Yishai Lehavi TULU is the story of an architect who looked at an apartment building and saw something other than walls: a place where people own hundreds of things they barely use, next to amenity rooms that earn almost nothing. Lehavi is the co-founder and CEO of TULU, an in-building product access platform that lets residents rent or buy everyday items, from vacuums and VR headsets to e-scooters and groceries, from a smart unit in their own lobby. In November 2025, the company announced a $17 million extension that brought its Series A to $37 million and its total funding to $42 million. Here is how Lehavi got there, how the technology works and why some of the biggest landlords in the world have signed on.
Yishai Lehavi TULU: Who Is the Founder?
Yishai Lehavi is the co-founder and chief executive officer of TULU. He co-founded the company with Yael Shemer, who serves as chief customer officer. According to a company profile, the two met at MIT’s DesignX accelerator, where the idea took shape, and TULU was founded in 2019. A third name, Itamar Mofaz, appears in some startup databases as a co-founder and COO.
Lehavi’s background is architecture. Startup profiles describe him as a former architect whose expertise lies in the built environment, while Shemer comes from the world of environmental entrepreneurship. That pairing explains the company’s DNA. One founder thinks about buildings, space and how people use them. The other thinks about consumption, waste and sustainability. That mix of design thinking and sustainability is the foundation of the Yishai Lehavi TULU story.
The company is Israeli in origin, and early coverage in NoCamels described it as an Israeli startup. Today its commercial footprint is firmly American and European, with a New York address on its website and customers across more than 60 cities.
From Architecture to MIT DesignX
Architects spend their careers thinking about how people move through and live inside spaces. That habit shows in how Lehavi talks about TULU. In the company’s funding announcements, he describes buildings as the natural place for a new kind of consumption, a “last foot” delivery point where products sit right where people live, work and play.
MIT’s DesignX accelerator gave the idea its early structure. DesignX backs ventures at the intersection of design and the built environment, and TULU fit that brief closely. The company was not conceived as an e-commerce business that happened to need a physical unit. It started as a building-first idea: a way to turn a corner of a lobby or laundry room into something residents use every day.
That origin matters for how the product looks today. TULU is a piece of hardware, software and operations designed to fit inside real buildings, with the constraints that come with them. For the Yishai Lehavi TULU approach, the building itself is the product.
The Problem Lehavi Set Out to Solve
Two problems sit on opposite sides of the same coin.
Households own too much. Most city apartments are small, yet residents buy drills, vacuums, projectors and gadgets they use a few times a year. In the company’s own words, it does not make sense for everyone to own a drill, vacuum, e-scooter or even printer. Shemer has also pointed to a sustainability angle: according to the company, 45% of greenhouse gas emissions come from producing and consuming consumer goods, and much of that consumption happens at home.
Buildings hold space they barely monetize. Property owners build amenity rooms, such as lounges, package rooms and bike storage, that are expensive to maintain and hard to turn into recurring revenue. TULU’s homepage frames the opportunity as turning underused spaces into high-value amenities that drive retention and recurring revenue.
Lehavi’s insight was that the same solution could address both. If a building offered residents on-demand access to products, residents would spend less and own less, and the owner would gain an amenity people actually use. This two-sided problem is exactly what Yishai Lehavi TULU was built to fix.
Launching TULU
TULU began serving residents in 2020, according to the company’s announcements, and its first big funding milestone came two years later. In April 2022, TechCrunch reported that the startup had closed a $20 million Series A to expand with landlords and brand partners, with a goal of reaching 1,000 buildings. NoCamels summarized the plan and the founders’ pitch.
Lehavi framed the shift in simple terms: the world is moving from an acquisition model to an on-demand model. In his words, TULU’s platform removes the distance between users and products by delivering them as a last-foot service in buildings.
In its early phase, the company was operating in 19 cities across the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain and Israel, according to Calcalist’s report on a $5 million top-up that raised the Series A to $25 million. Calcalist also noted that TULU hired Yaniv Goder, a former Uber and Lime executive, as vice president of operations, a hire that signaled how seriously the company took the operational side of running physical units. The early cities and the $20 million round gave Yishai Lehavi TULU the proof it needed to scale.
How a TULU Unit Works
A TULU installation is surprisingly modest. According to the company’s FAQ, each modular column measures 20 inches wide and 20 inches deep and stands about 6.5 feet tall. It needs only a standard 110-volt outlet and can connect to a building’s WiFi or to TULU’s own network. A camera opposite the unit also needs a nearby power source.
Installation takes about four to six hours, depending on the size of the unit, and a white-glove team works with property management to minimize disruption. TULU also provides a Certificate of Insurance for buildings that require one.
The citybiz report on the funding round put it neatly: all it takes is a wall in a lobby, lounge, laundry or bike room. The plug-and-play, IoT-based units give residents 24/7 access to brand-name products, and each unit is customized to the building and its tenant base. Residents rent or buy items through the TULU app.
