Airbnb invests in India’s Oyo
Airbnb has confirmed it has invested in Indian hospitality unicorn Oyo.
The Indian hospitality startup closed out a Series E funding round in December 2018, raising about $1 billion
Airbnb contributed about $150-200 million according to insiders.
The funding round also included sizable contributions from Asia’s ride-hailing titans Didi Chuxing and Grab, and values Oyo at nearly $5 billion.
It is a strategic investment for Airbnb which will see the fast-growing Oyo portfolio added to the Airbnb platform.
It makes sense for Airbnb as Oyo’s two biggest markets – India and China – are ones which Airbnb is targeting in a big way.
Both are fast-growing markets for Airbnb, but it is still some way from being the dominant player in either, thanks to Oyo and other rivals.
Oyo also specializes in managing independent hotels and has a growing Homes division, both of which are complementary to the Airbnb business strategy.
Airbnb’s ‘global footprint and access to local communities’ will open new opportunities for Oyo, the Indian company said.
It paves the way for a presence of sorts in the US market, which is something Oyo has been keen to explore in recent months.
AirBnB and Oyo will reportedly work on a number of different projects together.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025