Founders: Adi Tatarko, (CEO) Alon Cohen
Launched: 2009
Funding: $613.6 million
Valuation: $4 billion (PitchBook)
Disrupting: DIY and professional home remodeling and design
Rival: Porch, HGTV, DIY Network, Dwell, Remodelaholic
George Kavallines
While we all wait around for HGTV's Property Brothers to come in and create our perfect home, there's Houzz. This home remodeling and design platform was started by husband-and-wife team Alon Cohen and Adi Tatarko in 2009. Cohen was an eBay engineer, and Tatarko worked at a boutique investment firm. While remodeling their own home, they ran into the typical construction and design problems and figured other homeowners were dealing with the same issues as well.
Read More FULL LIST: 2017 DISRUPTOR 50
Today, Houzz has 13 million remodeling and renovating photos on its site, giving inspiration to anyone trying to remodel a kitchen or decorate a new home. The company's online marketplace lets visitors buy the furniture, appliances and home accessories they see on Houzz.com directly from the site rather than having to switch over to the manufacturer's or retailer's site. (The company collects a 15 percent commission from the vendors on these sales, creating another source of income.)
Rather than view Houzz as a rival, contractors love the site because they use it to build their brands, collaborate on projects and, perhaps most important, connect with potential customers. There are plenty of folks there to impress: The company says it has more than 40 million monthly unique users and 1.5 million active home-renovation and design pros using the site.
The company is continuing its expansion outside the United States with its most recent entry into India, where more than 1 million homeowners and 50,000 home professionals use Houzz. The company also operates in the U.K., Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Denmark. This global reach helps explain why investors such as Sequoia Capital, T. Rowe Price and KPCB have poured more than $613 million into the company. In June, Houzz was reported to raise a new $400 million fundraising round valuing the company at $4 billion.
Profile updated to include $400 million round of funding reported in June.
