Wildpoint secures £265k in pre-seed funding
UK: Camping marketplace Wildpoint, which allows campers to find and book outdoor stays at campsites, caravans, tipis, and cabins, has announced that it has raised £265,000 in pre-seed funding.
Founded in 2020, Wildpoint is seeking to “make the outdoors more accessible to all” by providing users with the opportunity to search, browse and book outdoor spaces and accommodation such as caravan pitches, tipis, yurts and glamping spots. Travellers can also filter their searches based on characteristics including waterfalls, lakes and forests, as well as activities such as wild swimming, surfing and mountain biking.
In line with its ambition to meet the demand for staycations this summer and become the ‘Airbnb of the outdoors’, the startup is also calling on hosts wanting to earn extra revenue to provide space on their land or in their gardens to rent out for tent pitches.
Wildpoint believes that without a leading global brand such as Airbnb or Booking.com covering the camping sector, it can help to fill the gap in the market and open up opportunities for more people to enjoy unique experiences in the great outdoors.
Oliver Windle, co-founder and CEO of Wildpoint, told EU Startups: “Working with QVentures has been fantastic. From the first call with Brian Hatton and Harveer Bharaj, I knew that Wildpoint’s vision and mission aligned perfectly with the type of businesses that QVentures strive to support and fund.
“Our future is incredibly exciting, and I’m thrilled that QVentures will be on the journey with us, to support and help us grow into a successful, thriving online marketplace,” he added.
Windle’s colleagues at Wildpoint have prior experience at global firms including Airbnb, Microsoft and Airbus.
Brian Hatton, partner at QVentures said: “As someone who is very passionate about the outdoors, I am thrilled we have the opportunity to join Oliver and the team at Wildpoint as investors. Their marketplace for campers and hosts will help the next generation of enthusiasts discover and love being outside.”
Supported by QVentures and ADA Ventures, Wildpoint will use the funding from the pre-seed round to accelerate its expansion strategy as it plans to launch its official platform in the autumn. In addition, the startup is aiming to roll out a number of new features to grow its offerings in the UK market.
With more than 500 hosts already signed up on Wildpoint’s waiting list, the startup is initially looking to establish itself in the UK before expanding into Europe and beyond.
Meanwhile, the camping experiences and experiential outdoor travel segments are largely more established in markets such as the United States, where startups such as Hipcamp, AutoCamp, Collective Retreats and The Dyrt have secured significant funding in recent years.
