Lula builds $28M round with bicoastal investor; plans deep expansion into new markets

February 3, 2025  |  Nikki Overfelt Chifalu

Lula leadership: Lance Burton, Bo Lais, Will Parrish and Laxman Degala

Securing Lula’s Series A funding round is not only validation for the Kansas City proptech startup, Bo Lais said; the $28 million in capital means a greater opportunity to enhance the ecosystem for all of his company’s stakeholders, he added.

The funding will allow Lula — a leading platform for streamlined property maintenance solutions and one of Startland News’ Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2022 — to expand from 42 markets into 60 in 2025, said Lais, founder and CEO, noting plans to heavily invest into further product innovation through AI and automation, and to hire some key roles, including heads of finance, marketing, and partnerships. 

“For the customers, we want to improve upon the services and expand our offering,” he explained. “For the residents, it allows us to provide better property maintenance, leading to higher resident satisfaction. For our Lula Pros, we want to increase opportunities for work and growth for them.”

“Then we also want to continue investment in innovation and culture for our employees and shareholders,” Lais added.

The round announced Monday — which will allow Lula to continue to transform property maintenance, the founder said — is led by New York and Silicon Valley-based PeakSpan Capital with participation from existing investor Park City, Utah-based RET Ventures.

A significant portion of the funding will be used to develop and commercialize a new SaaS product called Foresight — a cutting-edge AI-powered work order management SaaS platform — which is engineered to seamlessly integrate in-house maintenance teams, third-party contractors, and Lula Pros into a unified, comprehensive maintenance management system.

“Since meeting Bo and the Lula team a few years ago, PeakSpan has been impressed with Lula’s ability to elegantly address the increasing complexity of residential maintenance management through both differentiated technology and an expansive contractor network,” said Kyle Reitinger, vice president at PeakSpan, in a news release. “The Lula team has demonstrated a clear ability to drive capital-efficient growth and innovate with new product offerings, including the company’s recent Foresight release.”

Investors see incredible opportunity for Lula to further optimize the maintenance workflow across the residential ecosystem, added Reitinger, expressing eagerness to support the team in its next phase of company development.

“This investment marks a pivotal moment for Lula and the property maintenance industry,” Lais noted in a statement. “With PeakSpan’s support and the continued backing of our early investor

RET Ventures, we are set to accelerate our growth, expand our pro network, and deliver even greater value to our customers. Our vision is to make property maintenance seamless, efficient, and stress-free for property managers and residents nationwide.”

RET Ventures initially backed Lula with a $3 million investment in early 2022.

“As owners and operators continue to navigate an uncertain economic environment, streamlining labor-intensive processes such as property maintenance is a top priority,” explained Aaron Ru, a principal at RET Ventures. “We made our initial investment in 2022 because of Lula’s incredible product-market fit and traction, and we’ve been continually impressed by the company’s growth and execution over the past three years.”

Lula’s team during a recent 2025 kickoff event for the company

Since its founding in 2017 by Lais and childhood friend Will Parrish (and with the help of Lance Burton, another childhood friend), Lula has experienced rapid growth, now providing maintenance across 42 markets nationwide, according to the company. With a vetted network of more than 6,000 Lula Pros — including skilled handymen, plumbers, electricians, and HVAC contractors — the company has become a trusted partner for property managers and investors seeking efficient, reliable maintenance solutions.

The Lula team now has grown to more than 80 employees.

Bo Lais, Lula

In 2024, Lula’s proprietary platform processed more than 100,000 work order requests from more than 125 property management customers, demonstrating the company’s robust capabilities and growing market presence.

A member of the inaugural Pitch Perfect class at ECJC (Enterprise Center in Johnson County) in 2017, as well as a 2020 Pipeline Entrepreneurs fellow, Lais credits such programs and leaders like Pipeline’s Melissa Vincent with support that helped get his company to market and beyond.

Lula’s continued success, he noted, will hopefully help to pave the way for the next generation of entrepreneurs in Kansas City. 

“We’re really excited about building a fast-growing proptech startup here in Kansas City,” he said. “For one, I love the city. But it also has provided a lot of support for me personally along the way.”

startland-tip-jar

TIP JAR

Did you enjoy this post? Show your support by becoming a member or buying us a coffee.

Tagged , , ,
Featured Business
    Featured Founder

      2025 Startups to Watch

        stats here

        Related Posts on Startland News

        Food fit: Kansas City health startup attains Endeavor Heartland greenlight at first KC selection panel

        By Tommy Felts | March 9, 2024

        Moving forward in the process to become an Endeavor Entrepreneur builds on 18 months of momentum for the newly branded Attane Health, said founder Emily Brown. Her Kansas City-based, food- and nutrition-focused startup moved one step closer to the Endeavor designation — a move that ultimately would elevate Attane Health on a global scale —…

        Waldo Thai owner serves first chef collaboration for Kemper Museum’s Artist Dinner Series

        By Tommy Felts | March 8, 2024

        The first in a series of three dinner events at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art is set to feature James Beard semifinalist Pam Liberda, head chef and owner of Waldo Thai — creating a one-of-a-kind dining experiences blending together the creative worlds of food and art. “Kemper Museum has always cultivated connections between contemporary artists…

        No ribbon cutting when a business closes, Plowboys founder says: Know how to start (and stop) on your own terms

        By Tommy Felts | March 8, 2024

        A year and a half after Todd Johns closed his restaurants to focus instead on Plowboys-branded retail products, Johns would rather leave a legacy that’s felt within the Kansas City barbecue community than be known as a legend, he shared. “I’d rather know that I helped someone here,” the president of Plowboys Foods told attendees…

        KU Innovation Park names new CEO as business incubator ramps up regional eco devo efforts

        By Tommy Felts | March 8, 2024

        LAWRENCE — A longtime financial executive at the KU Innovation Park who successfully led funding efforts for the nonprofit economic development organization’s sprawling campus has been officially named its CEO. Adam Courtney most recently served as CFO for the Lawrence-based KU Innovation Park before being named interim CEO in September 2023 after the passing of the…