After a successful first round of the EG Tech Academy, in which six firms went head-to-head in front of a terrifying panel of judges in a battle to secure as much as £150,000 of investment from investor and accelerator Pi Labs, EG is opening the doors for a new clutch of potential Academy finalists.
This year the EG Tech Academy is growing. Instead of a single category, we will now be looking for proptech entrepreneurs for two categories. One for budding entrepreneurs with companies at the pre-revenue stage and another for early-stage start-ups at the post-revenue stage.
And this year, shortlisted finalists will get the added benefit of pre-final mentoring with EG’s Tech partners, CBRE, Legal & General Real Assets and KPMG to make sure they deliver the best possible pitch to the EG Tech Academy judges.
Finalists will also gain invaluable exposure through coverage across all EG’s various publications and an exclusive advisory session with Pi Labs.
Building on success
Since winning the inaugural EG Tech Academy award in 2017, Demand Logic has seen its business go from strength to strength.
The “fitbit for building” product, developed by Demand Logic, is now used across more than 16m sq ft of buildings in the UK and counts TH Real Estate, LandSec, The Crown Estate, JLL and CBRE among its customers.
The firm promises to improve effectiveness, reduce comfort complaints and cut energy costs by as much as 30% through its detailed property performance information tool.
Chairman Sonny Masero, says: “For Demand Logic, the EG Tech Academy came at the perfect time as we were looking to raise growth capital to accelerate our business. While the dragon’s den of judges from British Land, CBRE and Pi Labs was gruelling, it meant that the exposure we received was excellent and it was a highly credible win for us. I believe the runners-up also benefitted from the visibility so well worth taking part.”
Other finalists in the Academy included Chimni, Beringar, Accucities, Sorbet and Walulel.
The EG Tech Academy officially opens for entries on 10 August with the battle to be crowned winner taking place in late November.
To enter, email your submission to techtalk@egi.co.uk. Submissions should include your business/idea, how it will be utilised in the built environment, evidence of the size and value of the market, and customer testimonials. See how to enter (below) for full entry criteria.
The closing date for entries is 5 October 2018.
How to enter
Pre-revenue
For teams or companies which may be pre-product or in trials but with no paying clients.
Please provide:
■ Details of your business and idea and how it will be utilised within the built environment.
■ Evidence of the market, including a detailed market-sizing report on the scale of the opportunity.
■ Customer validation.
■ Plans for founders to go full-time soon and commit to the venture.
Post-revenue
For companies that have already generated some income through paid trials or subscriptions.
Entrants to this category should have a full-time team, have a cumulative revenue of less than £250,000 and must not have received funding in excess of £250,000 (including investment, loans and grants).
Please provide:
■ Details of your business and how it is being utilised with in the built environment
■ A detailed market-sizing report, showing the scale of the opportunity
■ Evidence of a strong grasp of your business’s financials, unit economics and business model
■ Customer testimonials
To send feedback, e-mail Samantha.McClary@egi.co.uk or tweet @Samanthamcclary or @estatesgazette
Image: ©Romilly Lockyer
A version of this article appeared in the 28 July 2018 edition of EG with the headline “Start-ups to battle it out for academy cash”
