SideTour operates an appointment-based marketplace where hosts list unique, often one-off experiences (from home-cooked meals to graffiti lessons) with specific dates, times, available slots and prices. The service launched eight weeks prior to the article as part of the TechStars NYC batch and is initially limited to users in New York City. Bookings are completed through Eventbrite and SideTour takes a 20% commission on bookings (reduced to 15% during the beta period). The company emphasizes an appointment model—hosts publish exact event times—rather than a contact/listing approach used by some competitors. Planned product enhancements include user and host profiles, host controls to accept or reject attendees, and a review system. The article notes early inbound interest from hosts as a sign of traction but provides no revenue or user metrics. SideTour announced a $1.5 million funding round led by RRE and Foundry Group.

Total raised

$2M

Funding rounds

1

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

Oct 2011