completed booking. Airbnb also facilitates bookings for Experiences, activities hosted by local experts in destinations worldwide.
Airbnb operates an online marketplace connecting hosts who list their homes, apartments, rooms, or unique properties with guests seeking short-term accommodations. The company charges service fees to both hosts and guests on each completed booking. Airbnb also facilitates bookings for Experiences, activities hosted by local experts in destinations worldwide.
Is Airbnb publicly traded?
Yes, Airbnb, Inc. trades on NASDAQ under ticker symbol ABNB. The company went public in December 2020 in one of the largest IPOs of that year. The company has a dual-class share structure that gives co-founders Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia, and Nathan Blecharczyk significant voting control.
Yes, Airbnb, Inc. trades on NASDAQ under ticker symbol ABNB. The company went public in December 2020 in one of the largest IPOs of that year. The company has a dual-class share structure that gives co-founders Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia, and Nathan Blecharczyk significant voting control.
What is Airbnb's annual revenue?
In FY2024, Airbnb reported revenue of approximately $11.1 billion, a 12% increase from FY2023. The company facilitated approximately 460 million nights and experiences booked in FY2024.
In FY2024, Airbnb reported revenue of approximately $11.1 billion, a 12% increase from FY2023. The company facilitated approximately 460 million nights and experiences booked in FY2024.
Who founded Airbnb?
Airbnb was founded in 2008 by Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia, and Nathan Blecharczyk in San Francisco. The company grew from the founders renting air mattresses in their apartment to a global accommodation marketplace operating in more than 220 countries and regions.
Airbnb was founded in 2008 by Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia, and Nathan Blecharczyk in San Francisco. The company grew from the founders renting air mattresses in their apartment to a global accommodation marketplace operating in more than 220 countries and regions.
How many listings does Airbnb have?
Airbnb had over 8 million active listings globally as of late 2024, spanning homes, apartments, rooms, and unique properties including treehouses, castles, and houseboats in more than 220 countries and regions.
Airbnb had over 8 million active listings globally as of late 2024, spanning homes, apartments, rooms, and unique properties including treehouses, castles, and houseboats in more than 220 countries and regions.
Why is Airbnb facing regulatory challenges?
Airbnb faces regulatory opposition in many cities because short-term rentals are seen as reducing housing supply for long-term residents, driving up rents, and operating outside traditional hotel regulations. Cities including New York, Barcelona, Amsterdam, and others have implemented restrictions on short-term rentals, requiring host registration, limiting rental nights, or banning certain types of rentals entirely.
Airbnb faces regulatory opposition in many cities because short-term rentals are seen as reducing housing supply for long-term residents, driving up rents, and operating outside traditional hotel regulations. Cities including New York, Barcelona, Amsterdam, and others have implemented restrictions on short-term rentals, requiring host registration, limiting rental nights, or banning certain types of rentals entirely.
History of Airbnb
Airbnb was founded in August 2008 by Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia, and Nathan Blecharczyk in San Francisco. The founding story is well-documented: Chesky and Gebbia, struggling to pay rent on their San Francisco apartment, decided to rent out air mattresses in their living room to attendees of an industrial design conference in the city. They created a simple website called "Air Bed & Breakfast" to advertise the space, hosted three guests, and charged $80 per night.
The concept proved viable, and the founders developed it into a broader platform for peer-to-peer accommodation rentals. Blecharczyk, a software engineer, joined as the technical co-founder. The company was accepted into Y Combinator, the prestigious startup accelerator, in early 2009, which provided funding and mentorship that helped the founders refine their business model.
Airbnb grew rapidly through 2009 and 2010, expanding from a few hundred listings to tens of thousands as hosts across the United States and internationally listed their properties. The company raised its first significant venture capital funding in 2010, including a $7.2 million Series A round led by Sequoia Capital and Greylock Partners.
By 2011, Airbnb had expanded internationally and was operating in dozens of countries. The company's growth was driven by the appeal of unique, local accommodations at prices often lower than hotels, as well as the income opportunity for hosts. Airbnb acquired several international competitors to accelerate its global expansion.
The mid-2010s brought both rapid growth and significant controversy. Airbnb faced regulatory opposition in many cities, where local governments argued that short-term rentals were reducing housing supply for long-term residents, driving up rents, and operating outside hotel regulations. New York City, San Francisco, Barcelona, Amsterdam, and many other cities implemented restrictions on short-term rentals, creating ongoing regulatory challenges for Airbnb.
