Why did we start Tāne

Why did a couple, who don’t own a home yet and haven’t undertaken a home renovation themselves decide to build a product in the home construction space?

We were inspired by seeing my brother Jonny’s construction company in New Zealand. Jonny built his company from the ground up, with a roster of loyal and highly satisfied clients. Everyone we met agreed that what set Jonny’s business apart was the openness and predictability of communication with homeowners, something other contractors could struggle with. Jonny spent a lot of time and energy to keep his clients informed, relying on phone calls and emails (and sometimes, trips to the pub).

We wondered whether we could help other builders foster this type of close engagement with homeowners using best practices from the tools we used on a daily basis in tech companies. We spoke to homeowners and general contractors about their experiences on home construction projects and saw immediately that lack of communication was a key pain point and source of anxiety for homeowners.

We believe that if we make it simple and easy for the general contractor to keep the client informed, we’ll close the communication gap on home projects. So we are building Tāne to empower the homeowner and support the general contractor, using technology to bring transparency, clarity, and delight to any home construction project.

Tāne is your home construction project assistant.

What’s with the name? Tāne (pronounced Tah-ney) honors the Maori god of forests, who is known for his determination and cooperativeness.

If you are planning to do a home construction project, pre-register for Tāne here and we will keep you updated for the launch.