# Josh Stech

> Josh Stech is the Co-Founder and CEO of Sundae, a San Francisco-based real estate marketplace that connects homeowners selling as-is properties directly with qualified property investors through a competitive auction process. A Stanford graduate with degrees in Economics, Spanish, and Latin American Studies, Stech has spent his entire career at the intersection of real estate and technology - from fixing and flipping homes in post-crash Las Vegas to scaling LendingHome into the largest institutional bridge lender in its category, before co-founding Sundae in 2018 with former Airbnb CFO Andrew Swain. Under his leadership, Sundae raised $138M+ in total funding including an $80M Series C in 2021, with a mission to bring transparency and fairness to the historically opaque off-market home sale.

- **Role:** Co-Founder & CEO at Sundae
- **Organizations:** Sundae, LendingHome (now Kiavi), Purpose Built Investments, Just Be The Bank
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** BA in Economics (with honors), Stanford University, BA in Spanish, Stanford University, MA in Latin American Studies (Economic Policy focus), Stanford University
- **Known for:** Raised $138M+ in total venture funding for Sundae, including an $80M Series C in 2021, Helped scale LendingHome to become the largest institutional bridge lender in its category with $150M in funding, Executed 1,200+ real estate transactions at Purpose Built Investments

## Career timeline

- **~2004** — Graduated with honors from Stanford University with BA Economics, BA Spanish, and MA Latin American Studies
- **2008-2009** — Wrote honors thesis on the subprime lending crisis and its long-term impact on the Latino community
- **2009** — Moved to Las Vegas post-financial crisis, began buying homes from bank auctions, renovating and selling them
- **~2010-2012** — Co-founded Just Be The Bank, a private-lending education company; ran 20+ workshops educating 500+ private money lenders
- **~2012-2014** — Co-founded Purpose Built Investments (PBI) as CFO; launched three residential real estate investment funds, executed 1,200+ transactions
- **~2014-2018** — Founding Partner and SVP of Sales at LendingHome (now Kiavi); helped scale to 350 employees and $150M in venture funding, becoming the largest institutional bridge lender in its category
- **2018** — Co-founded Sundae with Andrew Swain (former Airbnb CFO) to create a transparent off-market home sale marketplace
- **2019** — Sundae officially launched its marketplace connecting as-is home sellers with property investors
- **2021** — Led Sundae's $80M Series C round co-led by Fifth Wall and General Global Capital, bringing total funding to $135M+
- **2022** — Launched Sundae Funding (investor lending) and Edge (premium investor membership with AutoOffer bidding and education tools)
- **2023** — Announced plans to embrace the real estate agent community; Sundae continued expanding marketplace infrastructure

## Achievements

- Raised $138M+ in total venture funding for Sundae, including an $80M Series C in 2021
- Helped scale LendingHome to become the largest institutional bridge lender in its category with $150M in funding
- Executed 1,200+ real estate transactions at Purpose Built Investments
- Educated 500+ private money lenders through Just Be The Bank workshops
- Built Sundae into a marketplace serving thousands of qualified property investors across multiple U.S. markets
- Graduated with honors from Stanford University with three degrees
- Named one of Forbes America's Best Startup Employers (Sundae, 2024)
- Secured backing from top VCs including Fifth Wall, QED Investors, Wellington Management, Founders Fund, and Susa Ventures

## Latest updates

- **2023-06** — Sundae announced plans to embrace the real estate agent community, expanding its service model beyond direct-to-homeowner
- **2022-11** — Launched Sundae Edge, a premium investor membership featuring AutoOffer bidding, mobile app, and Inner Circle education community
- **2022-08** — Launched Sundae Funding, a direct lending product for property investors using the platform
- **2021-07** — Closed $80M Series C round led by Fifth Wall and General Global Capital; total funding surpassed $135M

## Links

- Website: https://sundae.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshstech/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/SundaeHQ
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sundaehq
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/SundaeHQ

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/josh-stech
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-12