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Autonomous homebuilding factory for the $1.7 trillion housing crisis.
Pippin is building the autonomous homebuilding factory for the $1.7 trillion housing crisis. Building a home requires human labor to: measure, cut, lift, drill, paint, and attach. This labor is used for a building’s: structure, vapor barriers, windows, insulation, siding, roofing, electrical, plumbing, fixtures, appliances, and cabinetry. The construction industry solves this complex variety of tasks by dividing them among tiny companies of specialized artisans. Few lessons learned are shared and the industry has had no growth in labor productivity since 1947. Building technology, methods, and materials have advanced and the constraints limiting home manufacturing can now be removed. Regulations have changed to allow small and simple accessory dwelling units (a.k.a. ADUs or backyard homes), making it easier to mass-produce housing. Pippin started in the ADU market with its brand "Rent the Backyard" and will build duplexes, quadplexes, and eventually large apartment buildings.
Pippin / Rent the Backyard hosts a marketplace for modular and prefab homes, including ADUs, cabins, and offices, enabling users to search, compare, and connect with builders. The platform positions itself as a hub to explore prefab housing options across states and price ranges. It emphasizes helping users find dream prefab homes through a three-step process and matching to builders.
The product aggregates and presents prefab housing listings (houses, offices, tiny homes, shipping container homes) with filters by price, type, and location. Users can search for homes, view individual property detail pages, and follow a three-step flow: search for homes near them, get personalized recommendations, and match with builders and manufacturers in their area. The site collects listings from various manufacturers and provides state-by-state and category navigation to explore options, including pricing tiers and assorted floor plans.
Who it’s for: Homebuyers and renters seeking prefab or modular housing options, including ADUs and offices, across multiple states in the United States.
Brian is the co-founder & CEO of ArchiLabs. Previously Brian built and sold an AI transcription startup that reached 1 million transcriptions/mo and ran a YC-backed tech-enabled homebuilding factory that scaled to a $10.6M contracted revenue run rate. Brian graduated with a degree in Electrical & Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon.
I’m an engineer, history buff, and economic development nerd. I previously founded Rent the Backyard (YCs19). https://spencerburleigh.com/about/
Formerly “HelloPippin”, “Rent The Backyard”, “Pippin xyz / Rent the Backyard” · why startups rename →
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