A lending site where you can rent anything from tampons to expensive drones and cameras just scored millions in venture capital

• Fat Lama, a lending site that lets users rent and lease goods, just raised $US10 million for its Series A.
• The site, which kicked off in the UK two years ago, recently launched its first stateside offering in New York.
• While Fat Lama typically offers equipment like drones, printers, and cameras, some more curious items sometimes crop up within the marketplace as well.

The sharing economy is redefining everything from how we commute to how we vacation, and now, if the CEO of lending site Fat Lama has his way, it might transform the way we consume products.

Fat Lama lets users borrow everything from drones to camera equipment to printers. CEO Chaz Englander says that the primary users of the marketplace – which got its name because “lamas are awesome” – are creative millennials who are either hoping to make money off of idle gear, or attempting to snag pricey equipment on the cheap.

Beyond the usual offerings, Fat Lama also has some other curious items up for rent as well. For instance, a box of tampons can be leased for $US5 a day, or a colourful knitted child’s poncho($US8 per day).

Englander said that items that aren’t listed with serious intent are typically pulled from the site, but that enthusiastic users often have a habit of listing all of the items in their house once they set up an account.

This way of using the site has been particularly apparent within New York, said Englander, where the company launched its first stateside offering two months ago. Read more

Zoe Bernard - Business Insider Australia - 26 April 2018