Sweeten

About Sweeten

Sweeten operates as a two-sided marketplace within the expansive home renovation industry, connecting homeowners and small business owners with thoroughly vetted general contractors. The company was founded in 2011 by Jean Brownhill, an architect who drew inspiration from her own frustrating and opaque experience with a home renovation. Brownhill, a graduate of The Cooper Union with a degree in Architecture, spent a decade in architecture and construction, including a role as Senior Manager of Global Architecture at Coach, before launching Sweeten. This background provided her with a direct understanding of the industry's inefficiencies and the need for a more transparent, technology-driven solution.

The platform's core function is to act as a matchmaker, using a combination of technology and human expertise to connect renovators with the most suitable contractors for their specific project scope, budget, location, and style. Sweeten provides support throughout the renovation process, from helping clients evaluate estimates to offering assistance until the project is completed. The service is free for homeowners and business owners undertaking renovations. The company's revenue is generated through a commission-based model, where it receives a percentage of the total contract value from the general contractors for projects they secure through the platform. This fee is treated as a business development expense by the contractors.

Sweeten targets residential and commercial clients with major renovation projects, typically with budgets starting at $15,000. The platform handles a wide variety of projects, from kitchen and bathroom remodels to full gut renovations and commercial build-outs for offices and retail stores. A significant aspect of the platform is its rigorous contractor vetting process, with fewer than 20% of applicants being accepted into the network, ensuring a high standard of quality and reliability. Beyond matchmaking, Sweeten has expanded its services, launching Sweeten Enterprise in 2022 to cater to the commercial construction sector and establishing initiatives like the Sweeten Accelerator for Women (SAW) to support female contractors in the industry.