Fella Homes

Fella Homes, initially known as Sharelock Homes, was a technology-driven home rental solutions provider founded in October 2015 by a group of alumni from IIT Roorkee and Stanford, including Virender Pratap Singh, Yadwinder Paul Singh, Digendra Singh Rathore, Kunal Singh, and Amit Gupta. The venture was a response to the founders' recognition of a significant gap in the Indian rental market, particularly the inefficient and stressful process of finding and living in rental accommodations for young professionals.

The company targeted the substantial residential rental market by offering a platform that connected homeowners with tenants, focusing on providing furnished, ready-to-move-in homes without a brokerage fee. The business operated on a revenue-sharing model, taking a percentage of the monthly rent from homeowners in exchange for managing the property and ensuring a standardized, quality living experience for tenants. This model included furnishing the homes with standardized appliances and kitchenware and handling maintenance, aiming to solve issues of trust and inconvenience for renters. Clients were primarily bachelors, working professionals, and students in metropolitan areas like Gurgaon and Noida.

Shortly after its inception, Fella Homes secured $2 million in a seed funding round in early 2016. This capital injection was directed towards property acquisition, team expansion, and product development. A significant milestone was the all-cash acquisition of its Noida-based competitor, LifePad, in July 2016. This strategic move allowed Fella Homes to strengthen its presence in the Noida market and absorb LifePad's team. By November 2016, the company managed over 300 properties, equivalent to more than 2,000 beds, across the Delhi-NCR region. The ultimate trajectory of the company led to it being acqui-hired, with the founding team joining the leadership of the acquiring company, ZiffyHomes, in a deal that also saw investor DS Group join the new entity's board.

Keywords: Fella Homes, home rental solutions, property technology, proptech, furnished rentals, rental market India, managed accommodation, shared housing, Digendra Singh Rathore, Virender Pratap Singh, ZiffyHomes acquisition, LifePad acquisition, rental management, zero brokerage rentals, tenant services, homeowner services