San Francisco-based Kindred has raised $125 million in fresh funding as home swapping gains traction as a real alternative to hotels and short-term rentals.
The new capital includes a $40 million Series B, co-led by NEA and Dylan Field, and an $85 million Series C led by Index Ventures.
The US company plans to use the new capital to expand its product and community features. A key focus will be building smaller, trust-based sub-communities, allowing members to swap homes within extended networks, based on shared interests or common values. The company will also invest in trust and safety systems as it scales globally.
A third option beyond hotels and rentals
Founded in 2021 by Justine Palefsky and Tasneem Amina, Kindred was built to make travel more accessible at a time when rising costs and housing pressures have reshaped how people move around the world.
Today, the platform has grown to almost 300,000 members across 150+ cities, adding 150,000 members in 2025 alone, and has hosted almost 350,000 nights to date. Top destinations on the platform include New York City, London, Los Angeles, Barcelona, Mexico City, and Paris, among others.
Members open their homes to others and earn credits they can use to stay in homes around the world. There is no buying or selling of nights, and no cash exchanged between hosts and guests.
“Travel has long been dominated by hotels and short-term rentals. Home swapping is now the third option, and it’s no longer fringe. This funding helps us build Kindred as a social travel platform based on trust and community,” said Palefsky.
Unlike short-term rental platforms, over 90% of homes on Kindred are primary residences, which the company says helps reduce pressure on local housing markets.
Palefsky added. “Kindred’s model meets the moment. It radically lowers the cost of travel, often to around a tenth of the cost of traditional accommodations, while easing pressure on local housing markets.”
Making travel far cheaper and more humane
Because stays are based on exchanging nights instead of renting properties, Kindred claims trips often cost around one-tenth of what travellers would pay for comparable short-term rentals. Members pay a service fee to access the platform, but hosts do not earn money from guests.
“When travel is built on exchanging nights between people, it becomes more human,” Palefsky said. “Homes stay homes, and cities remain livable for locals.”
“Kindred is leading a powerful cultural shift in how people choose to travel,” said Vlad Loktev, Partner at Index Ventures. Justine and Tas are a visionary duo with a clear POV on where travel is headed, and they have the momentum to turn that vision into reality. We believe Kindred has everything needed—team, technology, community—to become the defining platform in the home swapping space.”
“Kindred’s rapid growth reflects a growing willingness for people to open their homes to unlock future travel,” said Palefsky. “It’s a real sharing economy in action. The more you give, the more you can explore”.
