Pay Rent, Get Rich? Indian-American Built a $3.1B Startup From That Idea | Ankur Jain, Bilt — Silicon Valley Girl Podcast

Ankur Jain April 25, 2025 28 MIN

About the Guest

Ankur Jain

Founder & CEO, Bilt Rewards

Ankur Jain is the founder and CEO of Bilt Rewards, a fintech startup valued at $3.1 billion that allows renters to earn rewards and build credit on their rent payments. He is also known for his broader work in consumer-focused entrepreneurship and has founded multiple ventures aimed at addressing systemic challenges in housing and personal finance. Jain is the son of Naveen Jain, the billionaire entrepreneur and founder of Infosys spinoff iGate.

In this episode of the Silicon Valley Girl Podcast, Marina Mogilko interviews Ankur Jain, Founder & CEO, Bilt Rewards. Ankur Jain joins Marina Mogilko to discuss how he built Bilt Rewards, a startup now valued at $3.1 billion, around the idea of earning credit card rewards on rent payments. He shares the challenges of navigating the credit and financial systems to create a product that helps renters build credit history and save money. The conversation covers his entrepreneurial mindset, the problem of housing affordability, and how Bilt is reshaping the relationship between renters and their finances.

Key Takeaways

Bilt Rewards reached a $3.1 billion valuation by solving a gap in the credit card rewards market — rent, typically the largest monthly expense, previously earned zero points or rewards.
Ankur Jain built Bilt to help renters build credit history through on-time rent payments, addressing a systemic disadvantage renters face compared to homeowners.
The company partnered directly with landlords and property management companies to create a rewards network, bypassing the traditional friction of paying rent with a credit card.
Jain emphasizes identifying large, underserved markets — millions of Americans pay rent every month, representing a massive, untapped financial opportunity.
His approach to entrepreneurship centers on solving real-world problems at scale rather than chasing trends, using housing affordability as a lens to build lasting company value.

00:35 How to stop flying economy using Ankur’s app (and how it actually works) 2:13 $7,900 monthly rent – how much do you earn in rewards? 2:30 Where can you spend your rewards 3:36 How rewards convert to real dollars 4:08 Why no one has done this before 5:20 How COVID shaped his startup journey 6:18 The ultimate entrepreneurship guide 7:18 2 years of hearing no 7:50 He spent 18 months in Washington DC changing regulations from within 10:16 Entrepreneurial mindset – prepare for everything to go wrong 11:12 What happened to solving big problems? 12:34 Housing crisis, mental health – why the government doesn’t fix it 13:20 Founders don’t want to solve problems anymore 13:49 His mindset for building a $3.1B company 15:34 The problem with raising money in Silicon Valley 17:37 His upbringing: his parents’ American dream 19:43 Startup life as a kid – growing up in an innovation environment 23:35 Why NYC beats Silicon Valley for startups 26:07 Starting a company? 2 things you must know

Transcript not available for this episode.