The Host Co.
The Host Co. is a commerce platform that enables short-term rental hosts on Airbnb, VRBO, and Booking.com to create free digital storefronts selling in-rental amenities, curated local services, and travel add-ons directly to guests, integrated natively with 11+ property management software systems.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What The Host Co. does
The Host Co. (legal entity The Host Company HC, Inc.) is a privately held commerce platform founded in 2019 and headquartered in Oakland, California. The company enables short-term rental (STR) hosts on Airbnb, VRBO, and Booking.com to monetize hotel-level amenities and local services through free digital storefronts, allowing guests to purchase items such as firewood, souvenirs, late checkouts, in-home massages, private chefs, and curated local experiences during their stay. The platform is built around native, pre-built integrations with the three dominant STR booking platforms and 11+ property management software systems (Guesty, Hospitable, Lodgify, Hostaway, StayFi, Turno, Hostfully, OwnerRez, EnsoConnect, TouchStay), with stores shared via automated messaging inside the host's existing booking workflow.
The company operates a freemium, product-led growth model. Stores are free to create in under five minutes; revenue is generated via a 4% transaction fee on total sales, a 2.9% + $0.30 payment processing fee (processed through Stripe and paid out via PayPal), subscription tiers including a Pro Plus plan that unlocks co-host management and multi-store duplication, and an affiliate program paying 15% recurring monthly commissions ($35–$538/year per user) plus a $500 per-referral bonus. As of June 2026, the company reported managing over 25,000 vacation rentals, and named hosts claim up to $120,000 in additional annual revenue per listing. The company has raised $1.85 million in a single seed round in March 2022 led by HearstLab, with participation from The Artemis Fund and Untapped Capital.
More recently, the company has begun extending its marketplace beyond in-rental retail into adjacent financial products, exemplified by a June 2026 partnership with Faye Travel Insurance to distribute a CFAR-style 'break-up insurance' policy through host stores. The platform is actively operating, employs 11–50 people, and has received media coverage in Business Insider, Fortune, Yahoo, and Skift. No patents, AI/ML capabilities, executive team details, or revenue figures are disclosed in the available data.
The Host Co. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Host Co.
- Legal name
- The Host Company HC, Inc.
- Website
- https://thehost.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Host Co. is a commerce platform that enables short-term rental hosts on Airbnb, VRBO, and Booking.com to create free digital storefronts selling in-rental amenities, curated local services, and travel add-ons directly to guests, integrated natively with 11+ property management software systems.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Host Co. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Short-Term Rental Commerce Platform
- NAICS
- Other Traveler Accommodation (72119)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Direct Booking Platforms & Booking Engines for Hosts/Managers (THAMALAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Co-Host / On-the-Ground Operations & Guest Services (BPAJAIAI), New-Listing Onboarding, Setup & Launch Services (THAMAKAO)
Keywords
Where The Host Co. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Host Co. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Transaction Fees: Hosts pay a 4% transaction fee on the entire sale of products plus 2.9% + $0.30 payment processing fee per transaction. Revenue is generated from each sale processed through the digital storefront.
- Subscription / Platform Fees: Monthly subscription tiers for hosts; affiliates earn 15% recurring monthly commissions for referring new hosts ($35-$538/year per user). Affiliate referrals can earn up to $500 per referral.
- Affiliate Referrals: The Host Co pays affiliates 15% of monthly subscriptions for a full year per referred user, generating $35-$538 annual revenue per user plus $500 per referral bonus.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free Store Creation |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Point-of-Sale Transaction Fee |
| Other | Monthly | Affiliate Commission |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels4 records
The Host Co. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Host Co. provides a self-serve digital storefront platform that lets short-term rental hosts create free in-rental shops where guests can purchase hotel-style amenities, curated local services (massage, private chefs, reiki), physical products (souvenirs, firewood, equipment rentals), and time-based add-ons (late check-out, early check-in). The storefront is natively integrated into Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com and 11+ property management systems, with guest access via automated messaging on the host's existing booking platform.
Product overview
The Host Co is a commerce platform designed for short-term rental hosts to monetize hotel-level amenities through digital storefronts. The core product is the Digital Store/Storefront, which serves as the central hub where hosts sell curated local services (massage, private chefs, flower delivery), in-home products (souvenirs, firewood, equipment rentals), and time-based add-ons (late check-outs, early check-ins). The platform integrates natively with major booking platforms (Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com) and property management software (Guesty, Hospitable, Lodgify, Hostaway, OwnerRez) to enable seamless store creation and automated messaging. Advanced features include co-host management, digital guidebook integration, SMS notifications, and an affiliate program. The platform claims hosts can earn up to $120k per year per listing through these offerings.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Digital Storefront (Host Co Store)
Quantifiable outcome
- Hosts can earn up to $120k more per year per listing
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use The Host Co.
