Type of site Consumer service Area served United States Headquarters Seattle | Available in English Industry Home improvement Number of employees 400 | |
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Key people Asha Sharma, COO
Eric Doerr, Chief Product Officer
Eric Koenig, Chief Growth Officer
Jenn Branstetter, Chief of Staff
Matthew Neagle, Chief Customer Officer Services Online marketplace, Review site CEO Matt Ehrlichman (15 Apr 2012–) Founded 17 September 2012, Seattle, Washington, United States Founders Ronnie Castro, Matt Ehrlichman, Scott Austin, Eric Schleicher Profiles | ||
Porch is an online website that lets users connect and review local home improvement contractors and browse photos of home improvement projects. The site also features advice articles. Porch has information on 3.8 million home improvement professionals and 140 million projects across the United States.
Contents
History
Porch was founded in September, 2012 after co-founder Matt Ehrlichman noticed that there was no organized website to find the best home improvement professionals as he was building his home.
In April, 2014 Porch began offering Porch Premium, a paid subscription service for home professionals. The service included lead-generation tools such as promotional slots and special branding on the Porch website in addition to analytics on projects done in the local area.
Funding
In June, 2013 Porch announced a $6.25 million seed round, including investments from Ron Conway of SV Angel, Javier Olivan, and Jeffrey Skoll.
In September, 2014 Porch reported a $27.6 million Series A round, led by Lowe's. Joe Hanauer, Chairman of Move and former CEO of Coldwell Banker, joined the board of directors.
In January, 2015 Porch reported a $65 million Series B round, led by Valor Equity Partners. Other backers included Lowe's, Founders Fund, Battery Ventures, Panorama Point Partners, Capricorn Investment Group and home improvement expert Ty Pennington. Valor Equity Partners’ Antonio Gracias also joined the board of directors.
Lowe's partnership
In April 2014, Porch announced a nationwide partnership with home improvement retailer Lowe's, establishing in-store promotional signage and computer kiosks where customers and sales associates can search Porch's professionals database.
Acquisition of Fountain Software, inc.
In October 2015, Porch announced the acquisition of Fountain, an online service that connects Internet users with a variety of experts through video chats, texts and annotated photos. Fountain was co-founded by Aaron Patzer, the founder of Mint.com, and Jean Sini. Sini joined Porch; Patzer did not.
Wayfair partnership
In April 2016, Wayfair implemented the Porch Retail Solution nationally starting in 15 markets, online and in support centers. Through the Porch Retail Solution, Wayfair.com shoppers who need help with tasks such as furniture assembly and installation of products such as lighting and plumbing will be able to purchase those services at checkout and set an appointment with a qualified Porch professional.This work will be backed by the Porch Guarantee.
Home and Neighborhood Report
Porch users can enter their current home's address to claim their Home and Neighborhood Report. The report includes a history of home improvement projects done on the property, statistics on value, size, age, etc. of neighborhood houses, and a summary of projects done in the neighborhood. The details in the report are verified by city permit departments, materials suppliers, professional associations, real-estate agents and homeowners. In late 2015, Porch stopped offering the Home and Neighbor hood Report.