HLRBO raises $2.5M Series A led by Mairs & Power Venture Capital
What's the deal? HLRBO, a marketplace that connects private landowners with hunters seeking land access, has closed US$1.62M funding round led by Mairs & Power Venture CapitalDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → of St. Paul, Minnesota. The round also includes individual and angel investors.
Founded in 2015 in northern Minnesota, HLRBO (Hunting Land Rentals By Owner) has grown from a regional startup into a national platform with leases in all 50 states. It now has 14,000 paying subscribers, 225,000 total users, and 1.7 million acres listed.
The capital will go toward growing lease inventory, improving its web and app platforms, and investing in marketing, partnerships, and AI-driven land intelligence — including parcel-level mapping, AI-powered land scoring, and a "cinematic" view that transforms 2D property maps into 3D drone flyovers.
Why now? The round builds on momentum from two earlier raises in 2024: $1 million in February and $600,000 in August. Previous backers include Great North VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and Gopher AngelsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →.
"Private-land access has always been fragmented. We are building the infrastructure to make it easier to navigate," said Heath SchubertDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, founder and chief executive officer of HLRBO.
"We were impressed by HLRBO's incredibly vibrant marketplace," said Scott BurnsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, general partner at Mairs & Power Venture Capital. "It caters to hundreds of thousands of hunters looking to gain access to the best hunting land across America."
What could go wrong? HLRBO operates in a niche market where growth depends on convincing landowners to list property and hunters to pay for access. Scaling a two-sided marketplace across all 50 states — each with its own hunting regulations and seasons — is complex. The company also faces the challenge of competing with informal word-of-mouth networks that have long dominated private-land hunting access.
The signal: HLRBO's investor base — Mairs & Power, Great North Ventures, and Gopher Angels — is firmly rooted in the Minnesota startup ecosystem, suggesting the company is scaling on strong regional backing rather than chasing coastal VC. With $4.1 million raised across three rounds since early 2024 and 1.7 million acres already listed, the trajectory points to a platform approaching the critical mass needed to make a two-sided land-access marketplace self-reinforcing.
Read more: outdoorsportswire.com
