Backpacker College
Imagine if every university and college community in the world marketed their trusted affordable rooms together, using one platform online? That’s Backpacker College.
Today, Backpacker College provides safe, well-located and more affordable accommodation in over 3 countries, with 15,000 vacant rooms and in more than 500 great university and college locations around the world.
As an accommodation service, proven competitors have been Hotels. The competitive advantage that elevates Backpacker College’s services is location, location, location. Backpacker College’s communities have more supports for travelers, international students, faculty, guests, and alumni. And of course, the highlighted factor is that they’re more affordable!
Traction
With the platform built and partnerships secured, affordable accommodation is available for everyone, everywhere. Backpacker College’s services enable trusted rooms to be found and booked starting in 30 university and college communities and is continuing to grow to 500 more this year, to help during COVID.
Like a lot of other businesses, Backpacker College has experienced the setbacks caused by COVID-19. While they continue to work to overcome this barrier, Backpacker is continuing to make the best features available for those who need them the most. Backpacker College is committed to building new features so that guests and room providers alike have to do the least amount of work possible when renting rooms OR finding trusted affordable accommodation.
Team
Rob Evans, Founder – Few people in the world understand higher education accommodation and affordable travel better than Rob. He’s helped commercialize technology for some of Canada’s best-known tech startups and software companies, and earning several industry-firsts, largest clients, President’s Club accolades. As a problem-solver who loves to travel, Rob wants to remove barriers for others to enjoy travel and believe it can make the world a better place.
All team members, advisors and contractors are key. Rob is so pleased with the growth of the team with this year’s Concierge and Technology partners. They are some of the most experienced in the world of accommodation and guest services, especially with offerings for students. Backpacker College is proud to have worked with many brilliant, diverse, talented, and hard-working people to which it attributes its’ successes.
Funding
Although not currently courting investors, in typical startup/scaleup fashion, Backpacker College is always looking for smart money, to raise capital and bring expertise. It’s a big-time expenditure and the business has found that a lot of people approach their opportunity for near term self-gain or their own portfolio companies. Backpacker College values how unique and different its business is and how it helps bring real value and convenience at a time when guests, students, and room providers need it most. Backpacker College believes that the right investors will be able to join their existing investors when they find a common alignment of values.
With any fundings secured, Backpacker College plans to allocate its capital towards product, marketing, and operations development as they grow.
Fundings received up to date have been through bootstrapping, support services provided by FED DEV, and self-funds. They’ve also been able to garner a preseed investment of less than $1 million.
Backpacker College is currently looking at new markets outside of Canada that are a good fit for further expansion. They also have new features that need to be expanded upon for existing markets and room providers. Their plan is to prioritize based on the needs of each market and their current state within COVID.
Revenue Model
Backpacker College’s marketplace is unlike any other booking website service. They are dedicated to the higher education community, working with universities, colleges, room providers and guests alike, to ensure trusted affordable accommodation is available with a collaborative brand everywhere.
Their stream of revenue is through room bookings made by customers.
Details
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