Trade Hounds
Trade Hounds is a free mobile-first social platform and digital utility serving 450,000+ U.S. skilled tradespeople across electrical, HVAC, plumbing, and construction. It combines social networking, pay benchmarking, supply house mapping, AI-powered product search, and contractor workflow tools acquired from WRANGLD, monetizing via manufacturer/distributor advertising and partner referrals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersBoston, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Trade Hounds does
Trade Hounds is a mobile-first social platform and digital utility serving skilled tradespeople in the U.S. construction industry. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio (operating entity: Material Management Software LLC; legal entity: Trade Hounds, Inc.), the platform has grown to a community of over 450,000 individual tradespeople across electrical, HVAC, plumbing, welding, and general construction. The core product is a free iOS and Android app that combines social networking with job posting, pay and billing-rate benchmarking, a supply house locator map with BABA-compliant product highlighting, and AI-powered image-based product search. Following the February 2025 acquisition of WRANGLD, Trade Hounds has expanded into contractor workflow tools including estimation, proposal, and job management solutions.
The platform's underlying technology stack includes a mobile-first architecture, AI-powered computer vision for product identification, natural language and recommendation-driven search, and integration layers connecting to distributor order engines (Prokeep), financing providers (Credit Key, Momnt), benefits marketplaces (Ironvest), and NEMA's Make It American certification database. The business model is freemium to tradespeople; revenue is generated through manufacturer and distributor advertising and brand presence via company accounts, partner referral economics, and an emerging transaction layer as PO/RFQ submission moves into production. Commercial customers include electrical and construction product manufacturers, electrical distributors, and contractors seeking to hire from the platform's labor pool.
Trade Hounds serves a fragmented long-tail of individual tradespeople alongside enterprise commercial partners on the advertising and distribution sides, with five or fewer disclosed partnerships (NEMA, Prokeep, Credit Key, Ironvest, Momnt) plus minor partner marketing arrangements with Klein Tools and isolved. The company was co-founded by CEO David Bauders and CTO Jon Clark, maintains a lean team of 1-10 employees, and has raised approximately $4.9 million in disclosed funding to date across a 2016 pre-seed, 2018 round, and a 2020 seed led by Alpaca VC and Brick & Mortar Ventures.
Trade Hounds firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Trade Hounds
- Legal name
- Trade Hounds, Inc.
- Website
- https://tradehounds.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Trade Hounds is a free mobile-first social platform and digital utility serving 450,000+ U.S. skilled tradespeople across electrical, HVAC, plumbing, and construction. It combines social networking, pay benchmarking, supply house mapping, AI-powered product search, and contractor workflow tools acquired from WRANGLD, monetizing via manufacturer/distributor advertising and partner referrals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Trade Hounds industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Skilled Trades Social Platform
- NAICS
- Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods (423)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Machinery, Equipment & Supplies (5080)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Inventory, Procurement & Supplier Connectivity (Stock, Ordering, Price Catalogs) (HLAMAGAG)
Keywords
Where Trade Hounds is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Trade Hounds business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations
Revenue model
- Manufacturer and Distributor Advertising: Trade Hounds enables manufacturers and distributors to create company accounts and post content to reach the trades community. Brands leverage the platform for social selling, brand awareness, and product promotion to a highly engaged audience of 450,000+ tradespeople who collectively spend over $30 billion annually on tools and materials.
- Referral and Lead Generation: The platform connects tradespeople with supply houses and generates leads for distributors and manufacturers. The integration with Prokeep allows users to communicate purchase orders directly to distributors, creating referral revenue opportunities.
- Partner Referrals - Benefits Marketplace: Through partnerships with Ironvest, Trade Hounds refers users to benefits services including health insurance, retirement plans, and business services. The platform drives enrollment during open enrollment periods.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free App for Tradespeople |
| Freemium | Monthly | Free Company Accounts |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Trade Hounds product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Trade Hounds operates a free mobile social platform that connects 450,000+ skilled tradespeople (electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians, welders, etc.) with peer community, pay benchmarking, supply house discovery, AI-powered product search, free job postings, and contractor workflow tools. The company monetizes via manufacturer/distributor company accounts, advertising, and referral partnerships with financing, benefits, and distribution integrations.
