About us
Housed at Terner Labs, a nonprofit that works closely with UC Berkeley's Terner Center for Housing Innovation, our work is grounded in 10+ years of housing research, policy insight, and direct relationships across the ecosystem.
Joist builds on Terner Labs' track record of supporting housing entrepreneurs.
Joist Capital Partners was launched by Terner Labs in 2026. Our investments build on Terner Labs' groundbreaking Housing Venture Lab, the nation's first and largest accelerator for housing entrepreneurs.
Since 2019, Terner Labs has supported 40+ ventures across 6 cohorts. Post-program, these companies have raised $980M+ in follow-on funding and served more than 12 million people.
Examples of HVL alumni companies
Esusu
Esusu is a platform for renter financial health that helps low-to-moderate-income households access high-quality financial products. Through their rent reporting service, residents establish and build their credit scores while helping property owners improve their ESG strategies and reporting.
PadSplit
PadSplit is the nation's largest coliving marketplace that connects property owners with pre-screened residents seeking an affordable place to live. They help real estate investors leverage under-utilized space in existing properties to make it more affordable for community members.
Infilla
Infilla is a software startup that helps local governments streamline and modernize their permitting and planning processes — making it faster, easier, and more transparent to build housing. Infilla offers modular tools like impact fee calculators, smart intake forms, and searchable zoning guidance, reducing paperwork, cutting delays, and helping city staff process applications more efficiently.
Villa Homes
Villa is a next-generation homebuilding platform that applies modern offsite construction methods and technology to efficiently build much-needed housing in infill locations. Villa's mission is to be the easiest, fastest, and most cost-efficient way to build quality homes.
Meet the 2026 Housing Venture Lab cohort.
Craft Contracting · The Flagstone Initiative · Highland Park Technologies · Keyway Homes · Matrix Rental Solutions · Mosaic Timber · Nestment · Plumis · Series Homes · Shortstack Housing · US Offsite · Viva Benefits
