Joist
Acquired2 known investors
Toronto-based maker of a mobile app for trades contractors covering estimates, invoicing, payments and financing; owned by EverCommerce.
Also known as Joist App
Investors · 2
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Joist develops mobile and web software for trades and remodeling contractors. Its core application lets contractors create and send estimates and invoices, add line items, taxes, discounts, markup, photos, contracts and signatures, request deposits, set payment schedules and terms, manage clients and item price lists, track when a client has viewed or signed a document, and convert estimates into invoices. The product is offered across free and paid tiers — documented plan levels include Joist Basics, Joist Pro and Joist Elite — with additional modules for payment processing (through PayPal and Stripe), consumer and contractor financing, QuickBooks synchronization, an AI receptionist delivered with Zyratalk, an AI note improver, and a module called Joist Run.
The company launched in 2011 as a platform for contractor estimates and invoicing, and around 2016 experimented with a marketplace connecting contractors directly with homeowners, operated from Toronto and San Jose. That product did not generate revenue and was wound down; the company then refocused on its contractor software platform and added payment processing and home improvement financing, which management said returned the business to profitability within about two years. Joist was subsequently acquired by EverCommerce and continues to operate as an independent entity within that portfolio.
Founding story
Joist was a Winnipeg-born company founded by Justin Kathan and Brendon Sedo; it launched in 2011 as a tool for contractors to manage estimates and invoices, with a 2013 founding date cited in company materials.
Business model
Joist sells software to individual trades contractors and small contracting businesses, combining a free mobile app with paid subscription tiers (Joist Pro, Joist Elite) and attached financial services such as payment processing and home improvement financing for contractors and homeowners.
Revenue comes from paid subscription upgrades to the core app plus payment processing and financing products; the company reported converting more than 20,000 of its 115,000 users to a paid "pro" tier during testing, and over 30,000 subscribers to the upgraded feature set within roughly six months of its May 2019 launch.
Traction
More than 115,000 trades contractors used the core mobile product; the company reported processing more than $12 billion per year in invoices, over 30,000 paid subscribers to the upgraded feature set after the May 2019 launch, 21 employees at the time of acquisition with plans to reach about 30 by year-end, and a return to profitability following its refocus.
Latest developments
Support documentation covers newer capabilities including Joist Elite and Joist Basics plans, multi-processor Joist Payments with flexible switching between PayPal and Stripe, QR codes for payments, client profiles, QuickBooks sync, an AI note improver, an AI receptionist built with Zyratalk, and a Joist Run feature set.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history, risks & controversies
Market position
Joist described itself as a leading app for trades contractors, citing more than 115,000 active contractor customers and near five-star app store ratings; within EverCommerce it sits alongside other software solutions for remodeling and trades contractors.
Positioning emphasizes simplicity for contractors working in the field, bundling estimating, invoicing and project management with embedded payment processing and homeowner financing rather than software alone.
Technology
Mobile applications with a web-based counterpart, synchronizing data across phone, tablet and computer, with integrations for PayPal and Stripe payment processing, QuickBooks accounting sync, and AI-assisted features including an AI note improver and an AI receptionist built with Zyratalk.
Go-to-market
Distribution is through app stores and self-serve signup for a free core product, with upsell into paid plans and financial services; the company also hired for product, design and engineering roles in Toronto to support growth.
Trades and remodeling contractors in North America, including small contracting businesses that estimate, invoice and collect payment in the field, plus homeowners who use its financing products.
Geography
Headquartered in downtown Toronto, Ontario (King West), with customers across North America; about 90 percent of revenue and customers came from the United States. Earlier operations included a San Jose office and a small San Francisco team, both closed, and the acquirer EverCommerce is based in Denver, Colorado.
History
After launching in 2011, Joist began testing a contractor-to-homeowner marketplace around 2016 while relocating into a 13,000 square foot King Street office in Toronto under a 10-year lease. In June 2016 the company laid off roughly 60 to 100 employees, initially attributed to a planned move of headquarters from Toronto to Silicon Valley; former employees pointed to problems with the revenue model, and Joist confirmed most of those laid off worked on the marketplace. The move to San Francisco never happened, though a small San Francisco team was placed and then disbanded in March 2018. Co-founder and COO Brendon Sedo replaced co-founder Justin Kathan as CEO in January 2018, and the company refocused on its contractor app, moved to an office under 4,000 square feet, and was acquired by EverCommerce in 2019, followed by the launch of Joist Pro in November 2019.
Risks & controversies
The 2016 layoffs of an estimated 60 to 100 employees drew disputed public explanations: the stated reason was a headquarters move to Silicon Valley, which never occurred, while former employees cited significant problems with Joist's revenue model, and the CEO later acknowledged that the episode affected the company's reputation in the Toronto community. The unprofitable marketplace product and a costly 10-year lease on a 13,000 square foot office were also unwound.
Compiled by commissioned research from 5 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 7
launches, deals, and filingsJoist announced Joist Pro, its first SaaS solution, adding work orders, attachments, contracts and signatures, custom logo and client notifications; over 30,000 contractors had subscribed since the May 2019 launch of the upgraded feature set.
Joist relocated to an expanded office in the King West neighbourhood of downtown Toronto and was hiring for product, design and engineering roles, targeting about 30 employees by year-end.
Denver, Colorado-based service commerce company EverCommerce acquired Toronto-based contractor management app Joist; terms were not disclosed. Joist continues to operate as an independent entity within EverCommerce.
Following its refocus on the contractor software platform, Joist launched payment processing and home improvement financing features, which the CEO said helped return the company to profitability within two years.
Sedo shut down Joist's small San Francisco team, which included a director of marketing, head of product, VP of engineering and a design team, preferring a consolidated Toronto-based team.
Co-founder and former COO Brendon Sedo took over as CEO from fellow co-founder Justin Kathan.
Joist laid off between 60 and 100 employees in 2016, initially attributed to a planned headquarters move from Toronto to Silicon Valley; the majority of those laid off worked on the contractor-homeowner marketplace product, which was not generating revenue. The San Jose office had been closed two months earlier.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
▸Research sources · 5
primary sources listed
- Home | Joist Help Centersupport.joistapp.com · web
5 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Joist do?
- Toronto-based maker of a mobile app for trades contractors covering estimates, invoicing, payments and financing; owned by EverCommerce.
- Who are Joist's investors?
- Joist's investors include Bantam Group, Social Leverage.