HLRBO, a marketplace connecting landowners with hunters seeking private-land access, has closed a $2.5 million funding round led by Mairs and Power Venture Capital of St. Paul, with additional support from individual and angel investors. The capital will accelerate HLRBO’s expansion as a national platform for hunting leases, landowner income, and responsible private-land access across the United States and Canada.
Founded in 2015 in northern Minnesota, HLRBO has grown from a regional startup into a national platform with leases in all 50 states, 14,000 paying subscribers, 225,000 total users, and 1.7 million acres of land leases on its platform. The latest round follows earlier funding from Great North Ventures, Gopher Angels, and other investors, including a $1 million raise in February 2024 and a $600,000 raise in August 2024. The new capital will be used to grow lease inventory, improve the company’s web and app platforms, and invest in marketing, partnerships, mapping, and AI-driven land intelligence.
On the technology front, HLRBO is developing parcel-level mapping, AI-powered land scoring, and a proprietary cinematic view that uses AI to transform two-dimensional property maps into realistic three-dimensional drone flyovers. The company is also expanding its media and education efforts through a news blog, feature stories, and a printed newspaper mailed to landowners and field representatives. HLRBO is attending trade shows throughout 2026 and building partnerships with outdoor product and hunting media companies, with additional investment in social media, creators, and video initiatives to drive user growth. Together, these efforts are aimed at positioning the company as the leading technology, media, and marketplace platform for private hunting access in North America.
KEY QUOTES:
“This funding helps us keep building the marketplace for landowners and hunters. Private-land access has always been fragmented. We are building the infrastructure to make it easier to navigate.”
Heath Schubert, Founder and CEO, HLRBO
“We were impressed by HLRBO’s incredibly vibrant marketplace. It caters to hundreds of thousands of hunters looking to gain access to the best hunting land across America.”
Scott Burns, General Partner, Mairs and Power Venture Capital
