Kindred Home Swapping Network Aims to Make Travel a Way of Life

Kindred is a home swapping startup with a $7.75 million cash infusion in a seed funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz. Other prominent investors participating include Bessemer Venture Partners, Caffeinated Capital, and individual investors Elad Gil, Eric Wu, Payal Kadakia, Rohan Seth, and Adena Hefets.

Co-founded by Justine Palefsky and Tasneem Amina, Kindred is, in fact, a home-swapping-cum-travel company inspired by one of the trends fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic: remote work. Palefsky and Amina are both Opendoor alumni and experienced real estate professionals. 

“We started Kindred to make travel a way of life, not just an occasional escape and we look forward to helping individuals break out of their daily routines while exploring new places,” said co-founder and president Tasneem Amina.

Kindred Launches Members-Only Home Swapping Network With $7.75M Seed Round

At its core, San Francisco-based Kindred will be an exclusive, membership-only platform with a yearly membership fee of an introductory $300 while in beta for renters and owners, poised to rise to $600 per year later on. 

Kindred coordinates cleaning and logistics for hosts while offering $100,000 host protection for every stay. 

Renters will appreciate the Kindred dedicated personal concierge and customer support. Still, they will have to pay for cleaning (approximative $150, but this price may vary depending on the venue) and a $30 nightly service fee. However, the cost for renting per night will be $0. 

The Kindred idea makes sense when the market experiences an increase in rental prices: 

“Right now vacation rental prices are skyrocketing, making frequent travel and extended stays out of reach for so many. When you use Kindred, your budget goes further,” said Amina.

Kindred Launches Members-Only Home Swapping Network With $7.75M Seed Round

“At its core, Kindred is about human connection,” added co-founder and CEO Justine Palefsky. “Everyone on Kindred came for the same reason – to live a more travel-rich lifestyle. By facilitating organic connections between members who have shared experiences or mutual friends, we create the environment of trust needed to take the leap.”

Kindred Launches Members-Only Home Swapping Network With $7.75M Seed Round

Because they charge no nightly fee, Kindred is more affordable than Airbnb, most hostels, and hotels, even with the added service and cleaning fees. 

The platform is for property owners with a passion for travel who either want to swap homes or host while they are away. Hosts can “give a night, earn a night” or earn one Kindred credit for every night when they host while away instead of swapping. 

Last but not least, Kindred offers hosts peace of mind at every turn:

• matching with renters based on the hosts’ preferences;
• host and renter video chat conference to further assist hosts in getting to know who will stay in their homes; 
• complimentary guest essentials Kindred kit with sheets, towels, lockbox, etc.; 
• $100,000 comprehensive host protection, including coverage for accidental damage and a hassle-free claims process;
• professional cleaning organized by Kindred and paid for by guests.

Right now, Kindred is invite-only. So you’ll need an invite code to join, or you can sign up for the waitlist.