Funding Signals Confidence in New Category Making Global Travel More Accessible and Community-Driven
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Kindred, the global home swapping platform, today announced it has raised $125 million to scale its growth as a community-driven travel alternative to hotels and short-term rentals.
The investment reflects growing momentum behind Kindred’s give-to-get model powering its next phase of growth as the product evolves from one home swapping community to a platform of interconnected sub-communities, enabling people to swap homes with friends-of-friends or existing trusted networks.
“Travel has long been dominated by two options: hotels and short-term rentals,” said Justine Palefsky, Co-Founder and CEO of Kindred. “Peer-to-peer home swapping is emerging as the third option, and it’s no longer niche. Our momentum signals that home swapping has become a global movement, and this funding allows us to build Kindred not just as a product, but as a social travel platform rooted in trust, generosity, and belonging.”
Founded in 2021, 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, with almost 350,000 nights hosted to date. Top destinations on the platform include New York City, London, Los Angeles, Barcelona, Mexico City, and Paris to name a few.
The funding includes a $40 million Series B round co-led by NEA and Dylan Field, CEO of Figma, and an $85 million Series C led by Index Ventures.
“Kindred’s model meets the moment,” Palefsky added. “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.”
Kindred facilitates only non-commercial exchanges, meaning nights or credits can’t be bought or sold. As a result, over 90% of homes on Kindred are members’ primary residences, unlike short-term rental marketplaces. While members pay to access the service, no money is exchanged between hosts and guests.
“When travel is built on exchanging nights between peers instead of renting from commercial businesses, travel becomes more human, and homes stay on the market for locals,” Palefsky continues.
The capital will be used to evolve Kindred’s community experiences and offerings, including allowing members to build out new, trust-led sub-communities where they can open their homes to others within their extended networks, or with whom they share common interests or values.
“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”.
Over the next year and beyond, Kindred will continue to invest in product, trust and safety infrastructure, as well as its growing ecosystem of sub-communities, further cementing its position as the leading global platform for home swapping.
About Kindred
Founded in 2021, Kindred is a global, members-only home swapping platform of 300,000 members that allows verified members to swap homes through a radically more accessible, responsible, human travel experience – unlocking a more meaningful way to see the world. Kindred revolutionized a third option of accommodation compared to hotels and short-term rentals. 90% of Kindred’s inventory is people’s primary residences, uniquely positioning it within the travel accommodation market. Kindred service fees average $20–45 per night— meaning a stay costs roughly one-tenth of a short-term rental in a comparable home. To learn more, visit livekindred.com.
Media Contacts
Megan Trivelli, The Sway Effect
P: 917-696-3701
Kejal Ashra-Blundell, Kindred
P: +44 7792 109808
Email: press@livekindred.com
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SOURCE Kindred
