Landfolk, the operator of rental services located in Aarhus, raised a big but undisclosed amount in the seed round from Danish PE&VC Heartland. Founded by seven former colleagues from Airbnb, the platform offers services for those who are looking for summerhouses. The company is planning to have more than one thousand homes on the platform before the year ends. Danish startup also aims to expand in Sweden and Germany so that exclusive houses outside Denmark will be available for booking on the platform.
Large investment in Landfolk
The family-owned investment company, HEARTLAND, has invested a large double-digit million in the Danish startup, Landfolk, which was launched in February 2021. Landfolk is a community and a platform with unique and personal holiday homes, and behind it is an experienced team with great visions for both at home and abroad.
Never have so many holiday homes been sold as in the corona years 2020-21, which really made the Danes turn their eyes domestically and towards the holiday home as a form of holiday. In the midst of this development, Landfolk came into the world, and now – only one year after the infancy in February 2021 – the Danish startup has landed a large pre-seed investment that will be used to fulfill the company’s ambitions.
Great visions for home and abroad
Behind Landfolk is an experienced founder team, of which several include sold Gaest.com to Airbnb in 2019, and they have quickly gained air under their wings. Already in the first two months of 2022, Landfolk has overtaken the entire turnover in 2021. At the same time, the visions are great. By 2022, they will have more than 1,000 unique and hand-picked, Danish holiday homes on the platform. In addition, the plan is that several hundred exclusive houses outside Denmark can be booked on the platform, when Landfolk later this year expands to initially Germany and Sweden.
“The goal is to create Northern Europe’s largest and best community for holiday home owners and enthusiasts,” says Christian Schwarz Lausten, CEO of Landfolk. “Country people are created out of a great passion for the cottage. We want to both create unique holiday home experiences, but also to redefine what it is like to own a holiday home, and we are both happy and proud that HEARTLAND will be part of that journey ”.
CEO at HEARTLAND, Lise Kaae, supplements:
“Farmers are a breath of fresh air in an industry that is not harmed by a little innovation. The combination of newly developed technology that ensures an optimal, digital customer journey, and a community of premium holiday homes make Landfolk an exciting new player in the market. And then there is a solid and experienced team behind it.”
The new generation of cottage owners
Country people appeal to a new generation of holiday home owners who are looking for more charm, soul and authentic experiences in the middle of nature. 79% of Landfolk’s holiday home owners are younger than 50 years. At the same time, 50% have never rented out before.
“We experience that there is a greater willingness to rent through Landfolk, partly because we offer the ultimate flexibility, where it is entirely up to them, how much or little you want to share with others, and because we are 100% transparent about prices and earnings. But definitely also because it is a community where we share a love for the cottage as our second home ” tells Christian Schwarz Lausten.
Since the launch in February 2021, the number of bookings has exploded at the same time, but it is not only the Danes who have opened their eyes to the personal holiday home experiences. The Germans have also flocked to Landfolk since they opened for bookings from our neighbor to the south in September. However, 2022 will be the year in which it will also be possible to rent both a cozy holiday home in the middle of German nature and a deserted farm on one of the Swedish islands.
About Landfolk
Landfolk is a Danish platform with hand-picked and personal holiday homes and a community for holiday home enthusiasts who want unique experiences in one with nature. The cottages on the platform must live up to five criteria that include personality, scenic surroundings, good hosts, quality and no ‘one size’.
Landfolk was founded in February 2021, today has 354 holiday homes on the platform and welcomes many new holiday home owners every day.
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