Executive Overview
Trent Hedge is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Pylon, a programmatic mortgage infrastructure platform based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Hedge is noted for being a Forbes 30 Under 30 alumnus and previously co-founded Atmos, a custom construction technology company. He is a graduate of Y Combinator, further signifying his status as a highly connected operator in the startup and fintech ecosystems.
Company Profile: Pylon
Pylon has developed a unified, API-first, programmatic mortgage-as-a-service stack for fintechs, banks, and lenders. The platform spans software solutions, compliance, and direct access to capital markets, supporting modern originators seeking efficiency, scalability, and automation in mortgage origination and processing. The company's vision is to reduce origination costs and enable efficient scaling for mortgage businesses through automation and embedded infrastructure.
Key Developments
- Citi Strategic Investment: In November 2024, Citigroup made a minority strategic investment in Pylon, reflecting major-financial-institution trust. Simultaneously, Pylon closed a deal to enable mortgage sales through its platform, indicating traction with large, established industry participants.
- Funding Highlights:
- As of late 2024, Hedge reported Pylon has secured approximately $30 million in funding from major investors, including Conversion Capital, Allegis Capital, QED, Fifth Wall, and Peter Thiel.
- An $8.5 million seed round was announced in December 2022, led by marquee venture capital firms.
- Strategic Partnerships:
- In June 2025, Pylon partnered with Plaid to embed income and asset verification directly into the platform, streamlining and accelerating the mortgage originations process.
- In April 2025, Pylon formed a partnership with Clear Capital to incorporate AI-powered appraisals for further automation and to support programmatic originations.
Leadership & Influence
- Role: As CEO, Hedge leads on strategy, product vision, and growth. He publicly articulates Pylon’s commitment to API-first product development, automation in originations, and the use of AI and embedded finance to modernize mortgage processes—a core value proposition in recent press and LinkedIn posts.
- Industry Impact: Under his leadership, Pylon has achieved significant attention in financial technology circles, evidenced by the participation of top-tier venture capital, recognition by Forbes, and the validation of institutional investors such as Citi. Partnerships with Plaid and Clear Capital highlight a focus on strong B2B integrations.
- Thought Leadership: Hedge has spoken publicly about the need to reduce origination costs through technology, targeting programmatic automation as the path forward. His activity on LinkedIn indicates a focus on talent optimization, brand awareness, and go-to-market strategies for B2B SaaS in financial services. He has been featured as a panelist (e.g., "Tectonic Shifts in Mortgage Capital Markets – Citi Ventures 2023").
Professional Background
- Prior Experience: Before Pylon, Hedge co-founded Atmos, a custom construction firm where he gained domain expertise and identified inefficiencies in the mortgage process, ultimately catalyzing the formation of Pylon.
- Education & Network: A Y Combinator alumnus, Hedge is part of Silicon Valley’s top founder networks and maintains a robust presence in fintech and venture capital communities.
- Recognition: Inclusion in Forbes 30 Under 30 for his entrepreneurial achievements and influence.
Engagement & Public Presence
- LinkedIn: >500 connections, active in professional updates, industry commentary, and insights on fintech strategy.
- Media Coverage: Regularly featured or quoted in notable outlets:
- Forbes, Bloomberg, BusinessWire, HousingWire, and MarketWatch among others.
- Emphasis is placed on funding achievements, strategic partnerships, and product innovation.
Notable Insights for Engagement
- Target Market & Value Proposition: Pylon is focused on enabling digital originators, fintechs, and large financial institutions to modernize and automate legacy mortgage workflows. Hedge promotes a zero-latency origination experience and positions Pylon as an enabler of efficiency and regulatory compliance at scale through embedded fintech solutions.
- Growth Signal: The significant venture and corporate funding, plus major institutional partnerships, signals active scaling and openness to advanced tooling, integrations, and collaboration opportunities—especially those that support automation, digital onboarding, compliance, or capital markets connectivity.
- Strategic Priorities: Hedge’s product and partnership choices suggest a premium on automation (AI-powered appraisals, Plaid data integration), developer-friendly APIs, and embedded financial infrastructure.
Contact Details
- LinkedIn: [Trent Hedge](http://www.linkedin.com/in/trenthedge)
Summary:
Trent Hedge is an accomplished fintech executive and repeat founder, currently scaling Pylon with institutional and venture backing. His strategic direction centers on building the infrastructure for programmatic, modern mortgage origination. Pylon’s strong growth, blue-chip investor participation, and rapid partnership momentum position it as a prime technology partner for solutions aligned with digital transformation, compliance, and operational automation in the mortgage sector.