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Host Co. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration16 records
Feature4 records
The Host Co. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Faye Travel InsuranceminorHost Co partnered with Faye Travel Insurance to offer 'break-up insurance' — a CFAR-style (Cancel for Any Reason) travel protection policy costing around $100 with up to $1,000 in coverage for trip cancellations due to relationship breakdowns. This targets travelers assessing relationship compatibility through shared vacations.
- AirbnbcoreIntegration enabling one-click store creation from Airbnb property listings; hosts share their Host Co store links with guests via Airbnb's automated messaging system. This is the primary channel for guest store discovery.
- VRBOcoreIntegration enabling Host Co stores to be created from VRBO properties with guest access via VRBO's automated messaging, mirroring the Airbnb distribution model.
- Booking.comcoreIntegration making Host Co digital storefronts accessible to guests who booked through Booking.com, extending international distribution.
- GuestycoreOfficial integration allowing property managers using Guesty's property management platform to create and manage Host Co stores directly from their Guesty dashboard.
- HospitablecoreOfficial integration enabling Hospitable users to create and manage Host Co digital storefronts from within the Hospitable property management platform.
- LodgifycoreOfficial integration allowing Lodgify users to create Host Co stores from their Lodgify properties using the Host Co + Lodgify integration.
- HostawaycoreOfficial integration enabling Hostaway users to create Host Co digital stores from their Hostaway property management accounts.
- StayFicoreIntegration where StayFi's homepage can automatically create free Host Co stores to upsell hospitality perks (massages, late checkouts) to guests via the StayFi wifi flow.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Host Co. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Guesty: Leading property management software for short-term rental hosts and managers. Direct distribution partner of The Host Co. with overlapping multi-property management workflows and a much larger capital base — and a credible potential competitor building native upsell features.
- Hostaway: Vacation rental PMS serving professional property managers with channel management, automation, and increasingly upsell features. Direct integration partner of The Host Co. targeting the same multi-property operator segment.
- Hospitable: Automation-focused PMS for short-term rental hosts, including messaging, guest communication, and add-on services. Direct integration partner and an adjacent competitor for hosts seeking workflow consolidation.
- Lodgify: All-in-one vacation rental software with website building, channel manager, and booking engine. Direct integration partner and a competitor in the direct-booking-and-monetization layer for STR hosts.
Emerging players
- Turno (Breezeway): Operations software for short-term rentals focused on cleaning, maintenance, and turnover coordination. Direct integration partner with overlapping host workflows; an emerging competitor as operations platforms expand into guest experience and upsells.
- StayFi: WiFi marketing and guest data platform for short-term rentals; provides direct guest-facing upsell entry points. Integration partner and adjacent competitor in capturing incremental guest spend during stays.
- EnsoConnect: Smart property connectivity and guest experience platform for STR hosts. Direct integration partner with overlapping value proposition around curated in-rental services and seamless guest access.
- TouchStay: Digital guidebook platform for vacation rental hosts that shares store links within guidebooks. Integration partner and adjacent competitor in the in-rental guest information and upsell layer.
- Hostfully: Digital guidebook and property management platform for vacation rentals. Integration partner with overlapping guest-experience features; could expand into transactional upsells as a competitor.
Broad incumbents
- Airbnb: Largest short-term rental marketplace and the primary distribution channel for The Host Co. While Airbnb itself is not a direct commerce competitor, it is the most significant platform risk: it controls the booking and messaging surfaces and is increasingly building first-party upsell and services offerings.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Host Co. social profiles
Digital presenceThe Host Co. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Host Co. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
The Host Co. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Host Co. M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Host Co.
What does The Host Co. do?
The Host Co. provides a self-serve digital storefront platform that lets short-term rental hosts create free in-rental shops where guests can purchase hotel-style amenities, curated local services (massage, private chefs, reiki), physical products (souvenirs, firewood, equipment rentals), and time-based add-ons (late check-out, early check-in). The storefront is natively integrated into Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com and 11+ property management systems, with guest access via automated messaging on the host's existing booking platform.
Is The Host Co. a public or private company?
The Host Co. is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was The Host Co. founded?
The Host Co. was founded in 2019. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Host Co. based?
The Host Co. is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Host Co. make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Transaction Fees are the primary driver. The others are subscription / Platform Fees and affiliate Referrals.
Who are The Host Co.'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Guesty, Hostaway, Hospitable and Lodgify. Emerging players are Turno (Breezeway), StayFi, EnsoConnect, TouchStay and Hostfully. Airbnb is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does The Host Co. have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Host Co..
What industry is The Host Co. in?
The Host Co.'s product category is Short-Term Rental Commerce Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAMALAE, Direct Booking Platforms & Booking Engines for Hosts/Managers, with a secondary code of BPAJAIAI, Co-Host / On-the-Ground Operations & Guest Services. Its NAICS code is 72119.