Key Takeaways
- Airbnb invested $58 million for a 10% stake in WeRoad and hired its CEO to lead Airbnb’s hotel division.
- The partnership aims to help Airbnb scale its struggling experiences business through WeRoad’s 2,500 European tour coordinators.
- WeRoad plans U.S. expansion starting in Austin, testing whether group travel can complement STR bookings for American travelers.
Airbnb has led a $58 million Series C funding round for WeRoad, acquiring a 10 percent stake and a board seat in the European travel platform.
The platform giant’s deal with the Milan-based travel startup positions Airbnb deeper into the experiences market beyond its core short-term rental business.
The funding brings the company’s total capital raised to approximately $100 million and will help finance WeRoad’s launch into the U.S., beginning with Austin, Texas.
The idea behind WeRoad started from a “personal need,” according to TechCrunch.
“When you finish college and start working, it becomes harder to find people to travel with. Friends were settling down, having kids, moving away, or simply couldn’t align schedules anymore,” De Nadai told the outlet.
“My cofounder Fabio and I both tried companies offering similar group travel experiences for solo travellers, but while the trips were good, something was missing. The guides were professional local experts, and the groups were mixed in age, and people didn’t really see eye to eye. People were traveling together, but not really connecting.”
“We asked ourselves, ‘What if we created trips for Millennials and Gen Z travellers, bringing together people from the same age groups with shared cultural references but completely different backgrounds, and focused on creating real bonds between them?’” De Nadai added.
De Nadai said finding a destination is rarely one of the biggest challenges travelers face, it’s moreso the ability to connect with the group.
To address that, WeRoad intentionally plans itineraries around social dynamics and collaborative activities to help break the ice.
In addition to the funding assistance, WeRoad’s CEO, Andrea D’Amico, has also been hired to help lead Airbnb’s hotels division while continuing to serve as WeRoad CEO, along with bringing valuable experience as a top Booking.com hotel executive, according to a Skift report.
What the deal means for Airbnb’s strategy
WeRoad, which operates multi-day tours and has a platform for tour guides to share experiences, could help Airbnb scale its business, while the funding will fuel WeRoad’s expansion into the U.S. market.
Related: Airbnb hires Booking.com veteran to grow hotel business
WeRoad brings 2,500 travel coordinators across Europe and a proven model for organizing small-group adventure travel.
The investment comes as Airbnb faces pressure to diversify revenue streams beyond traditional STR accommodations.
WeRoad’s planned U.S. expansion starting in Austin could test whether the group travel model resonates with American travelers who increasingly seek curated experiences alongside lodging.
WeRoad is making local events a key part of its American expansion.
The company launched WeMeet in 2025 for in-person gatherings such as dinners, hikes and running groups. WeRoad said more than 50,000 people attended events across 35 cities last year, while the app reached 150,000 downloads.
