Rentah

Rentah operates as a peer-to-peer marketplace, positioning itself within the sharing economy. The Brooklyn-based company was founded in 2013 by Anup Yogi Desai, Sajid Zaman, and Gary Gurevich. Anup Desai, who serves as CEO, was formerly an adjunct professor at City University of New York and has a background connected to the Occupy movement, which influences the company's ethos of creating a platform for the people. This philosophy stems from the team's shared experiences with economic hardships, such as paying off student loans and dealing with high rent in New York City, which fuels their goal to help others find financial support and dignity.

The company's core business revolves around a versatile online and mobile platform where individuals and businesses can rent out a wide array of goods, services, or spaces. The platform aims to unlock the economic value of underutilized assets within a community. Examples range from renting party equipment like margarita machines and bouncy castles to hiring a freelance photographer or even renting a puppy. By not limiting itself to a specific niche, Rentah differentiates itself from competitors, offering a broad marketplace for nearly anything imaginable. The client base is twofold: 'Providers,' who can be anyone from freelancers to established businesses, list their offerings, and 'Renters,' who are seeking to temporarily acquire these goods, services, or spaces.

Rentah's business model is straightforward and designed to be accessible. Listing items or services on the platform is free for providers, a key distinction from other online marketplaces. The company generates revenue by adding a 5% service charge to the transaction, which is paid by the renter. This structure is part of its commitment to being a business-friendly platform that avoids nickel-and-diming its providers. The platform facilitates the connection, communication, and payment between parties, aiming to be a more modern and secure version of Craigslist. Since its founding, Rentah has gone through several funding rounds, including a seed round of $125K in September 2014 and an equity crowdfunding campaign that raised over $93K in 2018.

Keywords: peer-to-peer rentals, sharing economy, local marketplace, rent goods, rent services, rent spaces, freelance platform, community marketplace, collaborative consumption, asset sharing, gig economy platform, Anup Desai, rental marketplace, P2P lending, item rental, skills rental, space rental, event rentals, tool rental, equipment rental