CouchSurfing facts for kids
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| Type of business | C corporation |
|---|---|
| Available in | English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese and Spanish |
| Founded | 2 April 2003 (New Hampshire nonprofit organization) 3 May 2011 (Delaware for-profit corporation) |
| Area served | Global |
| Founder(s) | Casey Fenton Daniel Hoffer Sebastian Le Tuan Leonardo Bassani da Silveira |
| Key people | Patrick Dugan, CEO Francesco Deparis, Director of Operations |
| Products | Homestay |
| Services | Social networking service |
| Users | 12,000,000 users |
| Launched | 12 June 2004 |
Couchsurfing is a service where people can find free places to stay for a short time. It also helps travelers connect with others who love to explore. You can use Couchsurfing through its website or a mobile app.
The service works on a subscription business model. This means that in some countries, members need to pay a fee to use the platform. However, people who offer their homes (called hosts) are not allowed to charge money for lodging.
Contents
History of Couchsurfing
How the Idea Started (1999–2004)
The idea for Couchsurfing came from a computer programmer named Casey Fenton in 1999. He was 21 years old at the time. Casey found a very cheap flight to Iceland but didn't have anywhere to stay.
To solve this, he sent emails to many students at the University of Iceland. He asked if anyone could offer him a place to sleep. He received many offers and stayed with an Icelandic singer. On his way back home, he thought about creating a website for people to share their homes with travelers. He registered the website name, couchsurfing.com, on June 12, 1999.
Couchsurfing International Inc. officially started on April 2, 2003. It was first set up as a nonprofit organization in New Hampshire. This meant it wasn't meant to make money. The website officially launched on June 12, 2004. Casey worked with Dan Hoffer, Sebastien Le Tuan, and Leonardo Silveira to make it happen.
Building the Website with Volunteers (2006–2011)
For several years, volunteers helped build and improve the Couchsurfing website. They met at special events called "Couchsurfing Collectives." These events took place in different cities around the world, like Montreal and Vienna.
However, the website built by volunteers often had problems. It had many software bugs and would sometimes crash. Many members felt the website needed to be completely rebuilt.
In June 2006, a big problem happened: much of the website's information was lost. Casey Fenton asked for help online. Volunteers at a Collective in Montreal raised money and worked to rebuild the website.
Becoming a For-Profit Company (2011)
Couchsurfing first tried to become a special kind of nonprofit that doesn't pay taxes. But this request was turned down in 2011.
So, on May 3, 2011, Couchsurfing became a for-profit corporation. This means it was set up to make money, like most businesses. The company then raised $7.6 million from investors. This money helped them buy the original nonprofit company's assets.
Many members were unhappy about this change. They felt it went against the original idea of Couchsurfing as a nonprofit.
In August 2012, Couchsurfing received even more money, $15 million, from new investors. This brought their total funding to $22.6 million. That same year, the company launched its mobile apps for iOS and Android phones.
Changes in Leadership (2012–2015)
Over the next few years, different people led Couchsurfing as CEO. Tony Espinoza was CEO from April 2012 to October 2013. During his time, the number of members doubled. However, many new users were less interested in hosting others.
Jennifer Billock then became CEO from October 2013 to October 2015.
New Investments and Features (2015-2020)
In 2015, Couchsurfing needed more money to keep growing. A new investor, Patrick Dugan, provided funding. This investment was big enough to change the company's leadership board. Casey Fenton, the founder, was no longer involved in the daily running of the company.
In June 2016, Couchsurfing added a new feature to its mobile app called "hangouts." This feature allows members to quickly find and meet up with other members nearby.
Switch to a Paid Service (2020)
In May 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Couchsurfing changed its business model. It became a subscription business model. This means that users in some countries now have to pay a fee to use the platform.
Because of this change, paying members can't always tell if the person they want to stay with is also a paying member. This has sometimes led to more requests not being answered.
Couchsurfing also added a paid feature called "Verification." This shows if a member's phone number and government ID have been checked. You can get Verification by paying for it, or by hosting other members.
See also
In Spanish: CouchSurfing para niños
- Altruism
- Gift economy
- Hospitality
- List of hospitality exchange services
- Reputation system
Images for kids
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Lunch at former headquarters in San Francisco
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Jennifer Billock, CEO of CouchSurfing from October 2013 to October 2015