The company also faced criticism related to discrimination. A 2016 Harvard Business School study found that guests with distinctively African-American names were significantly less likely to be accepted by Airbnb hosts than guests with white-sounding names. Airbnb responded by implementing anti-discrimination policies and requiring hosts to accept bookings without seeing guest photos or names in some cases.
Airbnb was valued at approximately $31 billion in a 2017 funding round, making it one of the most valuable private companies in the world. The company had been expected to go public for several years before the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically disrupted travel in 2020, causing Airbnb's revenue to fall sharply and forcing the company to lay off approximately 25% of its workforce.
Despite the pandemic disruption, Airbnb proceeded with its IPO in December 2020. The IPO was one of the largest of 2020, with Airbnb's stock opening at $146 per share, nearly double the $68 IPO price, valuing the company at approximately $100 billion. The strong IPO performance reflected investor confidence in travel's eventual recovery and Airbnb's dominant market position.
Following the IPO, Airbnb benefited from a strong travel recovery as pandemic restrictions eased. The company also benefited from the rise of remote work, which enabled longer stays and travel to non-traditional destinations. Airbnb introduced features to support longer-term stays, including monthly pricing discounts and filters for amenities important to remote workers.
In FY2024, Airbnb reported revenue of approximately $11.1 billion and approximately 460 million nights and experiences booked, with CEO Brian Chesky noting that the company "outpaced the travel industry's growth" in 2024.
Brands Owned by Airbnb
Airbnb owns 0 brands in our database.
Stock Information
Airbnb Ownership: Pros & Cons
Advantages
- +FY2024 revenue of approximately $11.1 billion, up 12% year-over-year, with approximately 460 million nights and experiences booked
- +Over 8 million active listings in more than 220 countries create an unmatched inventory of unique accommodations
- +Asset-light business model (Airbnb does not own properties) generates strong free cash flow relative to revenue
- +Strong brand recognition globally as the leading alternative accommodation platform
- +CEO Brian Chesky's plans to expand into new business lines in 2025 offer potential additional growth vectors
Considerations
- -Regulatory restrictions on short-term rentals in major cities including New York, Barcelona, and Amsterdam reduce available supply
- -Competition from Booking.com and VRBO (Expedia) intensifying as these platforms expand short-term rental listings
- -Dual-class share structure concentrates voting control with founders, limiting public shareholder influence
- -Housing affordability criticism creates ongoing reputational and regulatory risk
- -Travel demand is cyclical and sensitive to economic conditions, geopolitical events, and public health crises
Frequently Asked Questions About Airbnb
What does Airbnb do?
Airbnb operates an online marketplace connecting hosts who list their homes, apartments, rooms, or unique properties with guests seeking short-term accommodations. The company charges service fees to both hosts and guests on each completed booking. Airbnb also facilitates bookings for Experiences, activities hosted by local experts in destinations worldwide.
Is Airbnb publicly traded?
Yes, Airbnb, Inc. trades on NASDAQ under ticker symbol ABNB. The company went public in December 2020 in one of the largest IPOs of that year. The company has a dual-class share structure that gives co-founders Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia, and Nathan Blecharczyk significant voting control.
What is Airbnb's annual revenue?
In FY2024, Airbnb reported revenue of approximately $11.1 billion, a 12% increase from FY2023. The company facilitated approximately 460 million nights and experiences booked in FY2024.
Who founded Airbnb?
Airbnb was founded in 2008 by Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia, and Nathan Blecharczyk in San Francisco. The company grew from the founders renting air mattresses in their apartment to a global accommodation marketplace operating in more than 220 countries and regions.
How many listings does Airbnb have?
Airbnb had over 8 million active listings globally as of late 2024, spanning homes, apartments, rooms, and unique properties including treehouses, castles, and houseboats in more than 220 countries and regions.
Why is Airbnb facing regulatory challenges?
Airbnb faces regulatory opposition in many cities because short-term rentals are seen as reducing housing supply for long-term residents, driving up rents, and operating outside traditional hotel regulations. Cities including New York, Barcelona, Amsterdam, and others have implemented restrictions on short-term rentals, requiring host registration, limiting rental nights, or banning certain types of rentals entirely.
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