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Ashton Kutcher invests in, will advise travel booking start-up Airbnb

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Ashton Kutcher has made a ‘significant investment’ in Airbnb, a website where people can list and book places and things (apartments, sailboats or even the occasional castle) for traveling and vacations.

Kutcher is also joining Airbnb as a strategic advisor, the San Francisco-based company said in a blog post on Thursday.

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‘For many, Ashton Kutcher is an actor and heart throb, but in the tech scene he’s made his mark as a branding and new media expert with an eye for great ideas and a fearless approach to new markets,’ Airbnb said. ‘To the Airbnb team, he is more than an icon –- he is now our ally and trusted advisor.’

Kutcher has long been an investor in tech start-ups, particularly in California, with stakes in companies such as Skype (which was recently sold to Microsoft for $8.5 billion) and advising companies such as Pasadena’s UberMedia.

UberMedia on Monday launched A.Plus; a custom Twitter app for desktops designed by Kutcher.

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Airbnb cited Kutcher’s penchant for unique marketing ideas as a positive for the rising company’s future.

‘From scavenger hunts through the streets of Austin to promote Nikon cameras, to raising awareness for the Sundance Film Festival with reality TV, Ashton’s branding initiatives set new standards for brand engagement through technology,’ the company said. ‘With Ashton on board, we’ll be working together to take our community engagement to the next level and expand our international presence to reach more people from different cultures all over the world.’

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-- Nathan Olivarez-Giles

twitter.com/nateog

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