Airbnb goes mainstream with Rio Olympic contract

Rio De Janeiro

WITH an official contract to provide rooms for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, online home-rental marketplace Airbnb Inc is creating a model to solve accommodation problems at mega-events, co-founder Joe Gebbia said.

The company, one of Silicon Valley's most successful startups since it was founded five years ago by a trio of graduates, will provide at least 20,000 rooms during the Olympic Games. Mr Gebbia said he hoped to make that 25,000 or 30,000 rooms by 2016.