The term « proptech » is a combination of "property" and "technology". The Proptech Movement brings together real estate 2.0 startups that are innovating in housing, real estate and construction to make real estate transactions more efficient and cost-effective.
PROPTECH : A MOVEMENT LAUNCHED IN NANTES
Regularly cited as one of France’s most attractive cities, Nantes metamorphosis is still very much under way. It is no coincidence that the French Proptech movement was launched in 2018 in Nantes. This movement was born from the coupling of the large urban project of the Ile de Nantes - with its 300 hectares to be redeveloped in the heart of the city - and the dynamic digital ecosystem housed here.
Proptech's objective is to innovate in order to help the real estate, housing and construction sectors build the city of tomorrow for its inhabitants. Transparency of prices and costs, development of apartments using artificial intelligence, energy transition ; the fields of application are numerous. "Our French startups can help professionals in the sector to do things better and faster while bringing more satisfaction to those who live in the city," says Pierre Leroy, president of French Proptech.
UNIK.X, a home for proptech
The UNIK.x building on the Ile de Nantes is already home to around twenty real estate startups. "We have created this place, which is a mix of professional and residential real estate, in order to work with the residents of the building to find solutions around mix-used development. The inhabitants are in a way our co-workers", explains Pierre Leroy, co -founder of EP, the startup behind the proptech movement. "It is a place where entrepreneurs can experiment and open up to traditional businesses".
300 HECTARES TO REDEVELOP
The only city in France to benefit from 300 hectares to be built in the heart of the city, Nantes offers an exceptional playground, unique in Europe, to initiate this transformation. Entrusted to urban planners and architects, some of whom are internationally renowned, this project takes the form of emblematic achievements such as the Creative District and the Health District. Its strategy, based on citizen dialogue, was instrumental in making Nantes the"European Capital of Innovation 2019".
One million m2 of floor space is to be produced by 2030 in the city of Nantes to create the housing, equipment, offices and business premises necessary to accommodate the 15,000 new inhabitants and 19,000 new employees expected over the next decade.
AN UNPRECEDENTED COLLABORATION WITH URBAN PLANNERS TO SUPPORT PROPTECH STARTUPS
As proof of these dynamics in action, the three developers in charge of the urban project (LOD, NMA and SAMOA) are spearheading together with Nantes the ambition to work hand in hand with proptech startups. This partnership commits to opening up access for proptech players to real estate projects, in particular through the sharing of scope statements, information, and mutual experimenting. Startups also benefit from a whole ecosystem of innovation in Nantes with players like Novabuild, Atlansun and Atlanbois. The Nantes City lab also offers a testing ground for inventing the smartcity of tomorrow.
DOZENS OF STARTUPS ALREADY IN THE STARTING BLOCKS
EP, Kadran, Emoko, Immodvisor or Gibbox, and Beem are some of
Nantes' proptech startups working to make real estate transactions more
efficient and cost effective. The energy transition is also a fertile ground
for proptech startups. In Nantes, Beem manufactures solar panels as flat-pack
kits for individuals, whilst EP works in the energy transition of buildings.
Bloc in Bloc is developing an augmented reality application to reduce quality
defects during construction. Habx helps future homeowners to personalize their
homes with artificial intelligence.