PropTech startup Boardroom is tackling the opaque and often dysfunctional governance of homeowners associations (HOAs), a system its co-founders experienced firsthand. The company aims to provide digital tools for transparency, including secure voting, financial record access, and board communication — turning what it calls a 'broken' system into a more accountable one.
Founded by serial entrepreneur and lawyer Jonathan Gropper alongside patent attorney Jonathan Waldman, Boardroom emerged from their own battles with their Philadelphia condo's HOA. After both faced what they describe as board resistance and opaque election practices — Gropper was removed from the board after pushing for a forensic audit, and Waldman was forced to tally disputed ballots in an attorney's office without notes or counsel — they decided to build a solution.
The startup is launching with a platform designed to streamline HOA management, including digital ballot casting, financial disclosure dashboards, and secure document sharing. The founders argue that many of the 370,000 HOAs in the U.S. operate with antiquated paper-based systems that can obscure mismanagement and disenfranchise homeowners.
Boardroom enters a fragmented market with few direct competitors offering a dedicated governance layer, though broader property management software firms like AppFolio and Buildium exist. The founders believe the post-pandemic push for remote access and transparency will accelerate adoption. 'People are fed up with not being able to see where their fees are going,' Waldman told Fast Company.
Critics caution that HOA boards, often run by volunteer homeowners, may resist additional software costs or view transparency tools as an indictment of their management. The platform's success will depend on whether it can overcome the local politics that have long plagued these associations. So far, the startup has not disclosed funding or valuation figures.