The Raleigh startup that wants to manage your home

Driving the news: Exhale Home, founded by former RedBox and Primo Water executive Matt Sheehan, is making the bet that many Triangle homeowners would like for someone else to manage the maintenance of their homes — or are just too busy to do it themselves.

• The service is currently available in Raleigh, Cary, Chapel Hill, Durham, Holly Springs and Apex, Sheehan told Axios.

Background: Sheehan started Exhale during the pandemic, after he was forced out as CEO of Primo by a hedge fund that took over the company and moved to Raleigh from Winston-Salem.

• But the idea for Exhale dates back more than a decade, when he found himself worried about fixing a leaky faucet during the middle of his workday.

How it works: Exhale charges a monthly membership fee of $199, which gives access to a home manager who finds service providers and access to on-demand handymen.

• Exhale also designs a custom maintenance schedule — like landscaping, duct cleaning or simply housekeeping — that is billed monthly on top of the membership fee.
• In case of emergency repair services, a home manager will find a service provider and give an estimate of the project before completing it.

What we're watching: It remains to be seen how much traction Exhale will gain — but the goal is to use the Triangle as a launching pad for other markets, Sheehan said.

• That will require more cash. So far it has raised $1.9 million from investors last year, and Sheehan continues to put in his own money into the company.
• In its early days, Sheehan said, Exhale has signed up 65 homes, with growth picking up in recent months.
• Exhale has not yet reached profitability, but Sheehan said he hopes to attract more investors once it does.