Top 16 Proptech Investors Fostering Innovation in Real Estate

Since time immemorial, investing in innovation with potential has been a pursuit, and proptech is no exception to the trend, with VC funding being a crucial driver. But with venture capital funding plummeting by 38% from $32.0 billion in 2021 to $19.8 billion in 2022, proptech VC firms conduct capital allocation slower and with more diligence.

What are proptech VC funding trends now and who are the top players? Let’s find out.

Trends in Proptech VC Activity

Heavy AI Investment

In the first half of 2022, investments in equity and debt surpassed the $8 billion mark after the proptech world entered AI euphoria. And with 70% of all deals focusing on AI startups and 64% of businesses planning to invest in AI for increased productivity, no wonder proptech VCs are expecting returns on their investments higher than ever.

Why? Because according to predictions, AI will contribute 21% net increase to the United States GDP by 2030. With generational AI in real estate (an umbrella term for chatbots, virtual assistants, image generation tools, natural language processing, and optical character recognition), companies will be able to fully automate their workflows, adding speed, accuracy, and data efficiency.

A great example is EliseAI, a conversational AI tool that has already gained the attention of the top proptech VC funds like JLL Spark, MetaProp, and Navitas Capital, raising a total amount of $67 million.

Flexible Real Estate Financing

With mortgage rates being close to 7%, getting approval of credit applications, especially for vulnerable demographics such as first-time buyers or the elderly, is a no-win contest. Startups will draw inspiration from the crisis and try to make the home-buying experience affordable for everyone with out-of-the-box investment models.

For instance, Virgil, a French startup that already raised $15M last year, provides potential buyers with a financial assistance of up to €100,000. The model is simple: in return for a 10% investment of the property’s cost, Virgil acquires a 15% ownership stake in the property, with payment received upon the apartment’s resale (no later than a decade after acquisition).

GreenTech/ClimateTech and ConTech Solutions

Why have we put GreenTech/ClimateTech and ConTech side by side? Most GreenTech solutions are designed for the construction industry, since the latter is responsible for 39% of carbon emissions globally. And amidst the legislation related to the climate crisis like the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), companies build their models with ESG regulations in mind.

Because decarbonization practices and safe energy in construction are a trend that won’t vanish soon, proptech VC funds will keep investing in startups (to be precise, 64% of the funds) that put sustainability at the heart of their practices. No wonder most investors will allocate their resources to Green Construction, be it the development of digital solutions for ESG measurement or sustainable construction services.

And despite the 50% slowdown in ClimateTech VC funding in 2023 ($21B globally compared to $70B in 2022 and $67B in 2021), it is still expected that proptech VC funding will surpass the numbers in 2020 and previous years.

Meanwhile, the top ClimateTech segments companies will still invest in are carbon capture and storage solutions, renewables, and UrbanTech.

Co-living Platforms and Fractional Homeownership Investing

With housing shortages and high rental fees skyrocketing, homebuying gets postponed, giving a rise to new trends like co-living platforms and fractional homeownership.

The fractional ownership market is projected to expand at an 8.3% CAGR from 2021 to 2028, as indicated by Research and Markets. Knight Frank’s report highlights that the market, valued at $5.39 billion in 2020, is anticipated to reach $8.92 billion by 2025.

Notably, startups like Pacaso are already revolutionizing the single-family homeownership sector, monetizing underutilized assets and alleviating the financial burden. Pacaso’s clients can own a portion of their second home and use a fair scheduling system for booking it. In less than 3 years, the company has drawn the attention of 25 investors and raised $1.5B.

As for the co-living and rental platforms, proptech VC investors will be interested in startups like Allihoops ($800K in funding, 6 investors) that focus on sustainable city development by designing affordable co-living spaces.

Types of Proptech Investors

Given the dynamic nature of VC market, the total number of proptech VC investors is constantly changing. According to the latest data, there were 1809 proptech investors globally.

Depending on the stage, proptech VC funds are:

• Early stage – Most proptech VC funds fall into this category, since most of them invest in Seed and Series A startups;
• Late stage – These constitute the minority and often invest in Series B and beyond companies.

