Delta Partners leads $3m round for Homestay.com

Amy King
11 June 2014

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Existing backer Delta Partners and Enterprise Ireland have injected $3m into accommodation marketplace Homestay.com to fund the acquisition of Berlin-based HomestayBooking.

Delta Partners led the funding round, which will also support the development of new products and services including additional language support, new applications and mobile integration.

The company is understood to have raised €3m from Delta in 2013.

The acquisition brings the number of host listings on Homestay.com to more than 25,000 and doubles the firm's booking volume rate growth.

The technical integration of the bolted-on asset is expected within the coming six months.

HomestayBooking is based in Berlin and was founded in 2007. The company's platform allows foreign visitors to stay with local hosts. Visitors do not pay booking fees and hosts are able to set the room rate and advertise for free, paying only upon confirmation of an incoming reservation.

The firm is understood to employ fewer than 10 staff. Its listings are available in more than 30 countries, with support in five languages and more than 70,000 registered guest accounts.

Company
Launched as a public beta in 2013 by former co-founder of the Hostelworld brand, which was bought by Hellman & Friedman-backed Web Reservations International in 2013, Homestay.com is based in Dublin. The company facilitates homestay, hosted travel accommodation via its online platform. It also provides the Homestay Manager software to host families and agencies.

People
Maurice Roche is a general partner at Delta and sits on the Homestay board.