The calendar for startup events has been completely cleared as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and as a result many organisers have turned to virtual events.
These digital-only conferences and meetups help to keep the dialogs and networks open among startups, investors and clients.
On July 1-2, PropTech Lab, a Belgian organisation supporting the proptech ecosystem, will host Relevation, a two-day digital event that matches startups with investors from all around the world.
Proptech is a wide-ranging vertical, taking in everything from architecture to construction and property sales to building management. The sector explores innovative new ways to use technology, like artificial intelligence, the internet of things and drones, in every step of the cycles around property and real estate to cut costs, improve processes and reduce carbon emissions.
The sector has been attracting a lot of investment in recent years. Just before the outbreak of the pandemic and the lockdown measures, UK firm A/O Proptech announced a new €250 million fund to invest in the space.
Now amid the challenges and uncertainty brought on by COVID-19, startups are concerned about their future.
PropTech House, an organisation that represents Europe’s proptech industry, found that around 55% of proptech startups anticipate liquidity issues in the next three months due to COVID-19.
The economic downturn stemming from the coronavirus lockdown will have a serious impact on startups and their ability to raise money.
In the survey conducted by PropTech House, 50% of respondents said that investors deferring or pulling investment deals will be a major challenge. At the same time, 40% said that the need for their product has increased.
According to Relevation, the coming years will see an acceleration in digitisation in property, real estate and construction as the industry will feel the need to innovate during challenging times.
While the venture capital landscape will change as a result of the pandemic, that doesn’t necessarily mean that deal flow will halt completely.
Relevation will help proptech founders make sense of the changing landscape for funding and growth, whether it’s honing their investment pitch or making valuable contacts. For investors, it’s an opportunity to evaluate the quality of startups that are looking for capital.
The virtual event will facilitate digital matchmaking, giving startups the opportunity to have one-on-one meetings with investors and watch fireside chats and panel discussions with key players in the European property sector.
Some of the speakers confirmed for the event include Robbie Antonio, Founder of Revolution Precrafted, Saeed Amidi of Plug and Play Tech Center, Kevin Cardona, the chief innovation officer at BNP Paribas Real Estate, Gregory Dewerpe, the founder of A/O PropTech, and Rethinking Real Estate founder Dror Poleg.
Tickets for Relevation are available now, priced at €200 for startups and €500 for founders.
Featured image credit: Free Photos/Pixabay
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