By georgaphy:

• Global – Invest in startups in multiple countries;
• Local or regional – Invest in startups across one country or a few specific regions.

By sector:

• Multiple-sector companies (Reshape, Click Ventures) – Proptech VC investors focusing their operations on multiple proptech segments simultaneously;
• Specific-sector or niche investors – These companies commonly focus on one specific segment. As our research shows, these are mostly GreenTech and ClimaTech investors like Altalurra.

By source of fund:

• Independent investment funds – Most proptech VC firms fall into this category, all characterized by their autonomy from specific corporations or entities, often pooling capital from diverse sources;
• Corporate venture capital – Corporations like JLL developing funding arms to invest in startups that align with their strategic goals;
• Angel investors – High-net-worth Individuals or group of individuals investing their wealth in early-stage capital in exchange for equity.

Top Proptech VC Firms to Follow This Year

MetaProp

Location: New York, US

Founded: 2015

Investment Focus: AI, GreenTech/ClimateTech

Website: https://www.metaprop.vc/about

MetaProp has conducted 152 investments in total with 24 lead & 36 diversity investments and 17 exits. Their latest investment happened on July, 2023 – the company invested $4.5M in Pest Share.

This proptech VC firm focuses on early-stage startups and offers one of the largest proptech portfolios in real estate with the most significant investments as follows:

• LocateAI – a brokerage intelligence software;
• Aquicore – a sustainability data and analytics platform assisting real estate players in their decarbonization journey;
• Common – a rental co-living marketplace;
• CompStak – a data analytics platform for commercial real estate;
• Mapped – an AI-driven data layer for CRE that integrates with the building systems and gathers/analyzes data in real time.

Our wrap-up: MetaProp promotes diversity in the company’s community and is clearly in touch with the market trends. The company has invested in AI solutions and Greentech and has generally made a higher-than-average number of investments. A perfect match for AI and Greentech/ClimateTech startups.

Camber Creek

Location: Rockville, US

Founded: 2011

Investment Focus: Proptech, ClimateTech, Fintech

Website: https://cambercreek.com/

Another proptech VC funding titan with 64 investments (17 lead investments, 6 diversity investments, and 14 exits). The company has recently invested $16.3M in Bowery Valuation, a provider of tech solutions for CRE appraisers.

Among the proptech investor’s top clients are:

• Arcadia – a digital solar energy management platform;
• Measurabl – an ESG data analytics platform;
• VTS – a digital platform for leasing and property management;
• CompStak – a data analytics platform for commercial real estate;
• Azibo – a marketplace of financial tools for landlords;
• Flyhomes – a real estate brokerage and tech company that simplifies home buying and selling.

Our wrap-up: We haven’t found much data on the investor online, but from the details gathered, we can say that Camber Creek is a good match for companies representing all proptech sectors and fintech.

JLL Spark

Location: San Francisco, US

Founded: 2017

Investment Focus: ConTech, Fintech, Smart Buildings Technology

Website: https://spark.jllt.com/

JLL Spark is a corporate venture capital arm of JLL that has conducted 60 investments with only 1 exit (SkylineAI). The company’s last investment happened in June 2023 when EliseAI raised $35M.

According to the statistics on the company’s site, JLL Spark has invested around $380M in 45 early-stage proptech startups. The company’s focus area lies in ConTech, ESG, Fintech, Future-of-Work technologies, and Smart Buildings.

• EliseAI – conversational AI for multifamily operations;
• Foyr – a provider of tools for 3D floor plan generation and interior design;
• OpenSpace – an automation-driven platform for capturing 3D construction reality;
• Roofstock – a single-family rental property platform for home management, buying and selling;
• Dealpath – a deal management software for CRE;
• Inforgrid – AI-powered building intelligence platform;
• VergeSense – a provider of AI-powered sensors for efficient occupancy planning and space utilization.

Our wrap-up: JLL Spark is one of the largest investors in real estate. The company heavily allocates resources to AI startups and has an impressive portfolio diversity with global operations conducted in APAC, EMEA, and America, making it a perfect match for AI proptech startups from any corner of the world.

