Second Century Ventures

Second Century Ventures is a Chicago-based venture capital firm that focuses on real estate technology and related sectors. Founded in 2009, it backs early and mid-stage companies in real estate tech, software as a service, big data applications, digital media, fintech, and business services. The firm aims to promote innovation in the real estate industry and supports portfolio companies with strategic resources. It is backed by the National Association of Realtors, a nationwide trade association with extensive industry reach, enabling access to a large network and expertise to help portfolio companies scale. The firm emphasizes collaboration across regions including North America, Europe, and Asia, and seeks opportunities that leverage technology to transform real estate processes and services.

Mark Birschbach

Managing Director

Todd Carpenter

Investor

Tom Ellis

Investor

Dave Garland

Managing Partner

Bob Gillespie

Executive Director, REACH Commercial

Bob Goldberg

Chairman

Johan Holmberg

Investor

Dale Stinton

President

Tyler Thompson

Managing Partner

Past deals in Rental

Propi

Seed Round in 2024
Propi is a platform that accelerates the rental of residential real estate for landlords and tenants. Propi is revolutionizing the real estate sector in Latam with top-notch proprietary software transforming a painful process with high information asymmetry into a seamless end-to-end experience, for tenants, landlords, and buyers.

Flock Homes

Venture Round in 2023
Flock Homes converts individual rental properties into fully-passive, diversified shares in a pool of houses. Flock helps rental property owners retire from being landlords. The company offers low-cost, tax-advantaged, hassle-free way to get and keep all the benefits of owning rental properties without any of the burdens. The company was founded in 2020 and is headquartered in Denver, Colorado.

Landis

Series B in 2022
Founded in 2018, Landis is a real estate technology company based in New York. It specializes in helping renters become homeowners by allowing customers to select their dream home, rent it initially, and purchase it anytime within the first twelve months. The company also assists customers in building credit and saving for a down payment, providing a transparent process for transitioning from renting to owning.

Stake

Series A in 2022
Stake enables renters to receive cash back rewards for paying their rent. Stake is on a mission to make renting financially rewarding, build renters’ savings with no fees or debt accumulation, and empower today’s owners to create financially safe and secure rental communities. Stake reduces downtimes and marketing costs while boosting top-line revenue with retention and renewals. Its data-powered rewards lessen the overall cost of incentives and concessions by over 50% and increase leasing velocity by 2x.

Keyliving

Funding Round in 2020
Keyliving is the operator and owner of a co-equity homeownership platform designed to assist clients in affordably purchasing homes. The company's platform makes condo ownership accessible and provides monthly liquidity without a long-term commitment, a land transfer tax, or a personal mortgage, giving users the chance to accumulate equity and ownership while enjoying the freedom of renting.

Setter

Funding Round in 2020
Setter Inc. is a Toronto-based company founded in 2016 that specializes in connecting homeowners with personal home managers through its application. The platform enables users to easily book a variety of home maintenance and repair services, including window cleaning, landscaping, furnace installation, and countertop replacement. By providing personalized recommendations and managing all aspects of home improvement, Setter aims to simplify the process of maintaining and enhancing residential properties. As of November 2020, Setter operates as a subsidiary of Thumbtack, Inc., further expanding its reach in the professional services market.

letus (previously RentMoola)

Funding Round in 2020
letus is the leading online payment platform that empowers customers to take control of their finances through a simple, integrated and secure solution powered by a world-class ecosystem of partners. With flexible rent options, credit reporting, and 360-degree payment methods, letus is innovating the rental industry by providing tenants with choices on how they pay rent and ensuring that landlords get paid on time and in full, regardless of payment method, all reconciled on one digital dashboard. We empower renters to better balance their pay checks and work towards their goal of Home-Ownership, while landlords secure increased returns through predictable and scalable on-time revenue streams.

Leasera

Venture Round in 2020
Leasera is a cloud-based property management platform that integrates long-term rental services with on-demand offerings and lifestyle benefits, such as ride-sharing and hotel accommodations. The platform enhances the efficiency of property management by automating various rental processes, thereby improving operational metrics for property owners while increasing tenant retention. Renters benefit from a user-friendly system that provides direct access to essential documents, rent payment options, and a range of services tailored to support their lifestyle. By fostering a high-value ecosystem that connects property managers, renters, and service partners, Leasera aims to create a seamless experience that promotes loyalty and enhances overall satisfaction in the rental market.

