Our Story
How a road trip became a platform.
I'm Alex, the founder of Gorendi. I live in Tallinn, Estonia, and I've spent more than 20 years building things in tech. But this project didn't start with a spreadsheet or a business plan. It started on a road.
A few years ago I was traveling in our motorhome, the one I sadly no longer have and still miss to this day, driving through mountains, fjords and lakeside roads. The same thought kept circling in my head: everyone should feel this at least once. Don't overthink it. Don't wait for the perfect moment. Just go.
I sometimes call motorhome people a sect, and I mean that in the best possible way. Once you try it, you don't come back. You start planning the next trip before the current one is over. You look at parking spots differently. You start calling a 7 meter vehicle "cozy."
While on the road I noticed something. In the Baltics there was no proper place to rent a campervan, find a camping spot, or borrow gear for a trip. Everything lived scattered across Facebook groups, classifieds and random messenger chats. And I thought: I'm a tech person. I can fix this.
So I built Gorendi.
What is Gorendi?
Gorendi is a peer-to-peer marketplace for renting motorhomes, caravans, camping spots and outdoor equipment across Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Think of it as a mini Airbnb for van life.
On one side are owners whose campervans sit in the driveway half the year. On the other are people who want to try life on wheels without buying one. Gorendi connects them directly, with no middleman taking a cut.
And it's not just a listing board. It's a full platform with personal accounts, booking management, built in chat, reviews, smart calendars with seasonal pricing, email notifications and favorites. One account whether you rent out or rent. Listing takes about five minutes: add your photos, set your price, and you're live.
Built for the Baltics first
Gorendi was born in Estonia, and I'm proud of that. I'm building it for local owners and local travelers first, because the community starts right here at home. Then the rest of the Baltics. Then, one day, Scandinavia. Step by step, the honest way.
I want people here to feel that this is their platform. Not some foreign import, but something that grew out of the local camper community. I know these roads. I know the RMK stops. I know what it actually means to camp in the Baltics. This one is personal.
This is not a side project
I work on Gorendi every single day. I ship updates, fix bugs, rewrite the logic when it deserves better, write the content, and pour real effort into organic SEO so your listings get found through Google without you spending a cent on ads.
I'll be honest with you about who "we" really is. It's me, building this solo, and my dog, who is technically eight years old but will always be a puppy to me. That's the team. When I say we invest in the platform, I mean the server bills, the future advertising budget, and yes, the late night McDonald's run at 3am after a long stretch of rebuilding something until it finally works. That's the real cost of a project made by a human, not a corporation.
I'm not just building a website. I'm building an ecosystem where you can rent a campervan, book a quiet lakeside spot you won't find on Google Maps, and grab the gear you need for a weekend trip. More modules are already planned. Gorendi is slowly becoming the home base for camper life in the region.
A few honest words
Right now Gorendi takes no commission on anything. You find each other here, and the rest is between you. It's the purest form of community exchange, and that's exactly how I want it while the community is still growing. There's no rush to monetize something that isn't big enough yet.
At some point there will be a small symbolic fee to keep the servers running and the project alive. When that day comes, I'll tell you about it openly, in plain words, with plenty of notice. No surprises. That's a promise.
For owners
Your campervan is sitting in the driveway under rain and snow for six months a year. That's money that could cover its insurance and maintenance, and instead it just sits there losing value.
List it on Gorendi. It takes five minutes. I'm actively building up supply right now, and once there are enough listings, I'll put serious budget into promoting the platform. That means you won't have to worry about marketing or ad costs. I'll bring the renters to you.
For everyone else
If you've ever thought about trying van life but weren't sure, stop thinking. Van life is more affordable than you'd expect when you rent straight from the community. Get in a campervan, drive somewhere, and see what happens. I promise you won't regret it.
Join the community.
Alex, Founder of Gorendi