The simplicity is deliberate. A product that needs heavy construction or IT work would be a hard sell to landlords. A product that plugs into a wall is easy to say yes to. Simplicity is a deliberate design choice in the Yishai Lehavi TULU model.
The TULU Product Ecosystem
The company’s website organizes the offering into five product families.
Rent. Residents borrow everyday products such as vacuums, tools and luxury items right in the building.
Shop. An in-building convenience store sells daily essentials, toiletries and snacks.
Print. A self-service station lets residents print documents without leaving the building.
Ride. Residents can grab an e-scooter from the building for short, affordable trips around the neighborhood.
Services. Through the app, residents can book on-demand services such as dog walking, cleaning or laundry.
TULU says it works across multifamily, student housing, office and hotel properties, and a “Build Your TULU” tool lets property teams select the amenities their residents want and configure a unit in minutes. That flexibility matters because each property type has different needs. A student building may want printing and scooters. A luxury apartment tower may care more about premium rentals and services.
Funding: From the $20M Series A to $37M
TULU’s funding history shows a company that raised steadily without needing a giant round.
The Series A began in 2022 with $20 million. Startup databases credit New Era Capital Partners with leading the round, with participation from Bosch Venture Capital and Kärcher among others. The round was topped up to $25 million with an additional $5 million, supported by new strategic investors and existing backers.
The names behind the round tell a story. Bosch and Kärcher are household-appliance and cleaning-equipment brands, which makes them natural partners for a platform that puts appliances in front of urban renters. Their involvement suggests that manufacturers see TULU as a channel for reaching younger consumers and learning how products are actually used. For Yishai Lehavi TULU, strategic investors double as distribution partners.
The $17M Series A Extension
On November 19, 2025, TULU announced a $17 million extension, co-led by GreenSoil PropTech Ventures and existing investors Bosch Ventures and New Era Capital Partners. That brought total Series A funding to $37 million, and total funding across the seed and Series A rounds to $42 million. Other existing investors, including Regeneration.VC, Good Company, Aviv Growth Ventures and i3 Partners, also took part.
At that point, TULU said it had served more than 500,000 residents across 60 cities in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Austria, France, Portugal, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Italy.
Lehavi used the announcement to describe where the company was heading. Unlike selling a product once, he explained, building a usage habit requires continuous insight and personalization. He described the goal as becoming a “category-defining company” shaping a new consumption economy, and said TULU had spent the previous year embedding AI capabilities that turn usage data into actionable insights.
Investors echoed the point. Gideon Soesman of GreenSoil said the company had built a strong base with blue-chip real estate partners, strong unit economics and revenue momentum. Dr. Ingo Ramesohl of Bosch Ventures argued that the shift from ownership to usage is essential for advancing circularity. The November 2025 round shows investors still believe in the Yishai Lehavi TULU vision.
Property and Brand Partners
A hardware company in apartment buildings lives or dies by who lets it in. TULU’s partner list is its strongest proof point. The November 2025 announcement named Greystar, BGO, Brookfield, RPM, Blackstone, Bozzuto, American Campus, RXR, Willow Bridge and Related as owners and operators integrating TULU to strengthen leasing performance and increase renewals.
On the other side of the platform are brands. Bosch, Kärcher, Philips and Anker partner with TULU to reach Gen Z and millennial consumers, expand brand visibility and capture product insights. In effect, TULU is a three-sided platform: residents get access, landlords get an amenity and brands get a data-rich channel. That structure explains why Bosch and Kärcher appear as both partners and investors.
The company’s website describes its footprint as 65+ markets worldwide, and a separate press release announcing that Shemer had been named to Inc.’s Female Founders 500 described a user base of more than 500,000. Few proptech startups can match the partner list behind Yishai Lehavi TULU.
TULU Brain: The AI Layer
The name TULU Brain refers to the company’s proprietary AI system. According to the funding announcement, it translates real usage data into personalized digital experiences, which drive resident engagement and provide insights to landlords and brand partners.
On the operations side, the website says the AI flags expiring or low-stock items and triggers reorders automatically. A custom AI-built checklist guides the field team during visits, and geo-verification confirms staff are on-site.
This is where Lehavi’s usage-habit idea becomes practical. If a resident rents a vacuum twice and never touches the projector, the unit’s inventory should change. If a building skews toward students, it should stock differently from a luxury tower. Personalization at the building level is the difference between a vending machine and a platform.
Fully Managed Operations
Landlords are generally unwilling to take on another operating burden. TULU’s answer is to handle everything. The company calls its offering fully managed, and its site lists four pillars.
24/7 resident support. TULU’s team answers questions about the app and products, so property staff never handle TULU-related requests.
AI-guided visits. Field staff restock, inspect and check expiration dates using AI-built checklists.
Built-in marketing. TULU announces new inventory and runs seasonal campaigns for each building’s community.
Insurance and repairs. The company carries general liability insurance in every building it operates and handles maintenance and repairs on any item.
