Uppie deposit solution targets Airbnb generation
by Startacus Admin
The PropTech startup that's helping first time buyers and renters in a pretty innovative way...
It’s no secret that becoming a homeowner is a harder thing for many people these days than ever before. Wages aren’t keeping up with rising house prices and high rent swallows up the pennies being put away for a deposit. We have written before about some property tech startups looking to make things easier for first-time buyers (and renters), and we have another good one today.
Cheltenham-based Uppie wants to help first time homeowners own a home for the first time by, in a way, paying the deposit for them. It won’t be too shocking to hear that there is a give as well as a take for the buyer: sharing their new home with an ever-varying array of strangers! Yay! Uppie will guarantee up to 90 days of Airbnb bookings and pay at the start of the service, thereby covering the deposit. 
Now all the brand new homeowner needs to do is make sure there’s a bed in the spare room. Uppie does recommend that the house have at least one spare room, and we agree that this is probably a good idea, as we’ve found that strangers don’t like to sleep across the end of the bed like the family dog. Maybe because the family dog takes up too much room for them to fit comfortably.
Uppie is responsible for filling the bookings and takes on the risk of the room not performing as well as expected, meaning that the bookings they buy from the homeowner are non-refundable and said owner does not lose out. Conversely, if the room does better than expected, it will shorten the length of the agreement with Uppie.
Currently, Uppie is only available in Cheltenham, but Bristol, Edinburgh, Bath, and Southampton are set to join this year. Given the popularity of Airbnb and of having a home to live in, we think Uppie is a promising solution to the deposit problem.
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you would like to receive our startup themed newsletter, full of the latest startup opportunities, events, news, stories, tips and advice, then sign up here.
The third-party platform that enables you to anonymously tag, measure, and resolve incidents of bias and harassment in your organisation
The lowdown on Nova, the Liverpool based cofoundery and its latest crowdfunding mission to help it expand in the UK and internationally
The FinTech startup, Freetrade which is on a mission to make it easier than ever to invest in stocks and shares - for free
The latest ways in which leading people and culture platform Culture Amp aim to help organisations manage their diversity and inclusion practices and policies
The lowdown on Imagine Me Stories, the book and activity subscription box aiming to address diversity and empower black children
Petal Plan is our latest startup of the week - a UK startup that is on a mission to innovate how we both buy and receive the gift of flowers
.jpg)
A new Investor Series podcast aims to provides a unique understanding and insight into the minds of some of the UK’s most experienced startup investors.
Whilst mainstream lenders are trying to lose the connotation of payday loans, a wave of fintech are looking to offer complete alternatives.
Atom Learning, the edtech platform that uses AI to transform educational outcomes, doubles headcount as business expands internationally.
News stories talk about startups raising money in different funding rounds – but what do those headlines and stages actually mean?
Published on: 17th January 2018
.png)
If you would like to enable commenting via your Startacus account, please enable Disqus functionality in your Account Settings.
- Culture Amp launch Diversity and Inclusion Starter Kit to bring best practices to UK businesses 8th Nov 2019 The latest ways in which leading people and culture platform Culture Amp aim to help organisations manage their diversity and inclusion practices and policies
- Manchester fintech GoodBox hits £2m donated to UK charities 21st Oct 2019 Manchester fintech GoodBox, which helps charities embrace the rise of fintech through digital and contactless payments, have raised over £2m for UK charities.
- Event at Startup Week Dublin to explore startup collaboration between NI and Ireland 11th Oct 2019 With the impact of BREXIT still very much an uncertainty, our evening event at Startup Week Dublin will explore startup collaboration and opportunities between NI and Ireland.
- Startups shaping future of the smart built environment wanted for RElab programme 8th Oct 2019 Tech startups focused on smart buildings and cities, smart grid, construction tech, predictive maintenance, and other tech solutions - take note!
