Tech startup Keyhook makes playing house a breeze

It all started when two friends, Luke Nicholls and Aaron Rama, were out for dinner at The Flying Burrito Brothers. Luke, a property manager at the time, was constantly getting calls from tenants. During one of the calls, Aaron, a software engineer, began to sketch onto a napkin what he imagined a property manager’s work looked like. “Close,” said Luke on returning to the table. “But you’ve forgotten this, this, and this.” Aaron saw the potential to automate and streamline the job into one application. From then on, the pair spent every day after work and every weekend, whiteboarding out the property management life cycle. Six years later, and they’re deep in the whirlwind of an unstoppable startup. 

Keyhook is different from other applications in that it covers all facets of property management from start to finish, tenant to landlord. “The status quo is you have to use one system for your accounting, one system for your inspections, one system for your maintenance, by the time you do your job, you’ve got ten different tabs open... We said, ‘Let’s simplify that, let’s build the end-to-end lifecycle all in one platform.’” 

Keyhook launched in 2020 and very quickly gained attention. The application speaks for itself and hooks clients with its ease and simplicity. While Keyhook does away with endless paperwork and utilises AI, Luke and Aaron always strive to keep that all-important human element woven into the client experience. “I call every customer at the end of the first month,” said Luke. “I want them to say, ‘Epic, so glad we made the jump.‘” 

Key to their early growth has been the support of WellingtonNZ and the city’s tech community. “When I sat down with WellingtonNZ, I had no idea what was available to us. And when we did the first discovery session... I was like, ‘What! Free money, free help, heck yeah.’” Keyhook secured a Research and Development (R&D) grant through Innovation Services administered by MBIE, as well as three graduate students through the R&D Career Grant. “[Those graduates] are working with us on some world firsts, so it’s cool to bring them on the journey.“ 

Luke thinks Wellington is finding its place again as a tech and startup hub. “There are a few people [in Wellington] who have been working on stuff, particularly with AI being able to build everything for you. AI is epic; you can build a really good MVP [minimum viable product] over a six-week period. I think you’re going to see so many more problems being solved by niche products.” 

Keyhook is 100% work-from-the-office. It was a decision Luke and Aaron made early on to ensure their tight-knit culture was maintained. “We’re still able to find really good talent,” said Luke. The passion and culture in his Wellington team have been vital and continue to be as they grow from strength to strength.