Boat Rental Marketplace
Boating Industry, Internet Software & Services, Marketplaces
San Francisco, California
Boatbound is disrupting the recreational boat industry.
Similar to Uber, which connects passengers without cars to drivers, Boatbound connects boat renters to boat owners.
In 2015, the company is showing 80% month-over-month growth in bookings, and has recorded $1.16 million in gross revenues year-to-date. On average, Boatbound earns $170 profit per booking.
With 13 million boats in its database, the company caters to every possible budget. Budget-conscious renters can spend $25 a day on a human-powered boat, while the luxury seeker might splurge $18,000 a day on a mega-yacht.
Boats are pre-screened to ensure that renters have a safe experience. Renters are not required to have experience in operating boats because most boats come with a captain.
The concept appeals to boat owners as well. The average boat is used only 14 times per year, costing owners significant storage and operating expenses. By renting idle boats, boat-owners can offset the costs of ownership.
To protect both owners and renters, the company provides up to $1 million in liability and up to $2 million in hull protection during the rental period. Boatbound is free to join and has no monthly or membership fees.
Brunswick, owner of popular boat brands such as SeaRay, Bayliner, Boston Whaler, is a key investor and strategic partner of BoatBound. By integrating with the millions of owners within Brunswick’s ownership clubs, Boatbound will make it easy for millions of boat owners to leverage the platform to offset their ownership costs. The partnership also extends into 4,300 Brunswick dealers nationwide, who can now use Boatbound as leverage when selling a new boat, as renting 1-2 times a month through Boatbound could offset much of the cost of ownership.
In addition, Mercury Marine, which is the largest manufacturer of recreational boat engines, formed a strategic partnership with Boatbound.
Aaron most recently served as Founder and CEO of Weddzilla.com, a wedding-planning website that was sold in 2011.
In the same year, he founded Dressrush, the first and only exclusive, online auction that gives brides access to couture wedding gowns at a fraction of their retail cost.
Prior to being a technology entrepreneur, Aaron was a Director at Foster Thomas, a privately-held HR and Insurance consulting firm at Fairfax, VA, between 2003 and 2009.
Aaron graduated from University of Arizona with a BS degree in Finance & Entrepreneurship in 2002.
Prominent seed fund and accelerator program founded by PayPal and Google alumni. Investments include AngelList, Unbounce, and Behance.
Early-stage venture fund that invests in technology start-ups. Investment include AngelList, DraftKings and Quirky. Previously known as Atlas Ventures.
General Partner at Khosla Ventures. Former executive at Google, YouTube, and Facebook.
Stage-agnostic venture capital firm. Investments include AngelList, Periscope, and Postmates.
Angel Investor in over 150 startups, including SeatGeek, Boxed, Alibaba, FanDuel, & Betterment
Seed-stage fund, investor in Lyft
Early-stage venture fund. Investments include Uber, MakeSpace and Doorman.
$50 miilion venture capital fund. Portfolio includes AdoreMe, Beepi, Dreamlines, and FinanzCheck.