Acquisition adds Cash Back apartment search to the Stake Network; new capital builds on post-acquisition momentum to meet renter demand for affordable rental search with AI

DALLAS, March 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Stake, the network for renters, today announced it has closed $8 million in new debt and equity financing after growing 4x revenue in 2025. This follows the acquisition of Lighthouse and its subsidiary UMoveFree, the largest apartment locating platform in Texas. The acquisition of UMoveFree expands The Stake Network by delivering financial benefits to renters at the moment it matters most: when they are searching and choosing a home in a market defined by affordability pressure. With Stake and UMoveFree, AI now works for the renter, empowering renters to find a home by being matched to the best properties with the most savings. The strategic financing was led by LAGO, with equity participants RET Ventures, Bluefield Capital, Hamilton Ventures, Gaingels, Hub Angels, and Second Century Ventures, the venture capital arm of the National Association of Realtors. The funding will accelerate Stake's growth in rental search and leasing services and fuel additional acquisitions.

UMoveFree has empowered over 5 million renters in their search for a home and delivered more than $35 million in Cash Back to renters. UMoveFree's management team brings extensive multifamily experience, and its proprietary leasing platform is widely recognized for combining high-intent search with concierge-level service.

The acquisition makes Stake the first vertically integrated, AI-powered renter network built entirely for renters—beginning with apartment search and extending through lease signing, rent payments, lease renewal, and everyday financial wellness. Stake now empowers renters to find better value and Cash Back from beginning to end of the renter journey, giving renters the chance to build savings and a pathway to long-term financial stability.

"You can search for a deal on a hotel. You can search for a deal on a flight. But until now, you couldn't reliably search for a deal on rent," said Rowland Hobbs, CEO and co-founder of Stake. "With UMoveFree powered by Stake Cash Back, we're making affordability visible at the start. Now renters can find Cash Back offers when they're deciding where to live, not after they've already signed."

Proceeds from the financing will be used to integrate and expand UMoveFree's search and demand engine, scale Cash Back rental discovery into new markets, and accelerate product development across Stake's renter savings platform.

Turning apartment search into real renter savings

This acquisition enables Stake to deliver value at the very start of the renter journey, when affordability matters most. With UMoveFree, renters can now discover Cash Back deals on apartments, earn rewards on rent payments, build credit automatically, and save more with Stake's no-fee banking tools.

Stake will now scale deal-based rental discovery through its listings and loyalty engine. This makes rental offers easier to find, easier to compare, and easier to trust.

Stake's expanded renter platform now includes:

Cash Back at lease signing through UMoveFree and participating property partnersCash Back on rent with Stake Checking, a renter-first FDIC insured bank account with no monthly fees, early paycheck access, and instant rewards for paying rentStake Credit Builder tools that report positive rent payments to major credit bureausFor property partners, Stake includes:

Loyalty Cloud, Stake's property performance dashboard for owners and managersStake+, which drives targeted incentives — such as concessions — to rentersTogether, these tools form a renter savings ecosystem that aligns renter outcomes with property performance.

"Since 2004, UMoveFree has empowered renters by combining its online apartment marketplace with a hands-on, concierge approach provided by its in-house team of apartment experts," said Mark Finney, co-founder of UMoveFree and General Manager of Texas at Stake, "Now, with Stake, UMoveFree will expand its offerings into a full deal network—from search to savings."

UMoveFree's team and technology will now become part of Stake's Demand Generation services, powering renter acquisition, campaign strategy, and market growth across Stake's Property Network—now representing more than 550,000 homes nationwide.

The acquisition also includes the integration of Lighthouse, whose mission and technology will be fully absorbed into Stake's search and onboarding experience. Lighthouse previously acquired UMoveFree in 2023.

"We founded Lighthouse with a mission to empower renters, and we've found that same mission with Stake," said Matt See, CEO of Lighthouse, "Now we can expand that mission beyond search to paying, renewing, and even banking with Stake."

About Stake

Stake is the network for renters. With over 550,000 homes, Stake connects real estate investors, rental properties, neighborhood stores and restaurants, local governments, and financial services with our Cash Back Network so everyone earns the Return on Rent™ they deserve. Stakers earn tens of millions of dollars each year, finding and moving to new homes, paying rent, unlocking incredible deals, improving credit scores, and accessing equitable banking services. Together, The Stake Network is on a mission to empower wealthier, happier, and more resilient renters. For more information, please visit https://getyourstake.com/.

About UMoveFree

UMoveFree is the largest apartment locating platform in Texas, helping over 5 million renters find homes since its founding. Known for pioneering Cash Back deals for renters, UMoveFree combines marketplace discovery with high-touch, concierge support that makes moving more affordable. For more information, please visit https://www.umovefree.com/.

About LAGO

LAGO is an alternative credit firm supporting high-growth businesses. LAGO specializes in providing capital, typically from $5-$50MM to fuel growth for emerging leaders in a wide range of industry sectors including Technology, AI Infrastructure, Energy Infrastructure, Defense, Space Tech, Health + Wellness, Clean Beauty + Skincare and E-Commerce. The company acts as a partner to structure founder-friendly investments that provide incremental, longer-term investable capital to drive market penetration and build business value towards sustainable success in the future. To learn more, visit LAGO Innovation Fund and follow on LinkedIn.

Stake is a financial technology company and is not a bank. Banking services provided by TransPecos Banks, SSB; Members FDIC. The Stake Visa Debit Card is issued by TransPecos Banks, SSB pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc and may be used anywhere Visa cards are accepted. Accounts are eligible for pass-through deposit insurance only to the extent pass-through insurance is permitted by the rules and regulations of the FDIC, and if the requirements for pass-through insurance are satisfied. There may be a risk that pass-through deposit insurance is not available because conditions have not been satisfied. In such cases, funds may not be fully insured in the event the insured depository institution where the funds have been deposited were to fail. Average cash back is based on internal Stake Network data and may not reflect individual results. Actual rewards vary by customer.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/stake-closes-8m-in-new-financing-acquires-umovefree-302710472.html

SOURCE Stake Network, Inc.