Fintech startup on mission to create affordable housing
MELBOURNE: Startups are increasingly trying to marshall capital to underpin the growth of affordable housing.
International NPO, Habitat for Humanity has now announced that the Terwilliger Centre for Innovation in Shelter has recently made a $300 000 investment in iBUILD Global, a multi-national fintech-for-housing company.
The Terwilliger Centre for Innovation in Shelter investment is part of Habitat for Humanity’s mission to extend more affordable housing products and services to low-income families. According to the company, the investment was made through the Terwilliger Centre’s Shelter Venture Fund – this fund is aimed at targeting companies disrupting the housing market by improving affordability and quality.
iBuild has a patent-pending fin-tech solution that is said to offer consumers a platform where they can transact with lenders, architects and suppliers all from their mobile phone. The solution is targeted at homebuilders who are looking for a secure and transparent way to pay for the construction of their home.
iBUILD says it aims to formalise and demystify the construction process so that large scale developers and financial institutions, as well as homebuilders of all income levels, are all able to track and manage their resources through an end-to-end solution. The company also notes that its platform is localised by individual markets in an attempt to improve the efficiency and transparency of transactions.
“Habitat for Humanity is such an inspiring and impactful global steward and we are honoured by the multi-year working relationship that led to this strategic partnership. This significant investment from Habitat for Humanity’s Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter is a tremendous validation of the iBUILD Global platform and will help accelerate our mission of empowering the world to build,” says Bob Weinschenk, CEO, iBUILD Global.
Patrick Kelley, Vice President of Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter, says, “iBuild is exactly the type of start-up we want to invest in with the Shelter Venture Fund. They’re technology-forward, systemic in nature, and have great potential for impacting a large number of people in need of better housing.”
