A quote from Zero Homes. (Courtesy Zero Homes)
Single-family homes make up 20% of the United States’ carbon emissions.
A Denver-based startup wants to raise $10 million to $15 million to change that.
“We not only have to convince people to make climate decisions for their homes,” said Grant Gunnison, who founded Zero Homes in 2021. “We have to make the value proposition so strong that it’s the only solution that makes sense.”
Zero Homes designs and gives quotes for electric components such as water heaters, HVAC systems and heat pumps, without ever having to set foot in a house — a process Gunnison said helps customers save 10% to 15% on average.
You can use the business’s app to take a video of your home and upload utility bills. Within 24 hours you get a quote, and then the company brings in locally vetted contractors to complete the work.
Gunnison likens the software to the solar industry’s use of remote blueprints, which he said helped it expand rapidly. Since launching, he said Zero Homes has helped several hundred homeowners go electric across Colorado, Minnesota, California, Massachusett, Rhode Island and also in Chicago.
“The value proposition is different depending on geography and nature of your house, the weather and the current state of the home,” Gunnison said, explaining that monthly costs vary widely. “Part of our tech is we can ingest all that info and tell the consumer what their savings will look like.”
This remote process benefits contractors too, according to Gunnison, a former general contractor in California. Cutting out the time needed to drive out, size and scope projects saves thousands, he said.
In rural areas like Colorado or Minnesota, the time to drive to individual projects makes Zero Homes particularly valuable, he said. Contractors occasionally give them leads because of this, knowing that the business will contract out the installation work.
“They make enough money working with us that they’re really happy to work with us,” he said. “They’re not paying someone to run around. In a lot of ways, we’re a sales team for them.”
Cities, states and the federal government that offer incentives for electric appliances also make it more affordable for homeowners.
Just last month, rebates compounded in Denver to make water heaters completely free of charge. Gunnison said Zero Homes put in dozens of new ones in the metro area as a part of the program.
He said he thinks programs like these are the best way to get people to use Zero Homes, because most don’t willingly go shopping for new systems that are typically costly. When they need new energy-efficient windows or washing machines, though, he wants Zero Homes to be the place to go.
“It’s seldom that people are going out of their way to replace their HVAC,” Gunnison joked. “The goal here is to say when you do need to replace that, we’re the best option.”
To be able to serve more customers, Gunnison is just beginning to hit the investor circuit for a $10 million to $15 million raise. So far, Zero Homes has raised just about $3 million in venture capital and an additional $1.5 million from a Department of Energy grant.
The MIT-educated engineer transposed cell phone camera tech he used while working for NASA to build out Zero Homes’ tools.
“A lot of the imaging of the earth we were doing is similar to us,” he said. “There’s tens of millions of projects in the U.S. each year, and this is a software opportunity to drive intelligent choices and help contractors.”
Gunnison said he expects the company’s triple-digit revenue growth in each of the past four quarters to continue this year, with 2025 total numbers reaching eight figures.
He also said Zero Homes is looking to expand its office footprint at the embattled Industry RiNo Station, getting four to five times more space than the 1,800 square feet it currently occupies. He expects to grow his staff of 20, up from around 10 at the beginning of the year, to just under 25 people in the coming months.
That staff will help the business expand to several more markets this year. He said he’s already speaking with utility companies to deploy the software on the East Coast. By 2026, Zero Homes could be in as many as 10 states.
“There hasn’t been a lot of innovation in residential construction, but it’s on its way,” he said. “This is gonna move the needle.”
A quote from Zero Homes. (Courtesy Zero Homes)
Single-family homes make up 20% of the United States’ carbon emissions.
A Denver-based startup wants to raise $10 million to $15 million to change that.
“We not only have to convince people to make climate decisions for their homes,” said Grant Gunnison, who founded Zero Homes in 2021. “We have to make the value proposition so strong that it’s the only solution that makes sense.”
Zero Homes designs and gives quotes for electric components such as water heaters, HVAC systems and heat pumps, without ever having to set foot in a house — a process Gunnison said helps customers save 10% to 15% on average.
You can use the business’s app to take a video of your home and upload utility bills. Within 24 hours you get a quote, and then the company brings in locally vetted contractors to complete the work.
Gunnison likens the software to the solar industry’s use of remote blueprints, which he said helped it expand rapidly. Since launching, he said Zero Homes has helped several hundred homeowners go electric across Colorado, Minnesota, California, Massachusett, Rhode Island and also in Chicago.
“The value proposition is different depending on geography and nature of your house, the weather and the current state of the home,” Gunnison said, explaining that monthly costs vary widely. “Part of our tech is we can ingest all that info and tell the consumer what their savings will look like.”
This remote process benefits contractors too, according to Gunnison, a former general contractor in California. Cutting out the time needed to drive out, size and scope projects saves thousands, he said.
In rural areas like Colorado or Minnesota, the time to drive to individual projects makes Zero Homes particularly valuable, he said. Contractors occasionally give them leads because of this, knowing that the business will contract out the installation work.
“They make enough money working with us that they’re really happy to work with us,” he said. “They’re not paying someone to run around. In a lot of ways, we’re a sales team for them.”
Cities, states and the federal government that offer incentives for electric appliances also make it more affordable for homeowners.
Just last month, rebates compounded in Denver to make water heaters completely free of charge. Gunnison said Zero Homes put in dozens of new ones in the metro area as a part of the program.
He said he thinks programs like these are the best way to get people to use Zero Homes, because most don’t willingly go shopping for new systems that are typically costly. When they need new energy-efficient windows or washing machines, though, he wants Zero Homes to be the place to go.
“It’s seldom that people are going out of their way to replace their HVAC,” Gunnison joked. “The goal here is to say when you do need to replace that, we’re the best option.”
To be able to serve more customers, Gunnison is just beginning to hit the investor circuit for a $10 million to $15 million raise. So far, Zero Homes has raised just about $3 million in venture capital and an additional $1.5 million from a Department of Energy grant.
The MIT-educated engineer transposed cell phone camera tech he used while working for NASA to build out Zero Homes’ tools.
“A lot of the imaging of the earth we were doing is similar to us,” he said. “There’s tens of millions of projects in the U.S. each year, and this is a software opportunity to drive intelligent choices and help contractors.”
Gunnison said he expects the company’s triple-digit revenue growth in each of the past four quarters to continue this year, with 2025 total numbers reaching eight figures.
He also said Zero Homes is looking to expand its office footprint at the embattled Industry RiNo Station, getting four to five times more space than the 1,800 square feet it currently occupies. He expects to grow his staff of 20, up from around 10 at the beginning of the year, to just under 25 people in the coming months.
That staff will help the business expand to several more markets this year. He said he’s already speaking with utility companies to deploy the software on the East Coast. By 2026, Zero Homes could be in as many as 10 states.
“There hasn’t been a lot of innovation in residential construction, but it’s on its way,” he said. “This is gonna move the needle.”
