βΒ $234 Million market cap Β· β97.0% from peak
The rise & fall
7 moments Β· 2014β2023
The key moments, with employee sentiment along the way.
2014
π±
2014
Founded
Vishal Garg starts Better to sell home loans online β tech-driven, commission-free.
TechCrunch
2020
π¦
2020
Joins the unicorn club
The pandemic refinancing boom sends volumes vertical and vaults the valuation past $1B.
TechCrunch
May 2021
π
May 2021
The peak: $7.7B SPAC deal$7.7B
The announced merger with Aurora Acquisition Corp pegs the SoftBank-backed lender at $7.7B.
TechCrunch
Dec 1 β21
Dec 1 β21
900 employees fired over Zoom
The three-minute call goes viral and becomes shorthand for layoffs done badly.
CNBC
2021β23
π¬
From the inside Β· Glassdoor reviews, 2021β23
Glassdoor reviews charted the descent from the inside: employees recalled layoff round after layoff round β some counted as many as ten in a year β headcount falling from roughly 10,000 to a couple of thousand, no-layoff assurances broken within weeks, and promotions that came without raises.
Aug 2023
π
Aug 2023
Slips out of the club
The long-delayed de-SPAC finally closes; shares crash more than 90% on their Nasdaq debut, leaving the market cap far below $1B.
TechCrunch
Today
Today
Still in the club β and still trading
Live Β· BETR Β· NasdaqGMas of 2026-09-17
$12.32βΌ 6.74% todayβ $234M cap Β· β97.0% from peak
π¬ entries paraphrase anonymous, unverified reviews posted publicly on Glassdoor β; dated facts carry their source.
How it happened
Better.com is a direct online mortgage lender that pitched a technology-driven, commission-free home loan, reaching a $7.7B valuation when its SPAC merger with Aurora Acquisition Corp was announced in 2021.
Surging rates gutted mortgage demand, mass layoffs followed β including the infamous Zoom call firing 900 staff β and when it finally listed on Nasdaq in August 2023 the stock crashed more than 90%, leaving its market cap far below $1B.
Source: TechCrunch / Fortune / Inman ($7.7B valuation when SPAC merger with Aurora Acquisition Corp announced 2021; shares fell >90% on Nasdaq debut Aug 2023)
Founder
Vishal Garg
Founder & CEO
Still there β Founder & Board Member Β· LinkedIn β
Current roles as self-reported on LinkedIn, retrieved 2026-08-19. See our methodology.
