Belong

High-Level Overview

Belong is a PropTech company that operates a three-sided marketplace to modernize home and apartment rentals, providing technology-enabled property management for homeowners, personalized matching for renters, and connections to service professionals.[7][5][2] It serves homeowners seeking hassle-free rental management with guaranteed rent and maintenance, renters desiring hospitality-like experiences in single-family homes, and solves pain points in the fragmented traditional rental market like poor property management (often with near-zero NPS) and outdated matching via platforms like Craigslist.[7][4] Backed by investors including Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), GGV Capital, and Battery Ventures, Belong has raised $80 million (with some estimates up to $50 million in recent rounds), employs 180-200 people, and reports $472.6 million in 2024 revenue, indicating strong growth momentum in the rental housing sector.[5][2][4]

Origin Story

Belong was founded in 2018 by serial entrepreneurs Ale Resnik (CEO), Owen Savir (President), and Tyler Infelise (Head of Product), who previously collaborated on three other startups after meeting post-graduation from MIT and Stanford.[7][5] The team began as Entrepreneurs in Residence (EIRs) at a16z, where they identified opportunities to disrupt the outdated rental market, leading to Belong's launch as a vertical unbundler leveraging marketplace dynamics for better user experiences.[7] Early traction came from operationalizing in-sourced field operations, a polished product, and human-centered hospitality, quickly attracting top-tier VC backing and scaling to 200+ employees across offices in San Francisco (HQ at 150 Spear St), Miami, and beyond.[4][5]

Core Differentiators

Belong stands out in PropTech through:

• Three-sided marketplace model: Matches homeowners with renters via advanced tech, connects both to service pros for renovations and maintenance, and delivers superior property management over fragmented incumbents.[7][2]
• Technology-enabled hospitality: Mobile app for home management, guaranteed rent, personalized renter matching (vital amid millennial/Gen Z renting longer due to housing costs), and financial products for owners; tech stack includes Python, Vercel, Microsoft Advertising, and Atlassian Jira for scalable operations.[2][5][4]
• Human touch with operational excellence: In-sourced field teams ensure seamless experiences, boosting NPS far above industry norms; focuses on authentic "belonging" for owners of much-loved homes and renters seeking community.[7][5]
• Investor pedigree and scale: a16z-led funding, $472.6M revenue, and 51-200 employees position it for rapid expansion in affordable housing and rentals, competing with Snagajob/Monster while exploring real estate partnerships.[2][5]

(Note: Distinct from other "Belong" entities like the India-based hiring platform (2014, Bangalore)[1] or patient health apps (2016)[3].)

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Belong rides the PropTech wave transforming real estate amid rising housing costs, prolonged renting by younger generations, and demand for digital-native experiences over analog processes.[7] Timing aligns with marketplace maturation (unbundling Craigslist) and post-pandemic shifts to single-family rentals with hospitality elements, fueled by market forces like fragmented management (low NPS incumbents) and tech adoption in consumer real estate.[7][2] It influences the ecosystem by setting standards for integrated platforms—combining matching, management, and services—enabling partnerships in real estate tech, customer engagement, and analytics, while demonstrating VC-backed scalability in a massive TAM.[5][4]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Belong is poised to dominate rental modernization by expanding its marketplace, leveraging revenue growth ($472.6M) and funding for national rollout, deeper AI matching, and pro network scaling.[5][7] Trends like urbanization, affordability pressures, and PropTech consolidation will propel it, potentially evolving into a full-stack real estate platform influencing how millennials/Gen Z access housing. As a16z EIR alumni disrupting a prime-for-innovation space, Belong exemplifies technology redefining rentals from transactional to hospitable—watch for acquisitions or IPO as it cements market leadership.[7]