Roost
Roost is a roommate-matching platform for students, recent graduates, and young professionals that pairs verified users based on budget, neighborhood, move-in date, and lifestyle preferences. The service requires email, phone, and ID verification for all members, and uses a platonic "handshake" feature to initiate conversations and coordinate tours. The platform is currently rolling out city by city with a waitlist system.
- Property Technology
- Software Only
Funding
Founders
Founder details are not available yet.
Product
Problem
Finding a roommate through traditional channels like Facebook groups means scrolling endless posts, repeating introductions, and hoping the right person sees them before they get buried. There is no way to verify if someone is who they say they are, and critical compatibility factors like budget, cleanliness, schedules, and smoking habits rarely surface until after the lease is signed.
Solution
Roost provides a roommate-matching platform designed specifically for students, recent graduates, and young professionals. Users verify their identity once through email, phone, and ID confirmation to earn a verified badge, ensuring everyone on the platform is a real person. Members then set their preferences on budget, neighborhood, move-in date, lifestyle, and dealbreakers, and only see profiles that fit their criteria. When users find a match, they send a "handshake" to initiate a platonic conversation, with the platform showing exactly why the match was made and facilitating planning for tours or calls.
Target Audience
Primary users are students, recent graduates, and young professionals who are moving to new cities and need to find compatible, verified roommates without relying on unvetted social media groups.
Features
- Real-identity verification requiring confirmed email, phone number, and government-issued ID for every profile
- Compatibility filters with dealbreaker settings for budget, neighborhood, move-in date, lifestyle, and more
- Platonic "handshake" feature designed specifically for finding a home rather than a date
- Match explanation showing users exactly why they were matched with a potential roommate
- City-by-city rollout with waitlist and referral system for priority access