mipim
FEATURE T HE 2017 MIPIM Startup Competition is being organised with
global real estate tech partner MetaProp NYC and is sponsored by BNP Paribas Real Estate. The competition is split into three categories and the winners will be revealed at a ceremony in the Grand Auditorium on tomorrow. The Startup Competition attracted nearly 150 entries this year. Last year’s winner, Jean-Paul Rival, CEO of Urbismart, says the accolade has been hugely valuable. “Thanks to our victory, we were able to access new investors and institutions and, therefore, boost our development,” he adds. Who will do the same this year? The nine finalists will make their pitches at 16.00 on Wednesday in the Grand Auditorium.
BUILDING CATEGORY
Chainels
DUTCH B2B communication and data platform Chainels allows property managers to share information, such as news, features and events, between tenants and serviceproviders via a website, app and newsletter. “Real estate investors, managers and tenants use Chainels to save time and improve the quality of their shopping centre,” says the company’s co-founder, Sander Verseput. “Effective collaboration between tenants, property managers, security guards, marketing professionals and owners can sometimes be difficult to arrange. Due to incorrect contact details, staff changes and outdated communication methods, some stakeholders are often unaware of what the other stakeholders are doing. In order to achieve common goals, everyone has to know what’s happening, when and why. Our user-friendly platform offers all the tools one needs to reach and engage every stakeholder in a shopping centre.”
Cunio Technologies
APP and web application cunio connects residential-building landlords, tenants, property managers and service providers. “It’s a virtual meeting place that manages all the relevant information centrally,” says Erik Boska, founder and partner of cunio Technologies. Boska believes cunio will disrupt the industry in three key ways: “First, we bring all stakeholders together on our digital platform. This leads to efficient ways of working in building management and stops the daily
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burning of money because of a lack of information and unco-ordinated participants.” The second step-change is automation. “We have re-engineered the business processes so that property managers need less effort to do their daily work,” Boska says. The third effect is change: “With cunios’ feedback system we have a positive impact on the working style and break up the oldfashioned connections between stakeholders. For example, in the case of dissatisfaction, tenants are able to give direct feedback to the cleaning staff via the cunio app without contacting the property manager.”
Ravti
US-BASED Ravti produces software to track, manage and procure HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning) for sophisticated CRE owners and operators. The company describes itself as an ‘HVAC management solution for the 21st century’ in an industry that has fought shy of digitisation. “Today HVAC is a completely opaque industry,” says Ravti co-founder Alex Rangel. “At Ravti, we are fundamentally adding transparency and disruption to the largest maintenance and repair expense in CRE. With data, we are putting the power back into the owner’s hands.” Rangel sees the Startup Competition as a valuable platform. “It’s not often you have the opportunity to showcase CRE tech to potential clients,” he says. “Winning would be a prestigious honour that reflects positively on the incredible team we are building.”