Airbnb筹集10亿美元储备资金应对疫情
Airbnb筹集10亿美元储备资金应对疫情
Airbnb said on Monday that it had raised $1 billion in new funding as it grapples with devastation from the coronavirus pandemic, and as some technology start-ups take extra measures to stockpile cash during the outbreak.
Airbnb周一表示，它已经筹集了10亿美元的新资金，目前该公司正在努力应对冠状病毒大流行带来的破坏，同时一些科技初创企业在疫情爆发期间采取了额外的措施来储备现金。
The private equity giant Silver Lake and the investment firm Sixth Street Partners led the investment, which was a mixture of equity and debt. Airbnb, a home rental start-up that was previously valued at as much as $31 billion, also lowered its internal valuation to $26 billion last month, according to a person with knowledge of the situation who declined to be identified because the information was confidential.
私人股本巨头银湖(Silver Lake)和投资公司Sixth Street Partners牵头进行了此次投资，投资组合包括股票和债券。房屋租赁初创企业Airbnb的估值曾高达310亿美元。据一位知情人士透露，该公司上个月也将内部估值下调至260亿美元。由于信息保密，这位人士拒绝透露姓名。
“The new resources will support Airbnb’s ongoing work to invest over the long term in its community of hosts who share their homes and experiences,” the company said in a statement.
Airbnb在一份声明中说：“新的资源将支持Airbnb正在进行的长期投资工作，投资于与客户分享家庭和经验的社区。”。
Airbnb’s business has been hobbled during a shutdown in global travel caused by the spread of the coronavirus. It is a delicate time for the company, one of the largest and most prominent start-ups to emerge from Silicon Valley in the last decade. Airbnb had said that it plans to go public this year. But that may be in limbo because of stock market volatility and uncertainty caused by the virus.
由于冠状病毒的传播，全球旅游市场关闭，Airbnb的业务受到了影响。对于这家公司来说，这是一个微妙的时刻。过去十年里，它是硅谷涌现出的规模最大、最知名的初创企业之一。Airbnb曾表示，它计划今年上市。但由于该病毒引起的股市波动和不确定性，一切正处于不确定状态。
Airbnb’s new funding points to some of the tactical measures start-ups are taking as they navigate the difficult period. In the last month, numerous start-ups have laid off or furloughed staff, and cut spending and expansion plans in moves that signal the end of a long-running boom for the industry. Well-funded travel start-ups, including Sonder, Lyric and TripActions, have been hit especially hard.
Airbnb的新融资表明了初创企业在艰难时期采取的一些战术措施。上个月，许多初创企业裁员或解雇员工，并削减开支和扩张计划，这些举措标志着该行业长期繁荣的结束。资金充足的旅游初创企业，包括Sonder、Lyric和TripActions，受到的打击尤其严重。
Airbnb, too, enacted a hiring freeze, slashed its $800 million marketing budget and cut the pay of its top executives last month. The company raised more money even though it has $3 billion in cash on its balance sheet and access to a $1 billion line of credit.
Airbnb也冻结了招聘，削减了8亿美元的营销预算，并在上个月削减了高管的薪酬。尽管该公司资产负债表上有30亿美元现金，并获得了10亿美元的信贷额度，但它还是筹集了更多资金。
The difficulties Airbnb is facing have become increasingly apparent over the past few weeks. The company has contended with frustrated customers who demanded refunds for canceled trips, while also trying to find ways to support its “hosts,” the people who rent their homes on its site.
过去几周，Airbnb面临的困难越来越明显。该公司一直在与那些因取消行程而要求退款的客户进行抗争，同时也试图找到支持其“房东”的方法，即在其网站上租房的人。
Many of its hosts have had their bookings drop to zero over the past few months. The financial struggles of short-term-rental operators have manifested themselves in online petitions and threats of lawsuits against the company.
在过去的几个月里，许多主办方的预订量已经降至零。短期租赁运营商的财务困境在网上请愿和针对该公司的诉讼威胁中得到了体现。
