Jay-Z & Will Smith Invest In The Airbnb Of Camping App, Hipcamp

Jay-Z & Will Smith Invest In The Airbnb Of Camping App, Hipcamp

Jay-Z and Will Smith are pitching their money to help you pitch a tent! The two rappers-turned-moguls’ latest investment is a surprising one, considering multi-millionaires are hardly ever seen chilling by a bonfire! According to reports, they’ve both invested in Hipcamp – an app that calls itself “the Airbnb of camping.” The app’s CEO, Alyssa Ravaslo, says this about the platform:

“I want to see a culture where people have a fundamentally different relationship with nature.”

The app gives people with large amounts of outdoor space on their property, a platform to rent it out to campers. Will and Jay’s dollars from their Dreamers Venture Capital and Marcy Venture Partners funds added to the $25 million Hipcamp raised in their latest fundraising efforts. Will’s managing partner Kosaku Yada echoed the Hipcamp CEO’s sentiments on the great outdoors:

“Spending more time outside has an undeniable, positive impact on people’s lives, and we’re so excited to support Hipcamp in their mission to get more people enjoying fresh air. As an organization, we’re all about improving lives through technology and we admire Hipcamp’s work to expand access to the outdoors and build community through nature.”

Marcy Venture Partners co-founder Larry Marcus gave this official statement on Jay-Z’s investment:

“Marcy Venture Partners is about investing in culture and where people’s passions, time, and attention are headed. Hipcamp is on the forefront of culture, creating meaningful and joyful experiences with the outdoors. While mobile devices and technology enables their marketplace of unique camping sites, Hipcamp experiences provide a welcome respite from those very devices. Their ethos of creating an inclusive community that values the environment, preservation, and the great outdoors makes them an ideal partner to our firm. We are thrilled to be partnered with Alyssa and the team to help grow their business.”

This certainly isn’t their first time collaborating. Jay-Z signed Will Smith’s daughter, Willow Smith, to his Roc-Nation record label to push her hit single, “Whip My Hair,” in 2010. They joint produced the 2014 remake of “Annie,” and are slated to co-produce a series about the women of the Civil Rights movement. 

What will Jay-Z and Will Smith team up for next?

Written by Miata Shanay