# Richard Nelson

> Richard “Richy” Nelson is the co-founder and CEO of Roofr, a roofing software company. A third-generation roofer who began working at 12, he moved into roofing sales in Toronto before starting Roofr with Kevin Redman in 2016. Roofr joined Y Combinator’s Summer 2017 batch and evolved from a homeowner marketplace into contractor software. Nelson has also mentored founders through Toronto’s DMZ and writes about roofing technology and the homeowner experience.

- **Role:** Co-founder & CEO at Roofr
- **Organizations:** Roofr, Y Combinator (Summer 2017), DMZ (Alumni-in-Residence, documented in 2021)
- **Known for:** Co-founded Roofr and led its evolution from marketplace to contractor software., Roofr participated in Y Combinator Summer 2017., Led Roofr through a $23.5 million Series A+ announced in October 2023 and a TCV-led Series B announced in January 2025.

## Career timeline

- **Age 12** — Began working in the family roofing business; later progressed to installing roofs.
- **Before Roofr** — After nearly 12 years in the family business, joined a large Toronto roofing contractor and worked in sales.
- **2016** — Started Roofr with Kevin Redman; the contemporary DMZ account also names Zach Melo as a founding partner.
- **2017** — Roofr joined Y Combinator’s Summer 2017 batch after receiving preparation and investor introductions through DMZ.
- **2019** — Roofr announced a $4 million seed round in February and a free roof measurement tool in May.
- **2021** — Roofr raised $4.25 million in post-seed funding and described its shift toward SaaS for contractors; Nelson was a DMZ Alumni-in-Residence.
- **2023** — Roofr launched its CRM and announced $23.5 million in Series A+ funding.
- **2025** — Roofr announced a TCV-led Series B and reported more than 12,000 roofing company users.
- **2026** — Published a July essay about homeowner experience and roofing software in Roofing Contractor.

## Achievements

- Co-founded Roofr and led its evolution from marketplace to contractor software.
- Roofr participated in Y Combinator Summer 2017.
- Led Roofr through a $23.5 million Series A+ announced in October 2023 and a TCV-led Series B announced in January 2025.
- Roofr reported more than 12,000 roofing companies using its platform in January 2025.
- Helped DMZ alumni company Turing Labs with its Y Combinator journey, according to his 2021 DMZ interview.

## Latest updates

- **2026-07** — Published “The Real Reason to Take Software Seriously” in Roofing Contractor on July 8, arguing for technology that improves the homeowner experience.
- **2026-03** — Appeared on episode 250 of Keepin It Rio, published March 8, discussing his path from roofing work to Roofr.
- **2025-01** — Roofr announced a TCV-led Series B on January 28, with ABC Supply and other investors participating.

## Links

- Website: https://roofr.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richy-nelson-105b7593

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/richard-nelson
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-16