Bounce bags $19M to expand its traveler convenience network
Summary
Luggage storage as a vector for piling into convenience-based revenue opportunities in the business of global travel continues to put a spring in San Francisco-based Bounces step. Think enabling users to rent their stuff, even to each other, as a sort of Airbnb for things, though he concedes thats the multi-decade vision.This is years out, but the infrastructure to get there is all these integrations around shipping and delivery. But shipping and delivery, and furthering our core of all these storage points, is the basis of that.That explains why the startups efforts and funding are still targeted at the foundational piece of expanding its partner network by adding more locations near places where travelers are likely to want to store and move their stuff.Currently, Bounces network of physical location partners touches some 4,000 cities in 100 countries. It also says its service has been used to store about 6 million bags since the app launched back in 2019.On the logistics front, Candee reckons the direction of travel favors Bounces big mission, too he pointed out that when he kicked off the startup, there was no DoorDash Drive, for example; the delivery firms white label API lets others tap into its logistics tech and network of drivers.I think itll get easier and easier to do these things, he said. The bigger we get doing our core business, the easier it will be to land global and local partnerships for delivery, integration, and all kinds of other partnerships we want to do.Bounces Series B was led by Sapphire Sport, with participation from existing investors including Andreessen Horowitz and General Catalyst, as well as new investors 20VC Growth, FJ Labs, Shilling, and Thayer Ventures, among others.Were excited to see how this new capital will fuel Bounces growth into new markets and power storage operations at hotels and venues, said David Hartwig, partner, and Rico Mallozzi, principal, at Sapphire Sport in a joint statement.