Dwellable

Dwellable was a Seattle, Washington-based vacation rental search startup that developed an immersive mobile application and digital marketplace for discovering and booking travel accommodations. The company operated a consumer-facing platform connecting travelers directly with property owners before being acquired by industry competitor HomeAway for $18 million in October 2015. Prior to its strategic acquisition, the startup raised $2 million in a 2014 seed funding round jointly led by venture capital firms Version One Ventures and Maveron. The organization was managed by chief executive officer Kirby Winfield and also secured early financial backing from prominent individual angel investors including Rob Solomon. Following the corporate transaction, the core mobile application was phased out within thirty days and six team members relocated to Austin. Dwellable was originally founded in 2011 by software entrepreneurs Nathan Kriege and Adam Doppelt.

Dwellable is a company that designs and delivers modern, accessible housing and design solutions focused on inclusive, independent living for people with disabilities and older adults, positioning itself at the intersection of accessibility design, residential real estate, and social impact.[1][8]

High-Level Overview

• Concise summary: Dwellable builds inclusive, accessibility-first living environments and provides consulting, design, and developer education to increase accessible housing stock and improve built environments for people with mobility and sensory needs.[1][8]
  - What it builds / who it serves / problem it solves: Dwellable creates accessible home designs, offers consulting and talks for real estate developers and investors, and advocates for accessible housing to serve people with disabilities, aging adults, and developers seeking to meet an undersupplied market for accessible units.[1][8]
  - Growth momentum / impact on ecosystem: By producing design resources, public talks, and developer-facing programs, Dwellable aims to accelerate adoption of accessible design in the housing market and influence investors and builders to prioritize inclusive units—helping close an identified gap between demand for accessible homes and current supply.[8][1]

Origin Story

• Founding / team context: Dwellable publicly presents a team and leadership focused on creative solutions to overcome barriers for clients and customers, emphasizing win-win arrangements between the company, residents, and partners.[2]
  - How the idea emerged / early traction: Dwellable’s public materials (talks and resources) indicate the company emerged to address a market and social need—educating real estate investors and developers about the opportunity and responsibility to deliver accessible housing, and offering practical design solutions to do so.[8][1]

Core Differentiators

• Accessibility-first design: Dwellable emphasizes designing “modern, inclusive spaces” that combine aesthetics with functional accessibility rather than retrofit-style solutions.[1]
  - Developer and investor education: The company runs talks and topic briefings targeted at real estate investors and developers to highlight both the social need and the business case for accessible units.[8]
  - Practical, scalable solutions: Dwellable positions itself as a source of creative, implementable design solutions aimed at overcoming barriers between regulations, developer cost concerns, and resident needs.[2][8]
  - Advocacy + consulting blend: Rather than only being a design studio, Dwellable appears to operate at the intersection of advocacy, consulting, and design—helping shift market practice as well as delivering projects.[1][8]

Role in the Broader Tech/Real-Estate Landscape

• Trend alignment: Dwellable rides the broader trends of aging populations, growing attention to disability-inclusive design, and investor interest in socially responsible/impact real estate.[8][1]
  - Why timing matters: Demographic shifts (aging populations) and heightened regulatory and consumer awareness about accessibility increase demand for accessible units and make developer education timely and commercially relevant.[8]
  - Market forces in their favor: Under-supply of accessible housing and increasing investor interest in differentiated, compliance-aware assets create opportunities for firms that can deliver attractive, accessible design and help developers capture that demand.[8][1]
  - Influence on the ecosystem: By educating developers and showcasing viable design approaches, Dwellable can help mainstream accessible design practices—potentially increasing supply of inclusive units and improving market perceptions of accessibility as design-forward rather than utilitarian.[8][1]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

• Short-term: Expect Dwellable to continue expanding its outreach (talks, developer programs) and to pursue partnerships with developers and investors who want to add accessible units or retrofit existing portfolios.[8][2]
  - Medium-term trends shaping trajectory: Greater regulatory attention, aging demographics, and ESG/impact investing trends should increase demand for accessible housing solutions, benefiting companies that combine design expertise with developer education and consulting.[8][1]
  - How influence might evolve: If Dwellable successfully demonstrates cost-effective, attractive accessible designs and scalable implementation pathways, it could become a recognized advisor/partner for real-estate firms and a catalyst for wider adoption of inclusive housing practices.[1][8]

If you’d like, I can pull specific examples of Dwellable’s projects, list team bios from their “Team” page, or map potential developer partners and markets where accessible housing demand is highest based on demographic data.[2][1]