Hedi Kurda at HomeQ photo by Crelle Photography

Two of Linköping’s major property owners have invested in the fast-growing proptech company HomeQ, which develops a digital platform between property owners and tenants. This is the first investment of this kind that these real estate companies have done. Now HomeQ will grow even faster.

Hedi Kurda at HomeQ photo by Crelle Photography

Hedi Kurda at HomeQ (Photo by Crelle Photography)

In recent years, the so-called platform economy has grown sharply with smart services that connect people and suppliers into the same digital interface. A survey published earlier this year showed that e-services around the accommodation were the most requested service among the Swedes. LinkQuest-based HomeQ launched last year with the stated goal of collecting real estate companies and people in the same platform.

In the first step, the company has developed software that automates the rental process for real estate companies. At the same time, apartments from several companies are advertised on the HomeQ website, where interest notifications can be left without the user having to leave the platform.

– Platforms and automation are a natural power that can not be stopped. They will look into all parts of the economy and the real estate industry is on the run, says Hedi Kurda, founder of HomeQ.

Now the company has just taken its first investment from Centrum Forvaltning and Vasaparken, two of Linköping’s largest property owners with over 1,000 apartments in the portfolio. The exact amount has not been published, but it is clear that it is a significant amount via a directed new issue of common shares where the company is valued at MSEK 19 prior to the investment. Investors also take place in the company’s board.

-We have been customers of HomeQ’s platform since the start and saw what a difference it made for our own process. The new platform economy begins to come to the real estate industry and we are convinced that HomeQ will be a major player in that field, said Eddie Åhman, CEO of Centrum Forvaltning.

During its first year, the company has launched in Linköping, Norrköping, and Eskilstuna, where 120,000 unique visitors have been gathered on their website and have ten property companies on the customer list for example Real Estate AB Balder.

More investment rounds are planned. According to Hedi Kurda, talks are being held with a further number of investors who have strategic weight in the industry. The money will be used for expansion and recruitment, the goal is to be in the 20 largest municipalities next year.

Questions

Note

(1): Proptech – is a contraction of English property technology and can largely be said to be different technical solutions that are linked to the real estate industry.

(2): http://fastighetstidningen.se/digital-bostadstjanst-mest-efterfragat-hos-svenskarna/

(3): Fastighets AB Balder is one of Sweden’s largest and most successful property companies