# Celebrity-Backed Rent-to-Own Startups Jay-Z & Will Smith Back Rent-to-Own Firm Landis Technologies By Grace Mahas | Published 2021-07-28 | Business Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/landis-technologies References: [bloomberg](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-27/jay-z-and-will-smith-back-rent-to-own-firm-in-165-million-round) & [landistechnologies](https://landistechnologies.com/) Landis Technologies, a [rent-to-own firm](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/property-purchase) founded by Berdugo and Tom Petit, is a startup that caters to consumers looking to own homes but can't afford the necessary capital for a downpayment. The company buys homes and rents it to tenants until they can [qualify for a mortgage](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sun-west-mortgage-company). Landis Technologies recently received notable funding from celebrities Jay-Z's Roc Nation and Will Smith’s Dreamers VC, as well as Sequoia Captial and others for the sum of $165 million. “Financial inclusion is really important to us,” said Berdugo. “An aspect of Landis that we’re very proud to be a part of is [wealth creation for low-income Americans](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/zenbase). We make money when our client buys the house back,” said Berdugo. “If we leave money on the table, that’s our problem.” Image Credit: Shutterstock ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.5/10 - Popularity: 30% | Activity: 66% | Freshness: 10% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Business](https://www.trendhunter.com/business) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Rent-to-own Solutions:** New rent-to-own startups are providing an affordable path to homeownership for consumers who can’t afford a large initial down payment. - **Social Impact Investing:** Celebrity-backed funding is bringing attention to the social value of financial inclusion solutions. - **Alternative Real Estate Models:** Rent-to-own firms are challenging traditional real estate models and creating new opportunities for investment and wealth creation. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Real Estate:** Rent-to-own startups like Landis Technologies are disrupting the real estate industry and providing a new avenue for homeownership. - **Fintech:** The growth of rent-to-own startups is enhancing the FinTech sector's ability to offer affordable and adaptable financial solutions. - **Venture Capital:** High-profile funding, like from Jay-Z's Roc Nation and Will Smith's Dreamers VC, is creating innovative investment opportunities in social impact and alternative real estate models. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Rapper-Backed Housing Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/our-first-big-boi-house.md) - [Housing Finance Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/trusset.md) - [Business Property-Supporting Startups](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/withco-startup.md) - [Rental Housing Start-Ups](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rental-housing-startup.md) - [Celeb-Backed Advocacy Agencies](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mighty-dream.md) - [Celeb-Backed NFT Music Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nft-music-platforms.md) - [Rental Home Investment Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rental-home-investment-platform.md) - [Real Estate Co-Investor Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/coproperly.md) - [Co-Owned Luxury Vacation Homes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/coowned-luxury-vacation-homes.md)