Short-term rental specialist HouseTrip is attracting more investment, this time a record $16.9 million from its existing backer Index Ventures and Balderton Capital.
The latest round brings the total invested in HouseTrip so far to almost $20 million since the company was formed in January 2010 in the UK.
Index Ventures ploughed in the first round in April this year and is leading - with Balderton - a consortium of other investors in the latest injection of capital.
The latest injection will be used for product development on the main website, boosting inventory and marketing, including expanding the site into other languages.
HouseTrip currently has around 55,000 properties on the site, just over half the number CEO Arnaud Bertrand was predicting would be included by the end of 2011 when Index made its first investment.
The company has in the past positioned itself as a competitor to the likes of HomeAway and other holiday rental platforms, by offering booking alongside listings.
But with the latest comes a new emphasis, as an "alternative to hotels".
Bertrand says:
"At Housetrip, we strongly believe that apartments are a much better way to travel. Not only do apartments provide better value-for-money, they also enable guests to blend-in with their local environment – making their stay more authentic and memorable."
The 55,000 properties on the system are currently listed in more than 350 destinations in 40 countries.