Airbnb has finally closed its round F of funding. The round which opened up last year and saw the company’s SEC filings show a fundraise of $555.5 million has now concluded. In its latest filings with the SEC that were submitted today, Airbnb said that it had closed its series F with an additional raise of $447.8 million. This brings the total amount raised in round F to over $1 Billion — at a valuation somewhere in excess of $31 Billion.
The latest round is said to have seen participation from Alfred Lin of Sequoia and Jeff Jordan of Andreessen Horowitz in the second tranche and Google Capital and TCV in the first one.
Considering the huge amounts of monies Airbnb has raised in its latest round, it does not appear that the company is under any immediate pressure to raise further funds. This could in turn delay its IPO, which according to some widely circulated rumors, was expected to take place sometime this year.
Airbnb also turned profitable last year — a feat to be proud of in this ultra-competitive market where many of its contemporary startups are still burning investor money to stay afloat. Meanwhile, the company finds itself embroiled in its fair share of controversies as well.
For example, the company has been the cause of a whole bunch of impromptu hotels all over the place. This in turn, has led to investigations by city authorities about whether Airbnb homes are in violation of residency and hotel permits. For example, the company has been sued by apartment management company Aimco. This particular case revolves around whether or not Airbnb is helping tenants break lease rules by renting out places that they themselves are renting out.
Airbnb has also been attracting political attention for being all too vocal regarding many issues of the day. For instance, the company offered free housing to immigrants after president Trump brought in an executive order banning entry into the country. The move attracted criticism, as well as applause depending upon where you looked.
The company is going through a phase of change as well. The company has been attempting to reorganize and recently changes the position of CEO to CEO and community head. The company’s CEO is currently on a world tour that among other things, seeks to increase the participation of hosts and make them more involved with local regulators.
