Remote Year is a company.
Remote Year has raised $12.0M across 1 funding round.
Key people at Remote Year.
Remote Year has raised $12.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Remote Year has raised $12.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Remote Year's investors include 1/1 Capital, Accel, Bessemer Venture Partners, Flybridge Capital Partners, Haun Ventures, Hyde Park Venture Partners, Listen, Tony Florence, Pareto Holdings, Preston-Werner Ventures, Solana Ventures, Tekin Salimi.
Remote Year is a lifestyle and community platform for remote workers and digital nomads, offering organized programs that combine global travel, accommodation, workspaces, and curated communities.[1][2][3] It solves the challenges of remote work by providing seamless logistics—housing, coworking spaces, professional activities, and social events—allowing participants to work productively while exploring new destinations with like-minded professionals, entrepreneurs, and freelancers.[1][4] Initially focused on year-long travel cohorts of around 75 people, the company has expanded to include memberships, family-oriented "Boundless" programs with education options, summer camps, and getaways in destinations like Bali, Portugal, and Japan.[5][6]
The company tapped into the rising demand for flexible, location-independent lifestyles, achieving rapid early growth: over 50,000 sign-ups for notifications pre-launch, 3,000 inquiries in three days, and partnerships with 15 companies.[1] By 2016, it secured Series A funding from Highland Capital Partners, Airbnb co-founder Nathan Blecharczyk, and Flybridge Capital, scaling to serve employees from over 100 companies (including 20 Fortune 500 firms) with 85 global staff and in-house coworking developments.[1]
Founded in 2014 by Sam Pessin, Remote Year emerged from a vision to enable remote workers to "see and explore the world while they work," blending professional productivity with global adventure.[1] Pessin identified a niche among employees seeking balanced lifestyles through travel, community, and skill-building in diverse settings.[1] The idea gained immediate traction: upon launching its first program site, it drew over 50,000 notification sign-ups, 3,000 applicant inquiries in three days, and interest from 15 companies to hire participants.[1]
Early momentum fueled expansion—six programs in year two, 12 the next—leading to operational challenges like burnout, which Pessin addressed through scaling frameworks like "Scaling Up."[1] By October 2016, with Series A funding, Remote Year had matured into a global operation supporting workers from 100+ companies.[1]
Remote Year rides the remote work and digital nomad megatrend, accelerated by the COVID-19 shift to distributed teams and tools like Zoom and Slack, which made location-independent lifestyles viable for millions.[1] Its 2014 timing positioned it ahead of the curve, capitalizing on pre-pandemic freelance growth and post-2020 nomad booms, with market forces like corporate remote policies (e.g., Fortune 500 involvement) and visa programs for digital nomads in 50+ countries fueling demand.[1]
The company influences the ecosystem by normalizing "workations," partnering with firms for employee retention, and inspiring competitors in travel-tech hybrids; its evolution to family and membership models broadens remote work's appeal beyond singles, shaping how tech talent blends career and life globally.[1][5][6]
Remote Year is poised to thrive in a world where remote work persists as the norm, potentially expanding AI-curated itineraries, VR community events, and enterprise packages amid rising nomad visas and gig economy growth. Trends like family remote work and sustainable travel will shape its path, evolving influence from niche programs to a full lifestyle platform—building on its explosive start to redefine professional mobility for the next decade.[1][5][6]
Key people at Remote Year.
Remote Year has raised $12.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $12.0M Series A in October 2016.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2016 | $12.0M Series A | 1/1 Capital, Accel, Bessemer Venture Partners, Flybridge Capital Partners, Haun Ventures, Hyde Park Venture Partners, Listen, Tony Florence, Pareto Holdings, Preston-Werner Ventures, Solana Ventures, Tekin Salimi, Trevor Wright, Wayne Chang |
