Rome, 13 June 2022 TBC – CDP Venture Capital Sgr launches HabiTech, the accelerator for start-ups that develop services dedicated to the proptech sector, through the application of real estate technological and digital solutions. The programme is part of the CDP National Accelerators Network, a network operating throughout the territory to help foster the growth of young companies specialised in high-potential markets.

HabiTech originates from an initiative of CDP Venture Capital Sgr, with a total budget of 5.75 million euro destined for investments in the acceleration and post-acceleration phase, 3.75 million euro of which is allocated by CDP Venture Capital Sgr's Accelerators Fund.

The programme will be managed by Digital Magics, a certified start-up incubator, and MassChallenge, a US operator with over 10 years of experience and a track record of over 3,000 accelerated companies. The COIMA Group, specialised in the investment, development and management of Italian real estate assets on behalf of institutional investors, the Ariston Group, one of the global leaders in thermal comfort for homes and sanitary water, and Novacapital, are also promoters and partners of the transaction.

COIMA will provide the District management technology platform implemented in the Porta Nuova district in Milan and will host HabiTech's offices in this area, with the advantage for start-ups of being completely immersed in the realities in which they will test their prototypes.

In addition, a number of companies have already joined the programme as Partners of the initiative, such as: illimity Bank, Planet Smart City, Gabetti Lab and COSTIM.

The promoters and corporate partners will contribute to the identification of the programme's research areas and to the selection of accelerated start-ups, providing them with mentorship and tutoring and supporting HabiTech managers through the transfer of expertise and skills in the real estate sector.

The accelerator aims to support the development of start-ups operating in the field of innovative services for the building sector, with special focus on the development of sustainability related technologies, as well as financial services for the real estate sector, digital platforms to broaden the activation of urban neighborhoods, the management of real estate transactions and services, the management of the domestic consumption network through artificial intelligence and big data, energy efficiency solutions, local energy systems, smart districts and the management of energy communities.

HabiTech will select up to 10 seed and pre-seed start-ups each year for 3 years. The first call is open from today until 15 July on www.habitech-italia.com.
The selected start-ups will receive a 115 thousand euro “pre-seed” investment and will participate in a 4-month acceleration programme focused on growht for market access. Thanks to the collaboration with the partners involved, the start-ups will be able to meet directly with industry experts and have the opportunity to test their solution in real environments. Finally, the best projects will have access to additional investments already allocated by the initiative's Promoters.

"The HabiTech accelerator is dedicated to housing, a sector that has undergone a revolution in recent years also as a result of the pandemic, but that has also been transformed by people's diverse needs, digitisation and the growing number of applications in the field of smart cities, as well as by the sustainability requirement'' comments Francesca Bria, President of CDP Venture Capital Sgr, ''The start-ups play a leading role in this transformation, as can be seen from the increasing number of start-ups globally that develop smart services for urban transformation and for the energy transition. The participation of Italian excellences in the sector of services linked to urban development and housing sustainability among the programme's promoters and partners goes to show just how strategic this sector is to transform our cities into green and digital cities in the future".