Companies such as the Y Combinator backed Airbnb have seen a great deal of success in offering services that unite those with rental properties with those who are looking for non-hotel short term accommodations.
Since Airbnb launched its service in 2007, several similar services have popped up both in Europe and North America to provide a niche service for travellers and passers through to obtain affordable and safe places to stay. One such service, 9flats who are headquartered in Berlin has acquired competitor firm iStopOver.
The acquisition, which was announced on 9flats’ blog, marks the European leader’s expansion into North America. 9flats will leverage iStopOver’s service and development team to expand their current service offering to a new continent while also doubling their in-house support team. The move means that the company will open an office in Toronto, iStopOver’s home city in order to provide the best possible service for those looking for accommodations in North America’s greatest cities.
Although time is still required for both services and platforms to be merged seamlessly, the expectation is that the end result will allow users and fans of both services an ever wider range of options for international travel. 9flats currently offers 100,000 plus beds in over 100 countries world-wide.
Looking to expand internationally has also been at the forefront of Airbnb’s plans, as they have worked hard over the past months to push into Europe. It certainly appears that the competition that is brewing between these two major players is far from over.
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