Unkle

Unkle is a French insurtech company that has carved out a niche in the real estate rental market by simplifying and securing the rental process for both tenants and landlords. Founded in 2019 by Matthieu Luneau and Cédric Baulme, the company addresses a significant pain point in the French housing market: the requirement for tenants to have a strong guarantor. Luneau, an alumnus of HEC and a former M&A lawyer, alongside Baulme from EDHEC, launched Unkle to act as that guarantor for tenants who may not meet traditional requirements, such as freelancers, students, or those in trial periods at new jobs.

The company's primary service involves acting as a guarantor for tenants in exchange for a fee, typically around 3.5% of the rent, paid monthly. This service strengthens a tenant's rental application, giving them a better chance of securing a property. For landlords, this guarantee is free and protects them against unpaid rent, offering significant peace of mind. The business operates a B2C model directly with tenants and landlords and has expanded into a B2B2C model by partnering with real estate agencies, developing a SaaS platform to facilitate the management of its insurance products. This dual approach allowed for rapid growth, reaching over 20,000 clients by early 2022.

Unkle's product portfolio also includes a digital-first unpaid rent insurance for landlords, which streamlines the subscription process to just a few minutes. In January 2022, the company secured a €10 million fundraising round to fuel its expansion, recruit new talent, and develop additional insurance products like mortgage insurance and multi-risk building insurance. Shortly after, in March 2022, Unkle was acquired by Luko, a prominent European neo-insurer, in a deal aimed at creating a European leader in housing services. Despite the acquisition, Unkle continues to operate as a separate business unit under its own brand, with its co-founders remaining at the helm to manage the division.

Keywords: rent guarantee, unpaid rent insurance, insurtech, real estate technology, tenant guarantor, landlord protection, proptech, rental market, digital insurance, Luko, Matthieu Luneau, Cédric Baulme, rental application, housing access, tenant services, landlord services, SaaS for real estate, French tech, rental management, lease security