Outdoor gear rental startup Quiptu wants people to spend more time outside.
To do that, it's making it easier to obtain kayaks, paddle boards and other equipment on a short term basis.
The Indiana-based company recently launched its online marketplace in Miami, its first foray into Florida.
"Think of it like an Airbnb for outdoor gear," said Quiptu co-founder and CEO Josh Roche.
Roche was inspired to start the company in 2021, after he agreed to join a friend on a cycling trip to Montana. He soon realized he didn't have the right kind of bike to make the trip, and buying a new one outright was too expensive. Roche ended up borrowing a bike from a friend, disassembled it, and shipped it to Montana ahead of his flight over. He went through the same process when the trip ended to get the bicycle back to Indiana.
"It struck me that outdoor recreation is less accessible than I thought," Roche said. "Are the great outdoors really great if millions of people don't have the gear to enjoy it?"
And then there's the other side of the equation: People who own the gear, but rarely use it.
As an Airbnb host, Roche said he understood the value of having a revenue-generating asset. He decided to apply that to bicycles, camping gear, kayaks and paddle boards, providing owners the ability to rent out their personal equipment instead of letting it collect dust in a closet or garage.
"I realized I had $2,000 worth of camping gear I used once a year," Roche said. "I thought, 'what if I could make money off of it?"
Roche partnered with his co-founder (and brother-in-law) John Laughlin to launch Quiptu in 2022. The platform lets individuals and local businesses list their outdoor equipment in an online marketplace where renters can search for the gear of their choice. Renters and owners then coordinate a time and place for pickup or delivery. Quiptu earns a small transaction fee for each rental completed on the platform.
The company initially focused on college towns in Indiana and Colorado (a demographic less likely to have the expendable income to own their own gear) before expanding to Miami in January.
Miami's tropical climate means people can bike, camp or kayak at any time of the year. That makes the region an attractive market for Quiptu. It stands out from markets like Indiana, where cold temperatures keep people indoors during the winter season.
The three-person startup is in the process of raising a $500,000 funding round that is nearly 60% complete, Roche said. Now, Quiptu is laser-focused on breaking into the South Florida market and growing its footprint.
"All of our resources are going into making Miami work," Roche said.
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