Product overview
Trade Hounds is America's largest social platform for skilled tradespeople, operating as a unified mobile app and web platform. The core product is the Trade Hounds App, a free social community connecting over 450,000 tradespeople across construction, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and welding. The platform offers multiple integrated modules including Compare Your Billing Rate and Compare Your Pay for compensation benchmarking, a Supply House Map for locating materials and supply houses, Company Accounts with Free Job Posting for employer hiring, and the recently acquired WRANGLD Contractor Tools for estimate and workflow management. AI-powered features include image-based product search and enhanced search capabilities. The platform has expanded through partnerships to include Credit Key financing for BNPL payments, Ironvest benefits marketplace for health/retirement coverage, and integrates NEMA Make It American certified products for BABA compliance. Trade Hounds serves as both a social community and a full-service digital utility for the construction industry.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Trade Hounds App Free mobile social platform connecting 450,000+ skilled tradespeople across construction, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and welding. Users can showcase their craft, compare pay and billing rates, find products at nearby supply houses via AI-powered image search, connect with employers through free job postings, and earn rewards through giveaways. Available on iOS and Android.
- Compare Your Billing Rate Free feature that enables tradespeople and contractors to compare hourly billing rates against real tradespeople in their area, trade, and experience level, helping them price jobs confidently, profitably, and competitively.
- WRANGLD Contractor Tools Digital contractor tools (acquired from WRANGLD) enabling contractors to manage estimates, proposals, and workflows more efficiently, communicate with clients, and get paid faster. Now integrated into the Trade Hounds platform.
- Ironvest Benefits Marketplace Employee benefits marketplace providing tradespeople and small businesses access to affordable health insurance (ACA Marketplace, group plans, dental, vision), retirement plans (401k, IRA, Solo 401k, SEP IRA), business insurance, payroll services, tax services, and disability/life insurance, delivered through the dedicated tradehoundsbyironvest.com portal.
- Credit Key Financing Integration Buy Now, Pay Later financing integration offering 30 days interest-free for materials purchases, with instant credit decisions, reusable credit lines, and terms up to 12 months to help tradespeople manage cash flow.
Quantifiable outcome
- 70% of users are more likely to buy a product they see on the app
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Trade Hounds
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Trade Hounds technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability4 records
Feature6 records
Trade Hounds partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- IronvestcoreTrade Hounds partnered with Ironvest, an employee benefits marketplace, to provide tradespeople access to affordable health insurance, retirement plans (401k, IRA, Solo 401k, SEP IRA), business insurance (general liability, workers comp), payroll services, tax services, and disability/life insurance. Launched during U.S. Open Enrollment period 2025. Addresses the significant benefits gap in the trades workforce where 31% lack employer health insurance and 34% don't contribute to retirement plans.
- NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association)coreTrade Hounds partnered with NEMA to promote Build America, Buy America (BABA) compliant products and facilities through NEMA's Make It American certification program. Integration highlights certified products in the app's supply house map and product catalog, making it easier for contractors to identify domestically manufactured products for federally funded infrastructure projects. Collaboration brings together NEMA's 300+ member manufacturers with Trade Hounds' 450,000+ tradesperson community.
- Credit KeycoreTrade Hounds partnered with Credit Key to offer users instant credit and interest-free payments (30 days) for materials, providing flexible financing options. Integration aims to alleviate cash flow issues where 70% of tradespeople report upfront material costs strain their cash flow. Offers terms up to 12 months for longer projects.
- ABLEMKR, Crewdle, Laborocity, BlueRecruitminorTrade Hounds was profiled alongside other on-demand staffing platforms for the construction industry including ABLEMKR, Crewdle, Laborocity, and BlueRecruit as part of an article highlighting digital staffing solutions. Not a formal partnership but competitive positioning.
- ProkeepcoreTrade Hounds integrated with Prokeep, the market-leading Order Engine for distributors, to enhance social selling capabilities. Integration allows users to communicate POs and RFQs directly to distributor branches from the field, gives inside sales reps real-time access to buyer intent data, and enables distributors to identify and connect with next-generation buyers. Prokeep serves over 8,500 distributor branches and 3 million contractors.
- MomntminorTrade Hounds partnered with fintech company Momnt to offer consumer financing solutions for tradespeople, allowing affordable financing options directly at the point of need. Aims to overcome cost barriers and facilitate more home improvement projects amid rising expenses and anticipated severe weather.
