Getaway Gets A $42 Million Cash Injection

For those suffering cabin fever after a year spent mostly at home, the cure might actually be… a cabin.

Getaway, a startup that builds and rents out tiny vacation cabins, announced Monday a $42 million Series C funding round.

The Modern-Day Getaway

Founded in 2015, Getaway builds “Outposts”, or collections of simple cabins in picturesque locations within a two-hour drive of major cities like Atlanta, Los Angeles, and New York.

With socially-distanced vacations in high demand, the startup had a year to remember in 2020 — bookings jumped 150% from 2019, and Getaway’s Outposts achieved nearly 100% occupancy. As for cabin amenities:

• Getaway’s 136 square foot self-check-in cabins offer space for up to 4 visitors (says them) and each comes with its own fire pit. There’s a mini-fridge and two-burner stove, plus a bathroom with hot and cold water.
• In case not already clear, these Outposts aren’t necessarily suitable for “glampers.” There’s no WiFi, and cabins offer phone lockboxes meant to mitigate the urge for screen time.

CEO John Staff said, “We try to get you to do nothing, quite literally.”

Getaway plans to use the new funding to build at least five more sites this year.

Into The Wild

Venture capitalists may prefer private jets to recreational vehicles, but they’re taking a ride to the great outdoors with camping startups:

• Hipcamp (the Airbnb of camping) bagged $57 million in a Series C funding round last month. The startup pairs landowners with tent-pitchers and acquired its Australian peer Youcamp in August.
• Nomady, a Swiss campsite booking service just finalized an undisclosed round of seed investment last week. Nomady is helping farmers put their land to work by matching them with wilderness-seekers.

The Takeaway:

And Getaway is looking beyond just cabins. Staff argues, “the world is too noisy and too connected over the long haul. Getaway could be doing other things to solve that problem.”