HLRBO raises $2.5M to expand the Airbnb-style marketplace for hunting land leases

For decades, gaining access to private hunting land has largely been a fragmented process built on local connections, word of mouth, and handwritten agreements. HLRBO wants to change that.

The Minnesota tech startup, whose name stands for Hunting Land Rentals By Owner, has raised $2.5 million in new funding to expand its online marketplace connecting landowners with hunters seeking access to private property across the United States.

The round was led by Mairs & Power Venture Capital, with participation from angel and individual investors. The fresh capital will support product development, marketing efforts, partnerships, and new technology aimed at helping users discover, evaluate, and lease hunting land more efficiently.

Founded in 2015 by Heath Schubert in northern Minnesota, HLRBO has grown from a regional marketplace into a national platform operating in all 50 states. The company says it now serves more than 225,000 users, including 14,000 paying subscribers, and lists roughly 1.7 million acres of hunting leases.

“This funding helps us keep building the marketplace for landowners and hunters,” said Heath Schubert, founder and CEO of HLRBO. “Private-land access has always been fragmented. We are building the infrastructure to make it easier to navigate.”

With 225,000 users and 1.7 million acres listed, HLRBO raises $2.5M to grow

The latest financing follows two earlier rounds. HLRBO raised $1 million in February 2024 and another $600,000 in August 2024, bringing total capital raised over the past two years to more than $4 million.

The company operates in a niche market that has historically lacked modern software infrastructure. Many hunting leases are still arranged through local networks, creating challenges for both landowners seeking to generate income and hunters seeking legal access to private property.

Scott Burns, General Partner at Mairs & Power Venture Capital, said the firm’s interest was driven by the scale of activity already taking place on the platform.

“We were impressed by HLRBO’s incredibly vibrant marketplace,” Burns said. “It caters to hundreds of thousands of hunters looking to gain access to the best hunting land across America.”

A significant portion of the new funding will go into technology development.

Bringing AI and modern mapping tools to a traditionally offline market

HLRBO is building tools that include parcel-level mapping, AI-powered land scoring, and what it calls a “cinematic” property view. The feature uses artificial intelligence to convert traditional two-dimensional property maps into realistic three-dimensional drone-style flyovers, giving prospective hunters a better sense of the terrain before signing a lease.

The company is placing a larger bet on AI as landowners and hunters seek more data when evaluating properties. New features are expected to help users assess land quality, compare opportunities, and make more informed leasing decisions.

Beyond software, HLRBO is investing in content and community-building efforts. The company publishes news, feature stories, and educational resources for landowners and hunters, and distributes a printed newspaper to landowners and field representatives.

HLRBO plans to increase its presence at trade shows and industry events throughout 2026 while pursuing partnerships with outdoor brands, hunting media companies, creators, and video publishers.

The strategy reflects a broader ambition that extends beyond lease transactions. HLRBO is working to establish itself as a combined marketplace, media platform, and technology provider focused on private hunting access across North America.

For a category that has remained largely offline for years, the company’s latest funding round signals growing investor interest in bringing more transparency, data, and digital tools to the hunting lease market.

HLRBO