MetaProp NYC, the world’s premier real estate technology nexus and early stage PropTech accelerator, announced today that the five earliest-stage startups in the 2017 class of the MetaProp Pre-Accelerator at Columbia University, had completed the world's first such PropTech program.
Working with Columbia University’s Center for Urban Real Estate (CURE), the MetaProp Pre-Accelerator at Columbia succeeded in providing the startup founders with a wealth of exposure to capital, education and mentors. The program featured eight education sessions with an equal number of mentors for the founders. In addition, 13 guests speakers from the real estate and technology world exchanged their experience and ideas with the startups. Collectively, the startup founders presented 300 hours of defense practice, culminating with presentations before seven PropTech judges who evaluated the companies based on an identified problem, competitive analysis, proposed solution, traction, team and presentation.
“In completing our eight-week Pre-Accelerator program, these earliest-state PropTech entrepreneurs demonstrated the broad and deep spring of real estate technology ideation that craves guidance and direction from MetaProp and Columbia University’s CURE experts,” said Aaron Block, Founding Partner and Managing Director, MetaProp NYC. “Everyone involved at each level of this program has been greatly energized by our mutual interaction. MetaProp is proud to have partnered with CURE to create the world’s first PropTech Pre-Accelerator to give these young entrepreneurs their best chance for future success.”
“Our experience with Aaron, Leila [Collins, MetaProp’s head of the Pre-Accelerator], and the rest of the MetaProp team in successfully building this program was outstanding,” said Josh Panknin, Adjunct Professor, Associate Director of CURE, GSAPP, Columbia University. “We’ve shown that Columbia and MetaProp can work together effectively and leverage the different resources of both organizations. Combining MetaProp’s vast industry and entrepreneurial network, knowledge of the PropTech world and business development experience with Columbia’s deep technology and real estate resources, we’ve taken companies from rough ideas to viable proptech businesses and believe this is an excellent program for anyone venturing into the proptech space.”
Five companies accepted into the program qualified to pitch the judges for seven minutes, followed by five minutes of intensive questions from the panel. The judges were Zach Aarons, Founding Partner, MetaProp NYC; Jeffrey E. Berman, Director at Camber Creek; Matt Boras, VP at Colony NorthStar, Inc; Nat Kelner, Assistant Director,Columbia Entrepreneurship; Clelia Peters, Founding Partner, MetaProp NYC; Sloan Saunders, Managing Partner atCedar Hill Holdings, and Roberta Sydney, of Sydney Associates, Inc.
Designed by MetaProp NYC and Columbia University’s Center for Urban Real Estate, the pre-accelerator’s goal was to connect first-time, earliest-stage PropTech entrepreneurs (including students, recent graduates and scholars from the Columbia University ecosystem and beyond) to sources of seed capital, real estate and technology mentors, as well as to deep technology education.
About MetaProp NYC
MetaProp NYC is the world’s premier real estate technology nexus. Based in the heart of Manhattan’s Silicon Alley, the MetaProp NYC 22-week Accelerator and 8-week Pre-Accelerator at Columbia University are the leading programs for high growth PropTech startups. Each year, up to 20 of the best technology driven real estate industry ideas are selected to participate in intensive education, mentorship and growth hacking programs, culminating in exclusive Graduation Defense panels and bi-coastal Demo Days for partners, investors, VCs and media. Founded in 2015, the accelerator boasts 100+ mentors, 10 renowned corporate partners and widespread media coverage from the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, New York Post, TechCrunch, Inman, Bisnow, Real Estate Weekly, and more. MetaProp NYC's team and strategic seed stage funds have invested in 60+ technology companies across the real estate value chain. The companies have raised more than $2 billion and employ 1,500+ people globally. MetaProp Advisors provides strategic advisory services, growth consulting, communications, event management and market research for real estate companies that are serious about innovation.
About Columbia’s Center for Urban Real Estate
Columbia University’s Center for Urban Real Estate was founded in 2011 in order to address some of the world’s most difficult real estate problems. The Center is now focused specifically on the development of advanced applied technology by bridging the gap between the needs of the industry and the tremendous technological resources of the Columbia University ecosystem. The Center serves as the conduit between New York City’s global finance and real estate industries and Columbia University’s world-class academia to facilitate the flow of ideas in order to create transformative technology for the built world. As part of our commitment to modernizing the real estate industry, the Center also contributes heavily to the curriculum of the Masters of Real Estate Development program at Columbia. Students are exposed to the finance, construction, design, and operation of real estate, in addition to the integration of technology to these areas, as we groom the next generation of global real estate industry leaders. The Center hosts forward-looking events that address the future evolution of the industry as a whole, but more specifically to the application of advanced technology.
