Sixth International PropTech Innovation Award launched with new concept for 2022

• Developer TOWNSCAPE joins as a member of the partner network
• Focus on sustainability
• For the first time, the winning startups will receive up to EUR 100,000 of support from the GERMANTECH Proptech Innovation Fund

04 April 2022 I Author Fabian Hellbusch I Reading time: 3 minutes

Berlin, 4 April 2022: The international PropTech Innovation Award kicks off for the sixth time. The competition seeks out and recognises outstanding digital solutions and business models within the real estate industry. This year’s theme is “Smart solutions for a sustainable value chain”. Proptech companies have until 31 May 2022 to submit innovative solutions for sustainable value chains in the construction and real estate sector. Berlin-based developer Townscape has come on board to help stage the competition alongside Union Investment and GERMANTECH, the companies that initiated the awards.

“This year, the focus is on an area where innovative proptech solutions have a particularly important role to play – sustainable transformation and repurposing of existing buildings. The potential for new business models that meet the need to revitalise our city centres is huge, right through to specific aspects such as material recycling and managing interim use during the transformation process. Close cooperation between the real estate sector and proptechs is critical to the success of transformation and overcoming the associated challenges. The digital economy can provide valuable input and creative ideas here.”

Christoph Holzmann, COO and member of the management board at Union Investment Real Estate GmbH

“At Townscape, planning and developing modern office space is a core task. Above all, our focus is on modern construction materials, smart planning tools, energy-efficient architecture and AI-based solutions for residential and commercial properties. We’re therefore delighted to have been invited to become part of the PropTech Innovation Award this year and going forward, as well as to have the opportunity to support the winning startups in future,” commented Philipp Janssen, managing partner at Townscape.

At the PropTech Innovation Summit 2022 in Berlin, the best startups from the three categories “Smart Planning”, “Sustainable (Re)Construction & Building” and “Responsible Use & Management” will be recognised. In addition, the GERMANTECH Proptech Innovation Fund will make a longer-term investment of up to EUR 100,000 in each finalist.

The categories encompass issues such as the circular economy, AI and efficiency gains in data collection and use. After the hybrid online event of 2021, the plan this year is to hold the Summit in-person on 27 September in the Holzmarkt creative village in Berlin’s Friedrichshain district.

“Since we launched the Award together with Union Investment, we’ve seen an ever-growing number of entries from international startups and companies with fresh ideas and exciting business models,” said Maria Gross, managing director at GERMANTECH. “This shows that Europe is a promising location for innovation with a flourishing startup scene that should be nurtured. The winners of the PropTech Innovation Award will not only receive financial support in the form of investment but also access to experts, mentors and innovative event formats through our growing partner network. They will benefit from the long experience of established market players and can leverage that to accelerate their growth.”

The PropTech Innovation Award took place for the first time in 2017. Since the competition was launched by Union Investment and GERMANTECH, the number of entries from Germany and other European countries has risen steadily. Last year, the jury received 180 applications from startups and established companies from a total of 40 countries. Since its inception, the competition has attracted more than 800 business ideas and digital solutions.

The application platform is live now at www.proptech-innovation.de.

More information about PropTech Innovation Award:

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