H
omebound, a tech‑enabled homebuilder founded in 2018, lets buyers purchase a million‑dollar home in Denver, Dallas or Houston online. The idea came after the 2017 Tubbs Fire, where Nikki Pechet, a former Thumbtack executive, saw 6,000 houses destroyed in 48 hours and the helplessness of homeowners facing long waitlists. She realized that homebuilding lacked the technology that other industries use.
Customers choose a lot, floor plan and style on the site. As they customize, prices update in real time and the checkout mirrors any e‑commerce flow. Homebound creates a digital twin that tracks construction and provides AI‑driven inspections. Its supply‑chain model delivers precise bills of materials, avoiding the typical 10–20 % over‑order that builders add to hedge against uncertainty.
After raising $75 million in Series C in 2022, Homebound has since secured $400 million—$100 million for operations and $300 million in real‑estate capital—from Goldman Sachs, Magnetar, Thrive Capital, Khosla Ventures, GV, Fifth Wall, Atomic, Forerunner, Neuberger Berman and Bridgepoint. Pechet says the company will be profitable by 2026 and aims to rival giants like D.R. Horton. She envisions an end‑to‑end platform that can be opened to third‑party builders, creating a “digital orchestration” of construction that could become the “Amazon of homes.”
Pechet reflects on the past three‑and‑a‑half years of rate hikes and the collapse of many proptech firms, emphasizing the need to avoid pitfalls and build a sustainable business.
Other recent venture news: AnySignal (Los Angeles) raised $24 million Series A led by Upfront Ventures; Yo Labs (San Francisco) raised $10 million Series A led by Foundation Capital; Cayuga Biotech (NYC) raised $8 million seed; BlossomHill Therapeutics (San Diego) raised $84 million Series B extension. In private equity, Advent International and Corvex closed a $1.3 billion deal to take Heidrick & Struggles private. Baseten announced an acquisition of Parsed, an AI reinforcement‑learning startup, terms undisclosed.