- WRANGLDcoreTrade Hounds acquired WRANGLD, a software company specializing in contractor tools. WRANGLD's estimation, proposal, and job management solutions are being integrated into the Trade Hounds platform to streamline contractor workflow, improve project management and client communication, and help contractors get paid faster.
- Klein ToolsminorKlein Tools partnered with Trade Hounds to support the next generation of skilled trade workers. Partnership announced via blog post as part of Klein Tools' ongoing support for trades education and workforce development.
- isolvedminorTrade Hounds partnered with isolved, a payroll and HR services provider, to produce educational content on workforce classification (1099 vs W-2 rules) for trade employers. Joint webinar and Q&A content addressing compliance challenges in the trades industry.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Trade Hounds competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Indeed: Largest general-purpose job marketplace, including significant listings for skilled trades roles. Comparable on the hiring/job-posting dimension of Trade Hounds and represents a competitor for trade-skills recruitment attention and ad spend.
- Jobber: Field service management software for home service businesses including trades. Similar end-user base to Trade Hounds (electricians, plumbers, HVAC) but focused on CRM/operations software rather than community and marketplace.
- ServiceTitan: Vertical SaaS platform for trades contractors (HVAC, plumbing, electrical) covering scheduling, dispatch, invoicing, and customer management. Comparable as a software platform serving the same trades workforce, but focused on contractor back-office rather than community/marketplace.
- Houzz Pro: Software-plus-marketplace platform for home remodeling and design professionals, including trades. Overlaps with Trade Hounds on the contractor software and lead-generation side, and serves an adjacent homeowner audience.
Direct peers
- ConstructConnect: Construction project leads and bidding platform connecting general contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers. Comparable as a B2B platform serving the construction industry with overlapping distributor/supplier relationships and pre-construction workflow focus.
- Angi: Home services marketplace (formerly Angie's List) that matches homeowners with skilled trade pros. Comparable to Trade Hounds in serving both demand (homeowners needing pros) and supply (tradespeople seeking work and leads), with paid lead-generation revenue model.
- Thumbtack: Online marketplace connecting homeowners with local professionals including electricians, plumbers, and HVAC technicians. Most directly comparable to Trade Hounds on the consumer-facing marketplace and pros-acquisition side, with overlapping target audience and similar SMB monetization dynamics.
- HomeAdvisor: Home services marketplace owned by Angi Inc. that connects homeowners with prescreened local pros including trades. Direct competitor in the homeowner-to-pro matching category with similar paid lead-generation economics.
- Prokeep: Order engine and text-based communication platform for distributors serving tradespeople. Integrated with Trade Hounds but also an adjacent platform in its own right, competing for the same distributor-customer relationship that Trade Hounds also monetizes.
Emerging players
- Alignable: Small-business referral and networking community in North America. Comparable as a community-led growth platform targeting SMBs and independent professionals, including trades business owners, though with a broader vertical scope.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Trade Hounds social profiles
Digital presenceTrade Hounds financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Trade Hounds leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Trade Hounds subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Trade Hounds funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors8 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Trade Hounds M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Trade Hounds
What does Trade Hounds do?
Trade Hounds operates a free mobile social platform that connects 450,000+ skilled tradespeople (electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians, welders, etc.) with peer community, pay benchmarking, supply house discovery, AI-powered product search, free job postings, and contractor workflow tools. The company monetizes via manufacturer/distributor company accounts, advertising, and referral partnerships with financing, benefits, and distribution integrations.
Is Trade Hounds a public or private company?
Trade Hounds is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Trade Hounds founded?
Trade Hounds was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Trade Hounds based?
Trade Hounds is headquartered in Boston, United States, in the North America region.
How does Trade Hounds make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Manufacturer and Distributor Advertising is the primary driver. The others are referral and Lead Generation and partner Referrals - Benefits Marketplace.
Who are Trade Hounds's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Indeed, Jobber, ServiceTitan and Houzz Pro. Direct peers are ConstructConnect, Angi, Thumbtack, HomeAdvisor and Prokeep. Alignable is listed as an emerging player.
Does Trade Hounds have an API?
No public API is recorded for Trade Hounds.
What industry is Trade Hounds in?
Trade Hounds's product category is Skilled Trades Social Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAMAGAG, Inventory, Procurement & Supplier Connectivity (Stock, Ordering, Price Catalogs). Its NAICS code is 423 and its SIC code is 5080.