ShareACamper

ShareACamper operated as a peer-to-peer online marketplace connecting owners of motorhomes, campervans, and caravans with travelers. The company was founded in 2014 by Jan Bartel and Florian Dahlmann, two hobby campers and graduates of WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management. The initial idea phase began in October 2014, leading to the first platform launch in New Zealand in June 2015, followed by Australia in October 2015, and Germany in February 2016.

The platform's business model addressed the low utilization of privately-owned recreational vehicles, which are typically used for only a few weeks a year. It provided a solution for owners to generate income from their underused assets while offering travelers a wider and more affordable selection of vehicles compared to traditional rental companies. ShareACamper's revenue was generated through a commission-based model, taking a service fee from vehicle owners and charging a booking fee to travelers. A key component of the service was the provision of comprehensive insurance coverage for the rental period, protecting owners and ensuring their personal insurance premiums were not affected.

The company successfully raised approximately €2 million ($2.23M) in a seed funding round in August 2016. Investors included Werkdigital, companies from the RV industry, and private business angels from the founders' network. In January 2021, ShareACamper sold its German operations to its French competitor, Yescapa, to focus on its business in Australia and New Zealand under the leadership of co-founder Florian Dahlmann. Subsequently, in a deal announced in late 2021 and finalized on May 2, 2022, the Australian and New Zealand businesses of ShareACamper were acquired by the ASX-listed company Camplify Holdings Limited. The acquisition, part of a larger transaction including the Mighway platform from Tourism Holdings Limited (THL), positioned Camplify as the dominant operator in the New Zealand peer-to-peer RV rental market.

Keywords: peer-to-peer rental, P2P marketplace, RV rental, motorhome sharing, campervan hire, caravan rental, sharing economy, travel tech, Jan Bartel, Florian Dahlmann, Camplify, Yescapa, Tourism Holdings, vehicle sharing, online rental platform, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, recreational vehicles, travel marketplace, collaborative consumption