MetaProp reveals next cohort

Proptech venture capital firm MetaProp has announced it is investing up to $1.5m in 6 startups from its 2018-19 MetaProp Accelerator.

Selected from hundreds of applications from more than 25 countries, the startups cover a range of fields including smart cities, residential brokerage, tenant advocacy and sustainability, using technology including blockchain and Machine Learning to solve some of the industry’s biggest problems.

MetaProp also announced its new accelerator Consortium, a community of real estate and other industry companies providing professional support for its international and domestic acceleration programs.

Who was selected?

The 2018-19 MetaProp Accelerator at Columbia University cohort features:

Reasi – an online real estate escrow service from Los Angeles that provides a secure and seamless home-closing experience. Reasi eliminates escrow costs using a blockchain platform, supporting the transaction from offer to close.

LiveBy – a hyperlocal data company from Nebraska focused on empowering agents with the tools to showcase their local expertise. With plug-and-play local content for websites and new, sharable Neighbourhood Guides and Market Reports, LiveBy aims to help property professionals prove why they know their markets best.

Avvir – the New York firm compares laser scans of constructions sites to BIMs in order to identify construction errors, monitor progress, and ultimately enable a dynamic living digital twin of a building that can be used as a platform for the management of smart buildings.

Jabbrrbox – a workplace solutions company based in New York, that brings on-demand work pods to commercial and public spaces.

Aegis AI – the Chicago-based company aims to save lives in active shooter situations, using computer vision to identify weapons in surveillance camera footage and immediately alert the police.

Furnishr – a turn-key home furnishing platform from Toronto that designs, sources, delivers and setups your home all in one day.

The chosen startups will receive up to $250,000 in financing, as well as participation in pilot days and demo days.

Leila Collins, who leads MetaProp’s global acceleration, said: “This accelerator cohort arose from what was the most competitive application season we have had. I think it is a reflection of how quickly the worldwide market is growing.

“Construction and residential are 2 areas where we have seen the most growth.”

MetaProp Accelerator Consortium

MetaProp also announced that Comcast machineQ, Cushman & Wakefield, First Republic Bank, Fox Rothschild and Inmobiliaria Colonial have formed the sponsorship Consortium for the accelerator, which is conducted at MetaProp’s HQ in Manhattan’s “Silicon Alley” at Columbia University.

The Consortium companies were given an observer seat on the MetaProp investment committee during open applications for the accelerator cohort finalists.

Co-founder and managing director of MetaProp, Aaron Block, said: “We are excited to bring together this cross-section of industry giants for our Consortium.

“The participation of these companies in and out of the real estate industry speaks to the profound effect that proptech is producing, making it an increasingly attractive and compelling  innovation ecosystem.”