Airbnb

Airbnb was founded in 2008 in San Francisco by roommates struggling to make rent. The founders received venture funding which allowed them to grow their platform. The nature of the site allows "hosts" to rent out apartments, houses, or rooms by posting pictures of the space and writing a description, which makes the format usable nearly everywhere. Airbnbs are now available on six continents. They have a number of international offices.

Airbnb gained interest from venture capitalists in the winter of 2009, when startup incubator Y Combinator provided $20,000 in exchange for a small interest share. They received seed money from Sequoia Capital in April of that year, and have since raised more than $3B in funding. It has experienced several controversies, which range from negative guest and host experiences to discrimination to criticism that it has decreased housing affordability.

Since it can be used as an alternative to hotel stays, Airbnb has affected the hotel industry. Accusations that Airbnb's presence in a neighborhood increases average rents caused controversy for the company and the real estate industry and indicate that it has also had an affect over the residential market. The company has lobbied against local governments that seek to limit Airbnb's spread in their areas.

Check out our Top Stories below for TRD’s most up-to-date coverage of Airbnb.