Make It Ten: Allthings
Have you ever asked yourself why any kind of communication with your landlord or your property manager has to be such a pain in the neck? And why there is no tool or platform to communicate with the other tenants in your building? Allthings, an investment from our CV IV fund, has set out to change all this and at the same time to also provide real estate owners and investors with much needed transparency.
Enjoy this interview with Stefan Zanetti, Allthings’ Founder and CEO — and one of Europe’s top PropTech influencers.
#1 Stefan, please introduce Allthings in less than 10 words.
Allthings is the digital tenant experience platform for real estate.
#2 What was the initial impetus or motivation to start Allthings and what is your vision with it?
Originally, we started with an IoT platform that made high-quality products, such as bicycles, smarter through modular software services. That worked but didn’t scale as fast as we wanted. The exchange with real estate developer Losinger Marazzi gave us a new idea: instead of products, can we equip entire buildings with digital services and make them smarter? We gave it a shot, build our first tenant app and were awarded the prize for the best smart home solution in the world at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in 2015. After this success we stopped all further projects and became the PropTech company Allthings. Our vision is to become the leading one-stop platform for real estate owners and investors and to equip buildings with digital services for a better life in buildings.
#3 What company-related recent accomplishment are you most proud of?
A lot of great things happened during the last 12 months. Our Series A was one of the few double-digit million financing rounds within the PropTech sector. We’ve successfully opened two new locations and brought Allthings to the UK and the Netherlands. While our team is growing at rapid speed, we’ve also entered new market segments by bringing our platform to municipalities, student residences and pension funds. The latest accomplishment is the launch of Allthings Essential, our entry-level solution for small to mid-sized real estate companies.
#4 Five years from now, what will Allthings look like? What will you be doing yourself?
With offices throughout Europe, we have accompanied the real estate industry step by step into the digital age. And this is just the beginning. After we’ve helped to successfully digitize core operational processes, we’ll be looking at new revenue streams. In five years time, we’ll also have opened a number of overseas locations to strengthen our position as the leading one-stop platform for real estate owners and investors. Personally, I’ll be making sure that even though we’ve grown to a multinational company, we not only stay on top of industry trends but are responsible for pioneering and shaping them.
#5 Can you name three adjectives that describe the working culture at Allthings?
Mission-driven. Collaborative. Exciting. We’re currently hiring in Berlin. Check here for more details.
#6 Can you name a detail that nobody really talks about but that is nonetheless crucial for the success of a company?
At Allthings we regard the development of a strong, transparent and sustainable company culture as a decisive success factor. For us, this has less to do with table tennis tables and free Club Mate than with building a team that shares our mission to lead the real estate industry into the digital age. Many of our employees are invested in the company with their own money and share our desire for success. As a result, we see people acting in the best interest of the company’s success. That allows us as management team to let go, delegate and trust — which is especially important while we’re growing at rapid speed.
#7 Which technological solution are we still missing in our lives?
Any successful tech solution solves a real problem that many people have. So instead of thinking about solutions that are missing, I’d like to start by looking at problems that aren’t yet solved. And if you ask me what I believe is still a big problem, I’d say hunger. So, having a solution that automatically identifies areas where there is too much food, and transfers that food to those who need it desperately — that would be a super solution.
#8 What is worth spending time on other than Allthings?
Other than Allthings, I focus on spending time with my family, go on adventure quests with my kids and wife and explore the region on my bicycle.
#9 Why did you choose Creathor as an investor?
Since 1984 Creathor invests in companies that power the automation of industries. That perfectly aligns with our aim to bring the real estate industry into the digital age. With its proven track record and 30 years of experience, Creathor was the perfect choice for Allthings.
# 10 Make it 10! There must be something that you have always wanted to ask us. What is it?
Stefan: Looking 5 years into the future, what would you say made you most excited about working together with Allthings?
Cédric: First of all, I hope that all shareholders of Allthings will generate a remarkable return on their investment (sweat, passion, cash). Looking back in 5 years, I am sure that I will be saying the same thing that I am saying today, i.e. that the communication between management, investors and other shareholders is always open, thoughtful, reflecting and sharply object-driven focusing on how to build and grow a great company.
Thank you, Stefan!
If you would like to learn more about our other investments and our current investment focus, please visit www.creathor.com and get in touch if you think we could be a match.
