Swimply
Type of site
Private
HeadquartersLos Angeles
Area served
Key people
  • Bunim Laskin (Founder & CEO)
  • Asher Weinberger (Co-Founder and COO)
IndustryOnline marketplace
Services
URLswimply.com
LaunchedJune 2019; 4 years ago (2019-06)[1]

Swimply is an online marketplace for renting a private swimming pool. Homeowners with swimming pools can offer said pool for hourly rentals to individuals or groups. Reservations are made via the Swimply mobile app for Android or iPhone or via the company's website. Communication, selection of amenities, and payment are all handled through the Swimply platform.[2] Swimply currently operates in the United States, Canada, and Australia.

History

Founder Bunim Laskin came up with the idea for the app at the age of 20, after noticing a neighbor's pool which was rarely in use.[3] He rented their pool in exchange for assistance paying for the pool's upkeep.[1] He then realized that he might have a scalable business plan and began finding other neighbor's pools using Google Earth's satellite photos. Launching as Swimply (swimming and simply), he soon had over 30 pools listed, 400 reservations and was featured on MSNBC. By the end of the year he dropped out of college to pursue the business full-time.[4][5]

In November 2019, Swimply expanded to Australia.[6][1]

Laskin appeared on a March 13, 2020 episode of Shark Tank pitching an investment opportunity in his company.[7][8] All Sharks declined.[9] Asher Weinberger (COO) later claimed the Sharks declined his offer partly due to the pandemic and the country going into lockdown.

Funding and revenue

Laskin received $30,000 from family and friends, followed by $1,200,000 in an initial seed round.[10][11] Another round of funding fell through due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the company did see a 4000% increase in revenue[12] during 2020. In 2021, Swimply closed a $10 million Series A round in 2021 lead by Norwest Venture Partners.

The round was followed on by Trust Ventures and other notable angels, including Poshmark CEO Manish Chandra and Ancestry.com CEO Debora Liu.

Swimply follows a similar model to Airbnb, receiving a 15% commission from the rental price and an additional 10% fee charged to the guests for groups of 14 and under and 15% to swimmers if their group is 15 or larger.[1][13] Hourly rentals are in the range of $20 to $150 an hour.[14][15]

Liability

As of 2023 Swimply no longer provides a liability insurance policy. Swimply now provides a "host guarantee" of 2 million that is self funded. $10,000 of property protection for hosts inside the United States.[2] Swimply requires pool owners to have their pools inspected for health and safety including inspection of tiles and chlorine levels.[16]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Callaghan, Greg (9 November 2019). "Would a swimming pool-sharing app make the same splash in Australia as it has in the US?". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Does Swimply offer host liability insurance or protection if my property is damaged?". Swimply.com. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  3. ^ https://www.timesofisrael.com/pool-rental-app-dives-into-deep-end-of-sharing-economy/amp/
  4. ^ Handy, Bruce (2 September 2019). "At Last, An Airbnb for Pools". New Yorker. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  5. ^ Lidman, Melanie (23 September 2019). "Pool rental app dives into deep end of sharing economy". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  6. ^ Smith, Andrea (28 November 2019). "The Airbnb of swimming pools expands to Australia". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  7. ^ Heyn, Beth (13 March 2020). "Swimply on 'Shark Tank': 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy.com. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  8. ^ DeMuro, Rich (29 July 2020). "People are renting out their pools by the hour to strangers using an app called Swimply and making thousands of dollars in the process". KTLA. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  9. ^ "How Fast Can Swimply Owner Talk in Order to Get a Deal? | Shark Tank US | Shark Tank Global". YouTube.
  10. ^ Beltran, Lizeth (22 August 2019). "Teen's idea for cooling off becomes a nationwide business". Crain's New York. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  11. ^ Rodrigues, Ashwin (7 November 2019). "Startup of the Week: An 'Airbnb for Pools' Where the Hosts Are Stock Images". VICE. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  12. ^ "Swimply raises $10M for pool marketplace". TechCrunch. 5 May 2021. Retrieved 2021-08-05.
  13. ^ McDermott, Maura (5 August 2020). "Swimply's LI co-founder says business is booming for hourly pool rentals". Newsday. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  14. ^ Friedman, Gillian (21 July 2020). "Pandemic Luxury: 'Concierge-Style' Coaches and $350 Movie Tickets". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  15. ^ Lowe, Lindsay (6 August 2019). "Now you can rent your neighbor's swimming pool by the hour". TODAY. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  16. ^ Hazarika, Bharbi (21 September 2019). "Don't have a backyard pool? Swimply, the Airbnb of pools, might be your answer". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
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