If a resident breaks something, the FAQ explains that the resident reports it through the app and TULU handles repair or replacement, with costs depending on the terms of service. A dedicated admin app gives each building a management view.
For property managers who have been burned by amenity projects that required constant attention, this is a decisive selling point. Taking work off the landlord’s plate is central to how Yishai Lehavi TULU wins buildings.
Where TULU Stands in the Market
Lehavi’s company sits at the crossroads of proptech, retail technology and the sharing economy. Its website directly compares TULU with several in-building and micro-market competitors, including Cantaloupe, Garten, Micromart, Canteen, Impulsify and Lone Star. Naming rivals in marketing material is a sign of confidence, and a sign that the company expects buyers to be evaluating alternatives.
TULU’s differentiators are clear. It combines rentals, retail, printing, micro-mobility and services in one platform instead of focusing on snacks or lockers alone. Its relationships with blue-chip owners and global brands give it distribution that smaller competitors lack. And its AI layer is designed to make each building’s inventory smarter over time.
The risks are real. Hardware requires capital and field operations. Rentals mean damage, loss and maintenance. Landlords have many amenity options competing for budget. And the model depends on residents forming a habit, which is harder than a one-time purchase. Lehavi has been open about that last point, which is why the company puts so much weight on personalization.
Leadership Style and What’s Next
Lehavi leads like a systems thinker. His public comments consistently tie TULU to a larger shift, from ownership to access, and he tends to frame growth in terms of habits and behavior instead of unit counts. His co-founder Shemer carries the sustainability narrative and the customer relationship, and was named to Inc.’s Female Founders 500 for her work building the company from a DesignX venture to a Series A-funded platform.
Looking ahead, TULU’s announcement points to three priorities: expanding its network of in-building touchpoints to thousands of additional sites, deepening its AI capabilities and growing its brand partnerships. The test will be whether resident usage keeps compounding as the footprint grows, because owners will stay only if residents keep using the units. That test will define the next chapter of Yishai Lehavi TULU.
Lessons From the Yishai Lehavi TULU Journey
The Yishai Lehavi TULU journey offers five practical lessons for founders.
First, solve two problems with one product. TULU helps residents own less and helps landlords earn more from the same square footage. When a product benefits more than one party, adoption gets easier.
Second, make installation effortless. A unit that needs one outlet and a few hours of setup removes the biggest objection from busy property managers.
Third, take operations off the customer’s plate. Fully managed service turns a risky pilot into an easy yes.
Fourth, build a platform, not a product. By serving residents, owners and brands, TULU created multiple reasons for each side to stay.
Fifth, bring strategic investors in early. Bosch and Kärcher are both backers and partners, which aligns incentives and opens doors to product supply and insight.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Yishai Lehavi?
Yishai Lehavi is the co-founder and CEO of TULU, the in-building product access platform. He is a former architect who co-founded the company with Yael Shemer.
What is the Yishai Lehavi TULU story?
It is the story of an architect who co-founded TULU to turn building lobbies into on-demand access points for everyday products, raising $42 million to date.
What is TULU?
TULU is a fully managed, IoT-enabled amenity platform that gives residents of multifamily, student housing, office and hospitality properties on-demand access to products and services through smart units and a mobile app.
How much funding has TULU raised?
The company says it has raised $42 million across its seed and Series A rounds, including a $17 million Series A extension announced in November 2025 that brought the Series A to $37 million.
Who invests in TULU?
Investors include GreenSoil PropTech Ventures, Bosch Ventures, New Era Capital Partners, Regeneration.VC, Good Company, Aviv Growth Ventures and i3 Partners.
Where does TULU operate?
TULU says it operates in more than 60 cities across North America and Europe, with 500,000+ residents served.
What can residents rent or buy from TULU?
Products include vacuums, tools, VR headsets, projectors and e-scooters, plus essentials and snacks. The app also lets residents book services such as cleaning or dog walking.
How big is a TULU unit and how long does installation take?
Each modular column is 20 inches wide and 20 inches deep, and about 6.5 feet tall. Installation typically takes four to six hours.
What property types does TULU serve?
Multifamily, student housing, office and hotel properties.
Who are TULU’s property partners?
Partners named by the company include Greystar, Brookfield, Blackstone, RXR, Bozzuto and American Campus.
Conclusion
Yishai Lehavi TULU shows what happens when an architect treats a building as a platform. By pairing a plug-and-play smart unit with fully managed operations and an AI layer, Lehavi built a company that serves residents, owners and brands at once, and persuaded some of the largest landlords in the world to install it. With $42 million raised, 500,000+ residents served and a presence in more than 60 cities, TULU has moved from a MIT accelerator idea to a global amenity platform. The open question is whether usage habits keep growing as the network expands. If they do, Lehavi’s bet on access over ownership may become a standard feature of how buildings are run.
For more founder journeys, see Freddie Martignetti’s Rosaluna, Marcos del Pilar’s Pro Padel League and Nopalera’s Series A on Denote Press.
