In the
relatively short eight years since Airbnb was founded, the San Francisco-based
company has connected more than 60 million guests with over two million
accommodation listings around the world. Today, Airbnb holds an enviable
position as the bellwether of the community marketplace, underwritten by a $30
billion valuation that demonstrates the incredible investor and consumer
appetite for the home-sharing market.
Airbnb
recently filed a Form D with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission,
announcing an equity deal in which the company raised approximately $555
million. This is likely part of the ongoing $850 million Series F round, as
reported by Equidate (http://dtn.fm/s3imF), and brings Airbnb’s total
fundraising to more than $3 billion.
What
this means for small-cap travel booking company Monaker Group, Inc. (OTCQB:
MKGI) is that the investment community knows there is plenty demand to go
around. Not only has Monaker developed a one-of-a-kind booking engine for
lodging options, its model includes travel and entertainment booking features
that should be turning heads in the investment community.
According
to a draft prospectus filed with the SEC (http://dtn.fm/ZDj1b), Monaker is
accelerating its corporate action and has initiated the process seeking to
uplist shares of its common stock to the NYSE Market.
Headquartered
in Weston, Florida, Monaker Group is digging its heels into the alternative
lodging market (vacation home rentals, resort residences and unused timeshare
inventory). As evidenced by the diversity of Airbnb’s listings – which include
castles and villas – this puts Monaker in exactly the right spot to cater to
consumers looking beyond hotel rooms for economical and unique accommodations.
The
company’s flagship brand is NextTrip.com, the first and only real-time booking
engine that features alternative lodging, as well as a full selection of
airlines, hotels, cruises, rental cars, tours and concierge services. While its
model greatly differs from its competitors in this respect, NextTrip also
offers the ability to book in real-time – which means no more waiting for home
owners to respond – and employs a B2B solution for the larger Online Travel
Agencies (OTAs) and lodging bookers that until now have been unable to access
inventory.
These
features are offered in a single, easy-to-use platform that gives users access
to vacation rental inventory in desirable locations in the U.S., the EU and the
Caribbean.
In
addition to its existing inventory, Monaker has roughly one million additional
alternative lodging units under contract that are set to be added to its
platform. In terms of available listings, the additional inventory should
easily place NextTrip among the top three largest vacation rental inventories
and rival industry peers – along with Airbnb and HomeAway.
Monaker
is also tapping into business travel, and recently expanded its initial
agreement with Recruiter.com to offer travel products and services to
Recruiter’s list of more than three million customers, many of which are senior
corporate executives. Monaker expects the deal to provide “meaningful exposure”
to decision makers at roughly one million companies worldwide.
Demonstrated
by Airbnb’s ability to raise billions of dollars and build confidence in a
relatively young industry, the market is ripe and welcoming for Monaker and its
ability to deliver innovations that add a new dynamic to the existing
home-sharing model.
For
more information, visit www.MonakerGroup.com
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