What was the original name of the company now known as Airbnb when it began in San Francisco in 2008?

The company now known as Airbnb originally launched in San Francisco in 2008 as AirBed and Breakfast.

Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia created the idea after renting out air mattresses in their apartment during a design conference when local hotels were full. Nathan Blecharczyk later joined as a technical co-founder. The initial concept focused on short-term lodging with breakfast rather than the broad accommodation marketplace associated with the company today.

The name was shortened to Airbnb in 2009. That rebranding accompanied a shift from air mattresses and shared rooms toward a wider range of homes, apartments, and private rooms offered by hosts.

Airbnb is frequently described as a hotel company, but it operates primarily as an online marketplace connecting hosts and guests. The platform’s growth also made peer-to-peer accommodation a major subject in debates about tourism, housing, regulation, and the income opportunities available to small-scale hosts.