- Airbnb announced last September that it plans to go public in 2020 in what will be one of the most highly anticipated IPOs of the year.
- Founded in 2008, Airbnb has gone from renting out air mattresses to a global travel company last valued by private investors at $31 billion.
- But after a year of startups failing to impress investors and WeWork’s disastrous IPO attempt, Airbnb could face more intense scrutiny.
- Investors will be paying attention to Airbnb’s profits (or losses), marketing costs, strategic direction, regulatory risks, and efforts to tackle safety issues.