About us
Airbnb was born in 2007 when two hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to over 5 million hosts who have welcomed over 2 billion guest arrivals in almost every country across the globe. Every day, hosts offer unique stays, experiences, and services that make it possible for guests to connect with communities in a more authentic way.
Fast facts
8M+
active listings worldwide
150K+
cities and towns with active Airbnb listings
220+
countries and regions with Airbnb listings
2B+
Airbnb guest arrivals all-time
5M+
hosts on Airbnb
$300B+
earned by hosts, all-time
$15K
earned by the typical US host in 2024
$13B+
total taxes collected and remitted globally
Last updated March 2025
Founders
Brian Chesky
Airbnb Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
Nathan Blecharczyk
Airbnb Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer
Joe Gebbia
Airbnb Co-founder
The Airbnb story
October 2007
Brian and Joe host Airbed & Breakfast’s first guests.
March 2008
Airbed & Breakfast officially launches during SXSW and receives just two bookings.
August 2008
The Airbed & Breakfast website launches in time for the Democratic National Convention and gets 80 bookings.
August 2008
Airbnb launches Payments, our bespoke payments platform which in 2019 processed about $70 billion in guest and host transactions in over 40 currencies.
March 2009
Airbnb officially changes our name from Airbed & Breakfast to Airbnb and expands beyond rooms to offer apartments, whole homes, and vacation rentals.
November 2010
Airbnb launches our app and Instant Book feature.
June 2011
Airbnb begins our international expansion with the opening of our German office.
May 2012
Airbnb introduces our $1M Host Guarantee.
November 2012
In response to Hurricane Sandy, Airbnb partners with New York City to house displaced residents and launches our Disaster Relief Tool.
June 2013
Airbnb opens our 888 Brannan Street HQ, a few blocks from our first listing on Rausch Street.
July 2014
Airbnb introduces our new logo, the Belo.
March 2015
Airbnb becomes the official alternative accommodations provider for the 2016 Rio Games.
April 2015
Airbnb launches in Cuba.
November 2016
Airbnb launches Experiences, a selection of curated activities that immerse travelers in local communities.
February 2017
Airbnb airs our #weaccept Super Bowl ad to protest the US travel ban.
March 2017
Airbnb launches our Chinese brand, Aibiying.
March 2019
Airbnb formally agrees to acquire HotelTonight.
November 2019
Airbnb announces a nine-year partnership with the International Olympic Committee.
March 2020
Airbnb launches Frontline Stays to safely house medical workers and other first responders during the COVID-19 pandemic.
April 2020
Airbnb launches Online Experiences in response to our hosts needing a way to make up for lost earnings during the pandemic.
June 2020
Airbnb launches our Enhanced Cleaning Protocol to help hosts and guests book with confidence during the pandemic.
June 2020
In partnership with Color of Change, Airbnb announces Project Lighthouse, a groundbreaking effort to help fight discrimination.
September 2020
Airbnb launches City Portal, a one-stop shop for local governments to help them understand and enforce responsible home sharing.
December 2020
Airbnb becomes a publicly traded company and rings the bell with hosts around the world who make Airbnb, Airbnb.
December 2020
Airbnb announces the launch of Airbnb.org, a non-profit that connects people to places to stay in times of crisis.
May 2021
Airbnb announces the Airbnb 2021 Release: 100+ upgrades to our service and product to make traveling and hosting easier.
November 2021
Airbnb announces the Airbnb 2021 Winter Release: 50+ upgrades including AirCover for hosts, Translation Engine and more.
February 2022
Airbnb announces our commitment to offer free, temporary housing for refugees fleeing Ukraine.
April 2022
Airbnb announces our Live and Work Anywhere policy for employees.
May 2022
Airbnb announces the Airbnb 2022 Summer Release: The biggest change to Airbnb in a decade featuring Airbnb Categories, Split Stays and AirCover for guests.
November 2022
Airbnb announces the Airbnb 2022 Winter Release: Introducing Airbnb Setup, even more AirCover for hosts and six new Airbnb Categories.
November 2022
Airbnb introduces Airbnb Friendly Apartments, a new program to help people find apartments where they can host on Airbnb part time.
February 2023
Airbnb celebrates the milestone of reaching 1 million Superhosts in our community.
May 2023
Airbnb announces the Airbnb 2023 Summer Release: Introducing Airbnb Rooms, an all-new take on the original Airbnb.
November 2023
Airbnb announces the acquisition of Gameplanner.AI.
November 2023
Airbnb announces the Airbnb 2023 Winter Release: Introducing Guest Favorites, a collection of the 2 million most-loved homes on Airbnb.
May 2024
Airbnb announces the Airbnb 2024 Summer Release: Introducing Icons, extraordinary experiences from the world’s greatest icons, as well as updates to group travel.
October 2024
Airbnb announces the 2024 Winter Release: Introducing Co-Host Network – an easy way to find the best local hosts to manage your Airbnb.
May 2025
Airbnb announces the 2025 Summer Release: Introducing Airbnb Services, Airbnb Experiences, and an all-new Airbnb app.