Fifth Wall

Location: Los Angeles, US

Founded: 2016

Investment Focus: Proptech

Website: https://fifthwall.com/

One of the top proptech investors, Fifth Wall has completed 153 investments (25 diversity investments) with 12 exits. The latest investment carried out by Fifth Wall was when Terbase Energy raised $25M in July 2023.

Backed by more than 100 partners, this impact venture capital firm assists companies addressing real-world challenges like climate change or aging infrastructure.

In the portfolio of this proptech VC fund, you’ll find the real estate trailblazers like:

• Pacaso – a unicorn startup and a provider of a fractional homeownership investment platform;
• Opendoor –a home selling/buying marketplace;
• Clarity AI – an AI-powered sustainability tech platform for real estate companies and investors;
• Flyhomes – a real estate brokerage and tech company;
• Cottage – a provider of ADU (accessory dwelling units) development services;
• VTS – a digital platform for leasing and property management.

Our wrap-up: A mature investor with the greatest portfolio of the top real estate players in the list. Fifth Wall has built an incredible reputation in the investment world and has earned the trust of the largest number of investors in the group. So, yes, if you’re a climate tech / green tech startup – consider FifthWall.

Reshape

Location: New York, US

Founded: 2015

Investment Focus: Proptech, Fintech, Web & SaaS

Website: https://www.reshape.co/

Based in NYC, Reshape is a boutique early-stage investment firm. Since 2015, the proptech VC firm has invested in 200+ proptech, retail, e-commerce, and healthcare startups.

Reshape invests in multiple sectors (Proptech, Fintech, FoodTech, Healthcare, Retail & E-Commerce, Web & SaaS). As for the proptech market, Reshape can boast 14 investments with the most notable being as follows:

• Agora – a real estate investment management platform;
• EquipmentShare – an equipment and digital solutions provider for construction teams;
• Cottage – a digital marketplace for property development services related to accessory dwelling units (ADU);
• Zerv – a provider of property security solutions;
• June Homes – a US-based rental marketplace.

Our wrap-up: Though the company is still young, it has already proven its ability to stay in the market; a perfect fit for proptech startups with activities that overlap with other industries.

Click Ventures

Location: San Francisco and Hong Cong

Founded: 2015

Investment Focus: Multi-sector Investments

Website: https://www.clickventures.vc/

Most of the company’s proteges represent Asian and Northern American businesses. Headquartered in Singapore and New York, Click Ventures has completed 48 investments, among which are 9 diversity investments (KitSplit). As for the exits, the company’s portfolio currently includes 11, the most notable being Spotify, Kabam, and DocuSign.

As for the CRE-related technologies, the range of Clink Ventures’ investments includes:

• Getbutterfleye – a provider of smart cameras for businesses;
• DocuSign – a provider of tools for electronic signatures;
• Star City – a company with operations in hotel and housing real estate;
• Wonderlabs – a tech outsourcing platform;
• Ziffy Homes – a rental Indian marketplace.

One of the latest Click Ventures’ investments is Oddup, a digital platform offering real-time insights and data on startups and cryptocurrency markets to investors and venture capitalists. In 2021, Click Ventures invested $12.8M as a part Series C.

What is our opinion on Clink Ventures? Sure, the number of startups is huge, but there are not many CRE startups despite the latter being said to be among the company’s primary focuses. But the good part is that the investor is not a startup itself and has more experience compared to startup venture funds like Sunriver Ventures.

Sunriver Ventures

Location: Dallas, US

Founded: 2021

Investment Focus: Proptech, HealthTech

Website: https://sunrivervc.com/

Founded in 2021 and headquartered in Texas, Sunriver Ventures is an investment firm specializing in supporting early and mid-stage technology companies. The proptech investor takes pride in helping startups not only with structured debt and equity capital but with hands-on operational assistance.

Currently, the company has made 7 investments with the top focus on fintech development (clients like Groundbreaker, Deposify, and MX Build). Lately, Financial Holdings Financial Services has raised an undisclosed amount as a part Series A.

Eariler in 2022, Sunriver Ventures invested in:

• Bindle Systems – a health app;
• Theo Build – a construction budgeting solution;
• Occuspace – a space management solution;
• Groundbreaker – a real estate investment management software;
• Deposify – a digital deposit management platform for landlords and tenants.