Leasera

Funding Round in 2020
Leasera is a cloud-based property management platform that integrates long-term rental services with on-demand offerings and lifestyle benefits, such as ride-sharing and hotel accommodations. The platform enhances the efficiency of property management by automating various rental processes, thereby improving operational metrics for property owners while increasing tenant retention. Renters benefit from a user-friendly system that provides direct access to essential documents, rent payment options, and a range of services tailored to support their lifestyle. By fostering a high-value ecosystem that connects property managers, renters, and service partners, Leasera aims to create a seamless experience that promotes loyalty and enhances overall satisfaction in the rental market.

Staging & Design Network

Debt Financing in 2020
Staging & Design Network is an innovative online marketplace tailored for the home staging and interior design community. It has established the first shared rental pool for home furnishings, addressing the critical need for sufficient inventory in real estate staging, which can enhance home sale prices by up to 18% and significantly reduce time on the market. The platform allows members to store their unused furniture, generating rental and sales income while enabling efficient inventory tracking and automated accounting. In addition to facilitating revenue sharing among members, the network offers professional design assistance, a service directory, rental insurance, and white glove delivery and setup. This comprehensive approach not only enhances the profitability of home stagers, interior designers, builders, and realtors but also positions Staging & Design Network to capitalize on a substantial market opportunity estimated at $140 billion.

Uxtrata

Funding Round in 2019
Uxtrata is a technology company that specializes in providing a SaaS-based platform for strata and rental property managers. The company's solutions enable users to efficiently scan, create, organize, store, manage, and distribute essential documents, thereby streamlining operations and reducing costs. Uxtrata's comprehensive approach covers the entire real estate industry, focusing on enhancing the capabilities of body corporate and strata management-related businesses through data-driven technology. By leveraging innovative tools, Uxtrata helps property managers elevate their operational efficiency and improve service delivery.

Trove

Funding Round in 2019
Trove offers the amenities of a hotel while offering the comforts of home.Theri services include consulting on location, consulting on design, procurement and setup, ffe inventory management, professional photography, listing development, guest screening, noise management, branding and signage, financial reporting, and housekeeping.

Staging & Design Network

Funding Round in 2019
Staging & Design Network is an innovative online marketplace tailored for the home staging and interior design community. It has established the first shared rental pool for home furnishings, addressing the critical need for sufficient inventory in real estate staging, which can enhance home sale prices by up to 18% and significantly reduce time on the market. The platform allows members to store their unused furniture, generating rental and sales income while enabling efficient inventory tracking and automated accounting. In addition to facilitating revenue sharing among members, the network offers professional design assistance, a service directory, rental insurance, and white glove delivery and setup. This comprehensive approach not only enhances the profitability of home stagers, interior designers, builders, and realtors but also positions Staging & Design Network to capitalize on a substantial market opportunity estimated at $140 billion.

Desktime

Seed Round in 2014
Desktime, LLC is a Chicago-based company founded in 2011 that operates a SaaS platform designed for coworking operators and businesses with extra capacity. The platform facilitates the sharing of workspaces by allowing users to manage availability, resources, and payments, as well as integrate with third-party software and hardware systems. Users can rent shared spaces, including desks, conference rooms, and entire offices, on a flexible basis—by the day, week, or month. Additionally, Desktime features a directory that lists various coworking spaces, helping independent and mobile workers connect with suitable environments for their work needs.

Desktime

Desktime, LLC is a Chicago-based company founded in 2011 that operates a SaaS platform designed for coworking operators and businesses with extra capacity. The platform facilitates the sharing of workspaces by allowing users to manage availability, resources, and payments, as well as integrate with third-party software and hardware systems. Users can rent shared spaces, including desks, conference rooms, and entire offices, on a flexible basis—by the day, week, or month. Additionally, Desktime features a directory that lists various coworking spaces, helping independent and mobile workers connect with suitable environments for their work needs.
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