Liz Gannes

Recent Posts by Liz Gannes

Airbnb Hires the Team Behind Fondu Review App

Airbnb has “acqhired” Fondu, maker of a “bite-size restaurant review” iPhone app.

The Fondu team will join Airbnb’s product group in San Francisco, but other assets of the company were not purchased. The service, which focused on recommendations from trusted friends, is to be shut down Nov. 1.

Fondu CEO Gauri Maglik noted that the two companies share a common goal of helping users discover offline experiences.

A spokesperson for Airbnb said, “With their product’s roots in layering discovery and community for trusted recommendations, there is a natural synergy between Fondu and Airbnb. We believe this will make for a better host and guest experience for our growing community.”

New York City-based Fondu had previously been called SpotOn, and had raised $575,000 in seed funding from ENIAC Ventures, the NYU Innovation Fund, Harbor Road Ventures, Blazer Ventures and other investors.

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