What is our wrap-up? Though this proptech VC firm is still young, it has already proved its intention to invest in real estate with the number of companies like Occuspace, Theo Build, and others. A good match for tech startups focusing on commercial real estate.

Altalurra Ventures

Location: New York, US

Founded: 2022

Investment Focus: Climate Tech, Industry & Infrastructure Tech, and Social Impact Tech

Website: https://www.altalurra.com/

As the company claims, its activities are primarily focused on impact-driven tech investing in the US and Europe, encompassing Climate Tech, Industry & Infrastructure Tech, and Social Impact Tech.

With its determination to support businesses adhering to ESG regulations and promoting diversity, Altalurra Ventures not only measures the company’s impact but also develops an investment strategy that aligns financial success with positive social and environmental outcomes.

Currently, there is only one investment in Altalurra’s portfolio. In September 2022, Altalurra invested $4.5M in impak Finance as a part of Series A rounds. impak Finance shares Altalurra’s values by being an impact intelligence platform that helps companies ensure their operations meet the EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation.

What is our wrap-up? Though Altalurra is a fresh enterprise, it has already shown its commitment to follow its values and help businesses adopt sustainability practices. Startups focused in GreenTech and ClimateTech development (generally any company with a potential to address pressing climate crisis challenges) can garner Altalurra’s attention.

PropTech Farm

Location: Gothenburg, Sweden

Founded: 2021

Investment Focus: SaaS solutions, Data & AI, IoT-driven Smarter Homes, GreenTech

Website: https://www.proptechfarm.com/

Bridging the Nordics with Southeast Asia, PropTech Farm has focused its investment activities on SaaS solutions, Data & AI, IoT-driven Smarter Homes, Sustainable Energy Tech, and Transaction-related technologies in the proptech sector.

With in-depth expertise in real estate, tech and finance, PropTech Farm prioritizes sustainability-oriented businesses. The company’s investment portfolio is distributed as follows: smart cities development – 32%, transactions – 22%, SaaS – 17%, Design – 8%, SPaaS – 15%, Greentech – 6%.

In 2 years, PropTech Farm has already invested in 11 proptech projects with 1 exit (Pixery Media).

Among the company’s clients are:

• XNomad – a short-term retail space marketplace for brands and entrepreneurs;
• Buddy Company – one-stop shop for home services;
• Vinden – fully digitalized self-storage services for full home, companies, and occasional items;
• Lasudi – a SaaS solutions provider for real estate professionals;
• Dark Edition – a marketplace of fully equipped kitchens;
• Propstreet – a CRE investment platform;
• Utilifeed – a smart energy analysis platform for energy companies;
• Property Flow – a real estate sales and marketing platform;
• Pigello – a property management system;
• Allihoop – a Stockholm-based co-living platform;
• Pixery Media (exit in June 2022) – a company offering digital vizualization solutions.

From the list above, the latest PropTech Farm’s investments are XNomad (raised $3.2M in Seed series from PropTech Farm and Luminar Ventures) and Vinden Storage (raised $2.8M in the unknown series from PropTech Farm and 2 other investors).

Our final thoughts: Though the company is a young investor, we believe that proptech startups representing geographically the Nordics and Southeast Asia can benefit from the cooperation with this investor.

Proptech1 Ventures

Location: Berlin, Germany

Founded: 2018

Investment Focus: Proptech, Contech, and Urbantech

Website: https://pt1.vc/

Proptech1 Ventures is a European team of real estate professionals, digital entrepreneurs and venture capital experts that like Altalurra has narrowed its investments to socially and ecologically impact-driven businesses.

Unlike most of other venture funds in this list, Proptech1 Ventures openly cooperates with other investors, offering co-investing opportunities in the Proptech, Contech, and Urbantech community.

Among the company’s co-investors are:

Banks and insurance companies

• Commerz Real – investment and asset management services;
• Helaba – ancommercial bank in the German S-Group;
• Baloise – a Swiss insurance company;
• JLL Spark – a corporate venture capital arm of JLL;
• Liechtenstein Group – a venture capital firm, etc.

