TORONTO (October 14, 2020) – Second Century Ventures, the strategic investment arm of the National Association of Realtors®, announced Wednesday the companies selected for its inaugural REACH Canada program. Second Century Ventures is the most active global venture fund in real estate technology – with more than 100 portfolio companies worldwide – and operates the global REACH scale-up program in five major markets. The award-winning REACH program helps launch and accelerate high growth potential companies in the real estate, financial services, banking, home services and insurance industries.
“This year has highlighted the significant impact that technology has and will continue to have on the real estate industry. With the help of virtual staging tools, e-signature platforms, remote notarization and even moving services, Realtors® and consumers have been able to continue to list and close transactions in the midst of a year unlike any other,” said Second Century Ventures President and NAR CEO Bob Goldberg. “NAR’s ability to find the world’s most promising and productive new technologies through programs like REACH will help Realtors® navigate the current market and build their businesses for the years ahead.”
The 2020 REACH Canada class represents companies based across North America, offering solutions for the entire real estate ecosystem as each strives to deliver improved customer experiences to homeowners and Realtors® alike. Companies selected for REACH Canada 2020 are broadly categorized within four verticals: Consumer Insights, Homeownership Solutions & Affordability, Sales & Marketing Tools and Commercial Applications. Collectively, this class has raised over $50 million in capital and represents a market capitalization of more than $180 million.
“After opening two new global REACH programs earlier this year in Canada and the UK, we are elated to welcome the first class of companies selected for the REACH Canada program and look forward to debuting the inaugural REACH UK class in the months ahead,” Goldberg continued.
REACH Canada will offer its 2020 class a robust curriculum including education, mentorship, a curated insight panel, exclusive networking opportunities and significant exposure to the global real estate marketplace.
“Our inaugural REACH Canada program was flooded with interest from numerous high-quality companies, which made the selection process extremely challenging,” said Lynette Keyowski, Managing Partner, REACH Canada. “In narrowing such a competitive field to our final selections, we focused on technologies that are essential today and solutions that address what is coming next for real estate. We believe the 2020 REACH Canada Class represents the most promising tools and applications to enhance the consumer experience within the Realtor® community and drive maximum value throughout the transaction.”
The eight companies selected for REACH Canada 2020 by category are:
“We are excited to welcome the REACH Canada Class of 2020 to our rapidly expanding global portfolio,” said Dave Garland, Managing Partner, Second Century Ventures. “These eight companies are poised to make a significant impact on real estate in North America and well beyond. We are eager to accelerate their growth and share their unique and progressive solutions with Realtors® around the world.”
Learn more about the companies selected for the REACH Canada program and how you can get involved at narreach.ca.