June 17, 2025 · Entrepreneurs, Innovation, SSBCI, Stories
From Montana to Alabama: How This Founder Discovered the Right Ground to Grow
When Nic De Castro launched LandTrust in 2019, his aim was twofold: make it easier for people to access private land for outdoor recreation and give landowners a way to keep that land productive and in the family for generations.
As a lifelong hunter and angler, De Castro understood how hard it could be to find legal, affordable places to spend time outdoors. LandTrust was built to solve that problem. The platform connects landowners with guests looking for short-term access to hunt, fish, forage, birdwatch and more. What began in Bozeman, Montana, has grown into the country’s largest recreation access network, with nearly 1.5 million acres enrolled across 43 states.
As the company grew, staying in Bozeman became harder to justify. Housing prices had climbed, winters were long and what once worked for an early-stage startup no longer fit the needs of a growing team or young family. De Castro and his wife, raising three daughters, began to reconsider what kind of place could serve both.
A friend suggested they check out Fairhope, Alabama. The visit was brief, but it reframed what they were looking for in both a home and a headquarters. The town’s coastal setting, walkable downtown and strong public schools offered more day-to-day stability than they had in Montana. Just as important, the move put them in a market with long-term potential, while also reflecting the kind of life they wanted to build as a family.
The quality of life, the cost of living, the sense of community — it all lined up. We wanted to live in a place where we’d feel connected, where a handshake still means something and where relationships still matter.” – Nic De Castro
The move brought new momentum. Not long after relocating, De Castro connected with Hatch, a founder-focused incubator in Fairhope and part of the Innovate Alabama Network. That introduction led to a $500,000 co-investment through Innovate Alabama’s InvestAL program. The funding is supporting LandTrust’s entry into Alabama and positioning the company to grow in the broader Southeast, a region with significant potential for private land access.
With $13 million in venture capital raised to date, LandTrust continues to onboard new rural properties. The model gives landowners an income stream they control. For some, it helps cover taxes or fund reinvestment. For others, it’s a way to keep the land intact instead of selling or subdividing. Guests gain access to land that was previously unavailable. And local businesses benefit from spending that stays in small towns.
“Every booking supports more than just a landowner,” De Castro said. “It keeps dollars in rural communities and strengthens the local economy from the ground up.”
That kind of ripple effect is exactly what InvestAL was designed to support.
“LandTrust is solving a real problem for landowners, farmers and the communities around them,” said Charlie Pond, executive director of the State Small Business Credit Initiative. “They’re scaling responsibly and bringing a new kind of value to places that don’t typically benefit from this type of growth.”
The company’s reach continues to expand. In April 2025, LandTrust launched a podcast to spotlight stories from landowners and guests. It also added its first international property in Mexico. But even as the network grows, the team remains focused on practical outcomes — relationships over transactions and long-term value over short-term scale.
Relocating to Alabama didn’t change LandTrust’s national reach, but it helped clarify where the company could grow with greater intention. The move strengthened its connection to regions where its mission has room to take hold and where rural communities stand to benefit most.
“We came here looking for a better place to build for the next phase of the business,” De Castro said. “And what we’ve found is a clearer path forward. It reflects our values and keeps us focused on the people and places this work is really for.”
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