Real estate players

• Schörghuber Group – a company with diverse business operations, including hospitality, constructions, and real estate;
• PwC – one of the largest professional services networks globally;
• Noventic – a company focusing on ClimateTech and construction, and others.

The company has made 21 proptech investments. Due to an impressively extensive proptech investment portfolio, we’ll only present a few of the recent Proptech1 Ventures’ clients:

• ecowork – the pioneer in climate-neutral industrial building modernization in German;
• Desana – the platform that empowers the future of work through flexible workspaces;
• Wunderflats – the top platform for Housing as a Service in Germany;
• PlanRadar – a provider of digital documentation and communication solutions for construction and real estate;
• 42watt – an energy management platform for real estate;
• Climate X – a global analytics platform for climate data;
• FloodFlash – a climate risk insurance company, and others.

Our wrap-up: This proptech investor is a great fit for Proptech, Contech, and Urbantech startups and co-investors like bank, insurance, and real estate companies, all representing the European region.

Navitas Capital

Location: Los Angeles, US

Founded: 2009

Investment Focus: Proptech, ConTech

Website: https://www.navitascap.com/

Navitas Capital helps proptech startups navigate industries with go-to-market strategies that pave the way for transformative success.

Among the company’s recent investments (23 investments in total) are:

• Matterport (already exited) – a 3D immersive environment software;
• OpenSpace – an automation-driven platform for capturing 3D construction reality;
• EliseAI – conversational AI for multifamily operations;
• Orchard – a digital marketplace that simplifies processes of buying and selling properties;
• Gridium – a data analytics and decarbonization management software;
• INGENIOUS. BUILD – an all-in-one construction management and collaboration platform;
• Roofstock – a single-family rental property platform for home management, buying and selling.

Our wrap-up: The company’s portfolio includes the greatest number of the top proptech startups. A part of Navitas investments is ClimateTech businesses, so if your startup promotes sustainability or represents Green Construction, ask Navitas for help.

RET Ventures

Location: Park City, US

Founded: 2017

Investment Focus: Proptech, Fintech, Efficiency-as-a-Service technology

Website: https://www.ret.vc/

RET Ventures are the largest group of multifamily and single-family rental owners and managers ever amassed. Overall, the proptech VC fund boasts 2.5M rentals managed by their strategic investors in 48 states.

The company operates in Canada & US and has already made 34 investments in 6 years according to their portfolio.

RET Ventures´ recent clients include:

• Amenify – an all-in-one platform for resident-related services like on-site fitness, dog walks, and cleanings;
• Conservation Labs – a provider of smart water monitors;
• Applause – a fintech platform designed to assist companies in recruiting, motivating, and retaining service workers;
• Lexicon Travel Technologies – a vacation rental property management software;
• Measurabl – an ESG data management platform for commercial real estate;
• Moved – a digital solution for move-in experience management;
• Parity – an Efficiency-as-a-Service technology for real-time HVAC equipment management in multifamily properties.

Our wrap-up: A company with the most diverse portfolio; if you operate in the US and Canada, your business represents residential real estate or you’re building Greentech, Fintech, and insurance software – RET Ventures might be a suitable partner for you.

AGV Invest

Location: Stockholm, Sweden

Founded: 2022

Investment Focus: Proptech, GreenTech/ClimateTech, Fintech

Website: https://agvinvest.se/

Founded only a year ago, the company has already made 6 investments. AGV Invest operates in the Nordic region and is devoted to propelling advancements within proptech by investing in proptech startups promoting sustainability and decarbonization solutions.

Currently, the companies represented in AGV Invest’s portfolio solely represent Sweden and segments like:

• Financial management – Cope and Allabrf;
• Circular economy – Palats;
• Energy & environment – Plant and Myrspoven;
• Property management – Din Hyresvärd.

Our wrap-up: AGV Invest is a good option for Greentech, Fintech, and Proptech startups with operations based in the Nordic region, specifically Sweden.

Greensoil Investments

Location: Raanana (Israel); Toronto (Canada); Amsterdam (the Netherlands)

Founded: 2010

Investment Focus: GreenTech, AgroTech

Website: http://www.greensoil-investments.com/

This venture capital firm focuses exclusively on GreenTech, operating at the intersection of Real Estate, Food, and Agriculture. The proptech VC fund has been heavily investing in startups with a mission to tackle the climate crisis with digital solutions.

