Swimply is an

online marketplace An online marketplace (or online e-commerce marketplace) is a type of e-commerce website where product or service information is provided by multiple third parties. Online marketplaces are the primary type of multichannel ecommerce and can be a way ...

for renting a private

swimming pool A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, paddling pool, or simply pool, is a structure designed to hold water to enable Human swimming, swimming or other leisure activities. Pools can be built into the ground (in-ground pools) or built ...

. Homeowners with swimming pools can offer said pool for hourly rentals to individuals or groups. Reservations are made via the Swimply

mobile app A mobile application or app is a computer program or software application designed to run on a mobile device such as a phone, tablet, or watch. Mobile applications often stand in contrast to desktop applications which are designed to run on d ...

for Android or iPhone or via the company's website. Communication, selection of amenities, and payment are all handled through the Swimply platform. Hosts in the United States are covered by a $1,000,000 insurance policy. 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. He rented their pool in exchange for assistance paying for the pool's upkeep. He then realized that he might have a scalable business plan and began finding other neighbor's pools using

Google Earth Google Earth is a computer program that renders a 3D computer graphics, 3D representation of Earth based primarily on satellite imagery. The program maps the Earth by superimposition, superimposing satellite images, aerial photography, and geog ...

'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. In November 2019, Swimply expanded to Australia. Laskin appeared on a March 13, 2020 episode of

Shark Tank ''Shark Tank'' is an American business reality television series that premiered on August 9, 2009, on ABC.Hibberd, James (May 10, 201'Dancing,' 'Bachelor,' and a bigger 'Shark Tank' returning to ABCInsider TV. Retrieved June 24, 2012 The show i ...

pitching an investment opportunity in his company. All Sharks declined. Asher Weinberger (COO) later said the Sharks declined his offer partly due to the pandemic and the country going into lockdown. Swimply gained traction during the pandemic as many sought safe ways to travel and socialize outdoors with friends and family.

Funding and revenue

Laskin received $30,000 from family and friends, followed by $1,200,000 in an initial seed round. Another round of funding fell through due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, but the company did see a 4000% increase in revenue 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 Poshmark is a social commerce marketplace where users can buy and sell new and secondhand fashion, home goods, and electronics. The platform has over 80 million users, with over 200M available listings. The company is headquartered in Redwood Ci ...

CEO Manish Chandra and Ancestry.com CEO Debora Liu. Swimply follows a similar model to

Airbnb Airbnb, Inc. ( ), based in San Francisco, California, operates an online marketplace focused on short-term homestays and experiences. The company acts as a broker and charges a commission from each booking. The company was founded in 2008 b ...

, receiving a 15% commission from the rental price and an additional 10% fee charged to the guests. Hourly rentals are in the range of $20 to $150 an hour.

Liability

As of 2021 Swimply provides a $1,000,000 liability insurance policy and $10,000 of property protection for hosts inside the United States. Swimply requires pool owners to have their pools inspected for health and safety including inspection of tiles and chlorine levels.

References

{{reflist Renting Swimming pools Sharing_economy Service companies of the United States American companies established in 2019