VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 15, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leavetown, a vacation booking service for mountain and nature destinations, has made its first acquisition of two adventure tech sharing economy startups, ShareShed and Guiides.
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Founded by BC Business Top 30 Under 30 recipient Daniel Dubois, ShareShed is an outdoor equipment sharing marketplace, while Guiides connects outdoor enthusiasts with local guides. By acquiring both brands, Leavetown secures its position as the ultimate gateway into the outdoors.
Leavetown’s accommodation and activity booking platform is growing at breakneck speed, experiencing 80% growth over the last year and representing more than 12,500 properties in over 60 iconic destinations throughout Canada and the U.S.
Leavetown was founded in 2012 by Mike Liverton after selling his UK tech company of over 200 employees and moving to Canada to enjoy British Columbia’s mountains, lakes, and trails. “Travellers increasingly are seeking authentic local encounters,” said Liverton. “The acquisition of ShareShed and Guiides allows us to connect our Leavetown guests with a rapidly expanding community of local outdoor adventurers.”
“It’s simple,” said Daniel Dubois. “We share a common vision that nothing compares to enjoying adventures like locals do and seeing the world through their eyes. By teaming up with Leavetown we’ll be able to facilitate access to even more unique experiences together.”
ShareShed and Guiides came out of The Next Big Thing, Ryan Holmes and Meredith Powell’s national charity and incubator for young entrepreneurs. Holmes and Powell helped ShareShed close a $1M seed round that included top investors including Mike Walsh of Structure Capital, renowned for funding Salesforce.com and Uber. “After filtering through hundreds of candidates for The Next Big Thing, ShareShed was a clear standout. They're moving fast and have everything it takes to be successful,” explained Ryan Holmes, CEO at Hootsuite.
Following this acquisition, Leavetown is set for global expansion in the adventure travel space, with immediate plans to conquer the Australian, European and South American markets.
About Leavetown
Leavetown creates personalized vacations for families and friends to reconnect with each other. Leavetown's team of highly trained Destination Experts help guests find perfect vacation accommodations, activities, ski tickets and local deals in breathtaking mountain and nature destinations across North America.
About ShareShed
ShareShed is creating a world of unlimited access to adventure with a website and mobile app for renting outdoor adventure equipment off of locals. ShareShed is referred to as “Airbnb for Outdoor Adventure Gear” such as kayaks, standup paddleboards, tents and other outdoor equipment.
About Guiides
Guiides is rejuvenating the outdoor guiding industry by increasing access to outdoor adventure with a website for people to discover and book unique experiences led by locals.