Indie Campers
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Recreational vehicle rental |
| Founded | February 14, 2013 |
| Founders | Hugo Oliveira; Stefan Koeppl |
| Headquarters | Lisbon , Portugal |
Area served | Europe; North America; Oceania |
Key people | Hugo Oliveira (CEO) |
| Products | Campervan and motorhome rentals; RV marketplace; RV sales |
| Website | indiecampers |
Indie Campers is a recreational vehicle (RV) rental company and road-trip marketplace headquartered in Lisbon, Portugal. Founded in 2013 by Hugo Oliveira and Stefan Koeppl, the company combines an owned fleet with a peer-to-peer marketplace of privately owned and professional-host vehicles. It operates in more than 80 locations across Europe, North America and Oceania and reports a fleet of over 8,000 owned vehicles, with additional inventory available via its marketplace.[1]
History
Indie Campers was founded in Lisbon in 2013 by Hugo Oliveira and co-founder Stefan Koeppl; Koeppl left the company in 2014.[1] In 2015 the public venture fund Portugal Ventures invested in the company; in 2017, after the firm's international expansion, that stake was sold.[2] Indie Campers was included among Europe's fastest-growing companies in the Financial Times FT 1000 (2020) ranking, where Portuguese media reported it as a Top-40 entry.[3]
The company expanded to the United States in late 2021, opening its first location in Los Angeles with Jeep-based campers, followed by additional North American sites.[4] In 2023 the company entered Oceania with operations in Australia and New Zealand.[5]
In July 2024 Indie Campers raised €35 million in a round led by Indico Capital Partners, with participation from Cedrus and GED Ventures; in May 2025 it closed a €27.5 million extension, bringing total new funding over roughly one year to €62.5 million.[6][7]
Operations and business model
Indie Campers operates a hybrid model. Its owned fleet is deployed across a network of depots on three continents. In parallel, a marketplace present in Europe enables additional listings from private owners and professional hosts, broadening availability and geographical coverage beyond company-operated depots.
RV sales
The company is actively developing an RV sales business unit in Europe, North America and Oceania, focused on selling high-quality vehicles, including refurbished and de-fleeted units.[8]
Vehicle categories
As of 2025, Indie Campers groups its vehicles into five categories to simplify comparisons across regions. The categories align with widely used RV classes and typical layouts.[9]
| Category | Generic RV class | Capacity (people) | Bathroom | Typical use | Availability notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adventure | 4×4 with rooftop tent | 2–4 | No indoor bathroom | Off-grid travel, wild camping | Availability varies by region |
| California | Compact campervan (small Class B) | 4 | Optional (varies by model) | Urban trips, weekend getaways | Multi-region |
| Active | Standard campervan (Class B) | 2–4 | Yes (in many models) | Longer trips with full standing room | Multi-region |
| Comfort | Motorhome (Class C / some Class A) | 2–8 | Yes | Families and long-haul road trips | Multi-region |
| Trailer | Towable trailer | 5 | Yes | Basecamp travel with a tow vehicle | United States only[4] |
Headquarters and locations
The global headquarters is in Lisbon, Portugal. The company also operates regional offices in Mexico City (serving the North American market) and Manila (serving Asia–Pacific).[10][11]
Pickup locations
Europe: Reykjavík; Tromsø; Trondheim; Bergen; Oslo; Stockholm; Helsinki; Copenhagen; Malmö; Hamburg; Hanover; Berlin; Leipzig; Frankfurt; Stuttgart; Munich; Cologne; Düsseldorf; Amsterdam; Brussels; Paris; Nantes; Bordeaux; Toulouse; Marseille; Lyon; Nice; Geneva; Zurich; Vienna; Milan; Venice; Bologna; Florence; Rome; Naples; Bari; Olbia; Catania; Split; Athens; Heraklion; Bilbao; Porto; Lisbon; Faro; Seville; Málaga; Valencia; Madrid; Barcelona; Palma; Edinburgh; Manchester; London; Bristol; Dublin.
North America: Anchorage; Vancouver; Calgary; Seattle; San Francisco; Los Angeles; San Diego; Las Vegas; Phoenix; Salt Lake City; Denver; Chicago; Toronto; New York; Miami.
Oceania: Perth; Darwin; Cairns; Brisbane; Sydney; Melbourne; Hobart; Auckland; Christchurch; Queenstown.[5]
Awards
Indie Campers won Phocuswright Europe's Summit EMEA Travel Innovator of the Year in 2021.[8]
See also
References
- ^ a b Peralta, Helena C. (24 May 2025). "Indie Campers, a startup portuguesa que aluga caravanas, está a recolher mais investimento". Forbes Portugal (in Portuguese). Retrieved 21 August 2025.
- ^ Barbosa, Mariana de Araújo (2 October 2017). "Portugal Ventures vende participação na Indie Campers". ECO (in Portuguese). Retrieved 21 August 2025.
- ^ Barbosa, Mariana de Araújo (3 March 2020). "Indie Campers entre as europeias com maior crescimento, segundo o Financial Times". ECO (in Portuguese). Retrieved 21 August 2025.
- ^ a b Chang, Brittany (29 October 2021). "European camper van rental startup Indie Campers expands to LA, RVs start at $40 a day". Business Insider. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
- ^ a b "Indie Campers hits Aussie roads". CaravanCampingSales. 23 January 2023. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
- ^ "Indie Campers raises €35M to drive growth". PhocusWire. 18 July 2024. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
- ^ "Startup das caravanas Indie Campers fecha nova ronda de 27,5 milhões". ECO (in Portuguese). 21 May 2025. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
- ^ a b "Announcing Phocuswright Europe Online 2021 Innovation: Summit and Launch EMEA Winners". Phocuswright Europe. 30 June 2021. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
- ^ "RV and campervan types explained: a complete guide for families, couples & beginners". Indie Campers Blog. 2024. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
- ^ "General Manager – APAC (job listing)". Built In. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
- ^ "Operations Regional Director – America (job listing)". Built In. Retrieved 21 August 2025.