Currently, Greensoil Investments’ operations are channeled through two specialized investment funds: Agro & Food Tech and Building Innovation.

The Proptech portfolio includes 20 items (with 3 exits):

• CarbonCure – a provider of carbon recycling technology;
• WYND – a provider of carbon minimizing technology;
• WattCarbon – a clean energy platform;
• Ivy Energy – a provider of Virtual Grid, a solar billing solution;
• Goby – an ESG management platform.

Our wrap-up: This venture capital firm focuses exclusively on Greentech and is a perfect option for startups representing the Israeli region and operating at the intersection of Real Estate, Food, and Agriculture.

Legacy Capital Ventures

Location: Boston, US

Founded: 2022

Investment Focus: Proptech, ConTech, Logistics

Website: https://www.legacycv.com/

Legacy Capital Ventures invests in property development (industrial, warehousing, multifamily, etc.) and companies representing construction & ConTech, proptech, and logistics.

The company’s property development portfolio includes 25 items, representing residential, industrial, and self-storage properties.

Meanwhile, the Private Equity investment portfolio includes 13 investments (6 active).

The examples of active Private Equity investments are:

• Digs – a web-based AI-powered construction management and collaboration platform;
• Brokrete – a construction e-commerce platform;
• RangeForce – an all-in-one solution for team cybersecurity upskilling;
• Cyber Guards – a provider of cybersecurity services.

Our wrap-up: The only company on our list that heavily invests in property development and ConTech (and, interestingly, in cybersecurity). So, if you’re a property developer or a ConTech provider, you can count on the investor’s support.

Thirty Capital

Location: North Carolina, US

Founded: 2019

Investment Focus: CRE tech, real estate investment

Website: https://www.thirtycapital.com/

The brainchild of Rob Finlay, Thirty Capital R.J. Finlay & Co, TC Realty Advisors, and TC Ventures) is a CRE tech investor with a wide range of investments including real estate sponsors, organizations, and investment funds.

The target audience of tech solutions supported by Thirty Capital are investors, property owners, and CRE property managers.

Thirty Capital’s portfolio includes 21 investments (17 prior and 4 current).

Among the company’s recent proptech investments are:

• iApartments – a provider of smart home solutions;
• RentRedi – an all-in-one property management platform for landlords.

The prior investments include:

• Kaboodle –an all-in-one ticketing, accommodation, and travel management platform;
• Fairview Real Estate Solutions – a CRE advisory firm;
• Radian Generation – a worldwide provider of services and products designed to support renewable facilities;
• Lira Intel – CRE business intelligence software.

Our wrap-up: If your company represents proptech development, real estate investment, or is a real estate organization of any type, Thirty Capital will definitely help you pave your way to a promising future supported by reliable proptech investors.

How Can You Partner with Ascendix in Startup Financing?

We’re not a venture capital firm ourselves, but working with real estate companies for 2 decades taught us the value of top-notch MVPs that capture investor interest fast as well as the value of thorough tech audits if you’re an investor looking for the next big startup opportunity but not having enough tech expertise to assess the code.

Why Ascendix?

• We’ve been in real estate for 2 decades – we’ve learnt the ropes of business automation, so you don’t have to do it and instead trust us with your next big idea;
• We’re a Texas-based company with a global reach and 5 offices in Europe and America;
• As product authors and proptech software developers ourselves, we understand the challenges inherent in the proptech product development process and can equip you with insights into what constitutes a successful product.

How can we help you?

Are you a startup looking for third-party investment? We can build an MVP to effectively communicate the essence of your concept to potential investors. We can test and audit your product or build a new one from scratch if you’ve got a groundbreaking idea and need tech assistance to turn it into reality;

Are you an investor looking for the next real estate disruptor? Ascendians can offer a leg up on the investment ladder with VC consulting that encompasses proptech startup assessments (MVP assessment and tech audits) and creating a roadmap for future scale-ups.

Contact us or book a free call to leverage our expertise and ensure your next investment is worth every cent.