Latin American proptech startup Houm raises $8m to expand and consolidate across the region

Latin American proptech startup Houm raised $8 million round after Y Combinator Winter 2021 program which it will invest in for growth and consolidation its actual markets.

The 8 million dollars seed round was led by Y Combinator, Goodwater Ventures, OneVC, Vast VC, Liquid2, and Myelin. Tech pundits Elad Gil, a Silicon Valley growth legend, Eric Wu, Opendoor CEO, Austen Allred, Lambda School founder, and John Kobs, Apartment list CEO and founder.

With this funding, Houm plans to become the main digital broker platform and service of the region, allowing people to rent, buy, sell and manage properties, maximizing their profitability through fast and 100% online processes, affordable prices, and safety guarantee on their rent payments. "In fact, 90% of our properties are leased in 30 days or less and our freelance force, the Houmers, allow us to show properties every 8 minutes everyday."

Houm started in 2018 in Chile, with the idea of the founders Benjamín Labra, CEO and Nicolás Knockaert, COO to disrupt the real estate industry, transforming a bureaucratic, informal and difficult process in the industry lacking technology and innovation. They saw an opportunity that could help real estate in the Latam region, and eventually, the world.

After settling, growing, and knowing the key pains and processes, international expansion was on their plans. They started their operations in Colombia in mid 2020 and their most recent opening was Mexico in January 2021.

Benjamín Labra, CEO and Co-founder, Houm: "One of the benefits our landlords most appreciate is that we pay the rent every month on the fifth, despite whether the tenant has paid or not. We can afford to do this because we have insurance that allows the landlord to be relaxed, not worried, and we handle any eviction lawsuit."

Houm has 2 digit number growth and accounting with more than $300 million in asset management. Besides their business expanding internationally, their team has already 200 people and their freelance force of more than 200 Houmers.

houm.com