Some elements of this story were previously reported by Benzinga and have been updated.

Many people probably know the story of Airbnb’s humble beginnings.

2007 Founders Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia started loading $80 a night to rent out part of her San Francisco apartment. What some may not know is that in their early days of funding they also sold novelty cereal boxes to raise the funds needed.

What happened: In 2008 the Airbnb ABNB team sold novelty cereals called “Obama O’s” and “Cap’N McCains” during the presidential election.

Each box that contained cereal had one limited edition of 500 boxes. The company sold out and even saw celebrities like Perez Hilton and Katy Perry buy the product. Five percent of the profits from the boxes sold went to the presidential campaigns.

In 2020, Public.com created 500 boxes of limited edition IPOats to celebrate Airbnb’s upcoming IPO. Public created 500 boxes to pay tribute to the startup story.

Related link: Airbnb IPO application: 5 key insights investors need to know

Why it matters: Airbnb started with the simple idea of ​​offering a room for rent to generate extra income.

Realizing that a conference in the area was leading to sold-out hotel rooms, Chesky and Gebbia saw an opportunity to target attendees looking for last-minute accommodation.

The company also jumped at the opportunity to sell novelty cereal boxes to raise $30,000 for operations in the early days.