San Francisco, CA, April 7, 2021 – Pacaso, the company democratizing second home ownership, today announced that David Willbrand has joined the company as its first Chief Legal Officer. In this new role, Willbrand will oversee all legal and corporate governance matters for the company.
Prior to joining Pacaso, Willbrand was a long-time partner at Thompson Hine. There, he founded and chaired its startup and venture capital legal practice, growing it into one of the most prominent in the Midwest. Previous to Thompson Hine, Willbrand worked in the software industry, and held the dual role of CFO and General Counsel at a series of venture-backed companies. Willbrand also recently authored Seed Deals: How to Grow from Startup to Venture Capital, and is a professor of law at both the University of Michigan and Ohio State University, where he teaches advanced courses on mergers & acquisitions.
Willbrand is a graduate of Harvard University and the University of Cincinnati College of Law.
“I first met David in Cincinnati back in 2010 while working on my first startup, Dotloop” said Pacaso CEO and Co-founder Austin Allison. “David is a rare combination of talent, intellect and entrepreneurial instinct paired with an incredibly deep and broad understanding of his field. I am both excited and honored to have him on our Crew in this mission-critical executive role.”
“I've worked closely with Austin for many years, so making this move feels natural, and I'm really excited about it,” said Willbrand. “I'll miss my other startup clients, and my startup teammates at Thompson Hine, but they all have been supportive and enthusiastic. People in the world of startups understand and appreciate how incredibly rare it is to find a company with that special alchemy of great people, great funders, and great markets. That's Pacaso, and the opportunity was irresistible.”
Pacaso, which launched in October 2020, recently raised $75 million in growth funding, bringing the company’s total equity financing to more than $90 million. In addition, the company secured $1 billion in debt financing from leading financial institutions. With this round, Pacaso achieved a valuation of $1 billion, making it the fastest U.S.-based company to reach unicorn status (i).
Pacaso, a fully distributed company with a satellite office in Cincinnati, plans to invest significantly in hiring as it continues to expand into new markets.
About Pacaso
Pacaso™ (pronounced like "Picasso") modernizes the decades-old practice of co-ownership by creating a marketplace that makes buying, owning and selling a second home easy. From curating the best listings in top second home markets to offering integrated financing, upscale interior design, professional property management and proprietary technology to make scheduling stays simple, Pacaso provides owners with all the benefits of owning a second home without the hassle. After purchase, Pacaso manages the home on an ongoing basis and supports a frictionless resale process in partnership with a licensed real estate professional.
Pacaso was founded by former Zillow executives Austin Allison and Spencer Rascoff.
(i): Source: Internal company analysis of Crunchbase and PitchBook data comparing unicorn status timelines based on company launch dates.
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Contact
Amy Musser
amusser@pacaso.com
+1(703)-300-6888