Stake raises $8M in funding, acquires UMoveFree to help renters earn cash back on rent

Renters rarely get a break when hunting for a place to live. Prices keep climbing, deals stay hidden, and the process often feels stacked against the people paying the bills. Dallas-based fintech startup Stake thinks it can change that equation.

Today, Stake announced it has raised $8 million in new debt and equity financing after reporting 4× revenue growth in 2025. At the same time, the company revealed it has acquired UMoveFree, a long-running apartment-locating platform in Texas that has helped millions of renters find homes.

The funding round was led by LAGO, with participation from RET Ventures, Bluefield Capital, Hamilton Ventures, Gaingels, Hub Angels, and Second Century Ventures, the National Association of Realtors’ venture arm.

Renter Fintech Startup Stake Raises $8M, Acquires UMoveFree to Build AI-Powered Rental Search and Cash-Back Network for Renters

Stake’s bet is simple: treat rent like any other major consumer expense and give renters a chance to capture savings during the process.

“You can search for a deal on a hotel. You can search for a deal on a flight. But until now, you couldn’t reliably search for a deal on rent,” said Rowland Hobbs, CEO and co-founder of Stake. “With UMoveFree powered by Stake Cash Back, we’re making affordability visible at the start. Now renters can find Cash Back offers when they’re deciding where to live, not after they’ve already signed.”

The deal folds UMoveFree into what Stake calls its renter network, which integrates apartment listings, payment tools, and financial services into a single platform. The company says the combined system gives renters visibility into savings during the apartment search stage rather than after a lease is signed.

UMoveFree already brings meaningful scale. Since launching in 2004, the platform has helped more than 5 million renters find homes and delivered over $35 million in cash-back rewards, according to the company.

Stake plans to integrate UMoveFree’s property search system with its own financial tools, including rent cash-back programs, rent reporting that can improve credit scores, and banking features built for renters.

The company’s pitch to renters centers on a simple idea: turn the process of renting into a source of financial benefits rather than a constant drain.

For property owners and managers, the platform offers demand-generation tools that help properties attract renters through targeted incentives, such as concessions or rewards tied to lease signings.

The combined platform now spans more than 550,000 homes across the United States, creating a network that connects renters, property operators, and local businesses through a shared rewards system.

UMoveFree’s leadership team will remain involved in Stake’s demand-generation operation. The acquisition also brings technology from Lighthouse, a company that previously acquired UMoveFree in 2023.

“We founded Lighthouse with a mission to empower renters, and we’ve found that same mission with Stake,” said Matt See, CEO of Lighthouse. “Now we can expand that mission beyond search to paying, renewing, and even banking with Stake.”

Housing affordability continues to dominate economic conversations across the U.S., with rents rising in many metro areas even as homeownership remains out of reach for many households. That pressure has created room for startups attempting to rework the financial side of renting.

Stake’s strategy blends property search, loyalty rewards, and financial services into one renter-focused ecosystem. The company says its users already earn tens of millions of dollars each year through its cash-back network tied to rent payments and apartment searches.

The new funding will support product development, expansion into additional markets, and further acquisitions tied to the company’s renter savings platform.

For renters who have spent years absorbing rising housing costs with little financial upside, Stake sees a different future: one where paying rent can finally produce returns.