Germany: Berlin-based cabin rental startup Raus, which offers immersive retreats in nature settings, has obtained more than €8.5 million in fresh funding.
The round was spearheaded by European venture capital firm ROCH Ventures with participation from Rockaway Ventures, Dupuis Investment, existing investors [including Speedinvest and 10x Founders] and the founders of the startup themselves.
As part of the round, Raus also secured an asset-backed lending facility from German Varengold Bank, which will support the scaling of the brand.
Raus plans to use the investment to expand into Austria over the coming months, consolidate its current footprint in Europe, establish more community locations, enhance its proprietary technology and develop more immersive nature products and services. The startup has also launched a new concept called Cabin Model 2.0, which features a lighter construction phase, modular stairs, advanced technology and enhanced panoramic views.
Ludger Kübel-Sorger, founder and managing partner of ROCH Ventures, said: “We are pleased to partner with Raus. Raus has all the ingredients of a future winner: a premium value proposition targeting the high-growth segment of nature immersion; the use of digital technologies for true sustainability and rapid scaling; and an outstanding founding team.”
Julian Trautwein, co-founder and CEO of Raus, said: “We are extremely proud of the support and unwavering belief of our investors in our business model and vision. With Raus, we address critical challenges within the travel industry while meeting the enduring demand for a more conscious, and mindful living that will accompany us for many years to come.”
Founded in October 2021 by Trautwein, Christopher Eilers and Johann Ahlers, Raus now offers more than 50 cabins in nine federal states across Germany. This summer, the company also opened its first upscale nature resort called Lodge am See, based in a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in between Hamburg and Berlin.
The startup typically rents out its cabins to city dwellers seeking to recharge their batteries and builds each home or hut itself before delivering them to land owned by farmers. Described as being “self-sufficient”, the cabins run on solar power and have composting toilets and fresh water tanks.
Landowners either receive a share of the revenue, or Raus leases the space. Should landowners wish to carry out cleaning and the purchase of groceries, they would receive additional money.
Over the past 12 months, Raus has reported a more than 500 per cent growth in revenue YoY, a fivefold increase in the number of guests it has hosted compared to 2022, and a tripling in new booking volume fuelled by rising guest demand.
By working with Raus, land partners can offer upsells to guests such as local breakfast packages and activities, while diversifying their revenue streams and keeping sustainability at the core of their business principles.
The latest round takes Raus’ total funding to date to more than €14.5 million, having secured €3 million in investment a year ago [including Airbnb co-founder Nathan Blecharczyk as a new backer] and more than €2 million last April, as well as a “seven-figure” sum in pre-seed funding in July 2021.
