Portugal: Lisbon-based online marketplace and road trip platform, Indie Campers, has announced that it has raised €35 million [£29.3m / $38.2m] to achieve its goal of becoming the “number one road trip platform in the world”.
The investment round was led by asset management firm Indico Capital Partners, while Cedros Capital and GED Ventures also participated.
In a company statement, Indie Campers said that it planned to use the funding to “invest in the technological development of the digital platform, automation and efficiency of operations, and improvement of the customer experience”, as well as to “expand the global presence, offering new products and services, and creating unique experiences”.
Hugo Oliveira, founder and CEO of Indie Campers, said that the startup would also invest “significantly” to strengthen and grow its team, which is currently made up of more than 500 employees around the world. Speaking to the Observador online publication, Oliveira confirmed that he expected to hire “a few hundred people worldwide” in the next few years, with a particular focus on the company’s domestic office in Portugal.
Funding will also be diverted to “accelerate the recruitment of top talent in various areas such as product, technology, data and marketing”.
Oliveira added: “We are excited to reinforce our position as the world’s leading road trip platform.”
Founded in 2013, Indie Campers currently offers a fleet of more than 7,000 motorhomes in three continents [Europe, America and Oceania] in 20+ countries. The brand launched its peer-to-peer rental platform in the UK in 2022 and is continuing on its growth trajectory.
Just like on home-sharing websites such as Airbnb, campervan owners can create an account and list their vehicles on the marketplace in a few clicks.
“Indie” is designed to give owners total control over who rents their motorhome by requiring them to approve a traveller’s booking request. If approved, travellers pay through Indie Camper’s secure booking system to keep both parties safe.
Indie Campers’ fundraise comes at an interesting time for the motorhome rental and road trip industry.
In January, Seattle-based ‘mobile hotel’ and camper van rental startup, Cabana, announced that it was suspending rental operations and that it had begun a sale process.
And in February, Czech rival Campiri revealed that it was merging with German counterpart FreewayCamper.
Other platforms in the industry, such as Outdoorsy, are also diversifying their offerings, including branching into outdoor accommodations.
