WHAT?! Funds, Frontiers and the Future of PropTech

JOIN Capital hosts its first WHAT?! event as part of an ongoing series on the world’s most exciting tech sectors.

“Continue pushing. Think exponentially. No physical boundaries have stopped us so far.”

The words from Thijs van der Burgt, Office App Co-founder and CEO, lingered for a few moments in the air before the room at Berlin’s historic Böhmisches Brauhaus erupted into applause.

This sentiment was a fitting end to the presentations at JOIN Capital’s first event in the WHAT?! Series — an educational networking and dinner concept aimed at advancing ideas and conversation about the world’s most exciting tech sectors.

WHAT?! is a welcomed challenge for us, and one that we hope echoes the idea behind van der Burgt’s words. To keep pushing, expanding and connecting ideas to nurture the growing Neue Industy — this is one thing we place at the forefront of our decision-making.

Even in the presence of over 100 guests — all of whom brought varied perspectives to the table — the evening’s takeaways became clear and succinct almost immediately. We’d like to share three of those learnings with you here.

WHAT is driving PropTech?

Responsibility

By 2050, 10 billion people will exist on Earth. 75% of them will live in cities. Building and refurbishing, therefore, is a responsibility we must take more seriously — or else face the consequences in several decades.

Marc Germain, Co-founder of Wizzcad, delivered a clear-cut message: “We must build smarter, faster, better.” With Building Information Modeling (BIM) and AI technologies, the construction world has a chance to catch up with the world’s rapidly increasing population.

However, our responsibility goes beyond just the construction sector and into creating the most optimal work and living circumstances for as many people as possible, around the globe.

Connectivity

We don’t just mean connected devices and networks. Connectivity, and connection, means people.

“Everything we do is about well-being,” said keynote speaker Matt Coulson, CEO of Chiswick Park Enjoy-Work, who emphasized the importance of creating the best possible experiences for working professionals directly on their worksite. “It’s about using technology to be smart about our approach.”

User engagement through connectivity and connection is a key focus for PropTech companies around the globe. Shared spaces and the secure but seamless flow of data brings a wave of opportunities for improving on antiquated ways of living and working. For many customers, these possibilities are avenues to gain competitive advantage — whether that’s in attracting and hiring top talent, gaining customers or providing a productive and healthy environment for employees to do their best work.

Simplicity

“We want simplicity,” said Xavier Pansaers, Board Director of Proxyclick. “Scaling a business is not a strategy; it’s a mindset.”

While technologies may be complex to the vast majority, their introduction and adoption in the world should be simple and seamless. That means simplifying the process of adoption for customers; the touch points between sales representatives and their leads; the way that challenges are approached; the visibility of product in key markets; etc. With limited resources at play, the core elements of a company should be used to maximum advantage.

With this mindset in place, strategy can become simple by default.

We want to extend a huge thank you to everyone who participated in this event and drove the conversation forward. We have a long way to go in building the ideal human experience though property and real estate technologies, but the journey is one we’re proud to be a part of.

View more photos of the event here, or check out the recap video.

Interested in being a part of our next event centered on Advanced Manufacturing? Reach out to us! hello@join.capital.com.