We may be getting ahead of ourselves, but now that spring seems to have landed in New York (fingers crossed), it’s only a matter of time before the city becomes so insufferably hot that everyone will be searching for the nearest escape route — or at the very least, a friend whose great aunt has a condo in the Hamptons. This summer, finding a refreshing departure from the city is easier than ever with Tentrr.
Founded in 2015, Tentrr is an ever-expanding network of campsites with locations currently spread across the Northeast. Tentrr works with landowners to install rustic yet comfortable camping accommodations including tents, cots, chairs, grilling equipment, water and outdoor toilet facilities (hey, you need ’em!). These sites are then available to rent through Tentrr’s website, allowing campers to experience breathtaking landscapes and refreshing nature without having to purchase an excess of camping equipment. Often, all campers need is a car to get to the location of the site and plenty of snacks.
"Tentrr is one of the first companies to bring the sharing economy exclusively to rural communities,” founder and CEO Michael D’Agostino said in a statement. “We are using technology to change the way people explore the world and redistributing the massive legacy campground industry so that rural residents can participate in the economics of outdoor discovery.”
[Tentrr is] the first technology company that wants you to turn your screens off."
Before joining Tentrr, D’Agostino served as managing director of capital markets at the New York Stock Exchange — no doubt a drastically different environment than Tentrr. This departure from the fray of that reality is part of what Tentrr hopes to achieve. “[Tentrr is] the first technology company that wants you to turn your screens off,” D’Agostino said.
While that may seem an atypical approach for a startup, investors are taking note. After several multi-million-dollar seed rounds, Tentrr closed its Series A round of funding on April 11 to the tune of $8 million.
Leading the round was West Venture Partners and new firm Obvious Ventures. A handful of returning investors, including Great Oaks Venture Capital, Halogen Ventures, Rivet Ventures and WorldQuant Ventures rounded out the Series A funds.
"We are thrilled to lead the Series A round of Tentrr, a company that is revolutionary in how it reimagines not just camping but outdoor experiences, relationships, travel and recreation,” said Joanna Rees, a founder and managing partner of West Venture Partners. “As a firm that specializes in consumer marketplaces, we are excited to help more individuals connect with nature and easily enjoy the outdoors.” Rees will also be joining the Tentrr board of directors as part of the deal.
Looking ahead, Tentrr plans to continue expanding to new and exciting locations by working closely with local landowners and their communities. As for you, well, it looks like your summer plans are set.
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