Airbnb wraps up $1bn fundraising round as it eyes expansion

Airbnb has completed a $1bn fundraising round that began last June, filling its coffers as the company expands into new areas such as travel tours and luxury rentals.

The fresh funds further delay any prospect of an initial public offering, which is not expected within the next year.

At a valuation of $30bn, Airbnb is among Silicon Valley’s most highly prized companies, and its model of home-based accommodation has been a disruptive force in the travel industry.

The latest round of fundraising began last June, and by September the company had raised $550m from investors including Alphabet’s venture-capital arm. Those shares were sold at $105 apiece, according to regulatory filings.

With an additional $450m in funding now secured, the company has closed this round, Round F. Airbnb declined to answer questions about the latest investors in the round.

The company does not disclose its revenues. In the second half of last year, Airbnb turned profitable, before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation, and it expects to be profitable this year, according to a person close to the company.

The company has raised more than $3bn from investors since its founding in 2008, and its backers include Andreessen Horowitz, Hillhouse, and Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund.