Will Airbnb Be the Next Tech Unicorn to IPO in 2017?

Founded in 2008 by Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia, and Nathan Blecharczyk, Airbnb is an app and website that connects people seeking lodging with renters who have listed their personal houses, apartments, guest rooms, etc., on either platform. Travelers can book accommodations around the world online or from a tablet or mobile phone.

Airbnb is an easy way for people to monetize any extra living space they have. With over 3 million listings worldwide-including 1,400 castles-it operates in over 65,000 cities and 191 countries, the company has a total guest list of more than 150 million people.

Since 2014, and regardless of its fight with certain cities, rumors have been swirling of Airbnb's inevitable initial public offering, CEO Chesky said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal , "we will do it at a time when it benefits the company, when we have a good reason."

Airbnb's last valuation clocked in at $31 billion-it's worth only about $6 billion less than Marriot MAR -thanks to its latest billion-dollar round of equity funding, making it the second most valuable U.S. startup behind Uber.

However, this new round of funding, Airbnb has to spend enough and continue its global expansion without going public.

• airbnb,
• technology,
• startups,
• unicorn,
• IPO,
• stocks,
• economy

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