Geovation is a community of innovators and collaborators which uses location data to create solutions addressing global challenges. A new cohort of six GeoTech and PropTech start-ups has just been selected to start on its Accelerator Programme.

The Accelerator Programme - which runs for 12 months - is backed by Ordnance Survey (OS) and HM Land Registry (HMLR) and has already supported over 150 start-ups delivering innovation in the GeoTech and PropTech areas. It is designed to provide start-ups with bespoke and specialist support to help grow their businesses, as they develop innovative and sustainable solutions that can deliver significant impact and boost the economy.

This includes up to £20,000 equity-free funding - broken down into two installments - and a 12-month residency in the Geovation Hub. Tailored workshops, coaching and access to a range of exclusive open and proprietary datasets from OS, HMLR and other partners are provided. Opportunities are also provided for the selected start-ups to present at industry events throughout the year.

The PropTech track of the programme, supported by HMLR, is for start-ups using land/property data and technology to revolutionise the property industry. The successful start-ups are as follows:

• Kotini provides home-buying services (e.g., estate agent, brokers and conveyancers) with a customer-facing platform that levels up their customer experience, reduces their admin and shortens property transaction times. Open, standardised property data is combined with great digital experiences to give customers one seamless journey on their way to getting those new keys.

• Housecure removes the stress and risks of buying and selling homes. Its free, easy to use platform helps gather information from potential buyers and sellers to create bespoke profiles to showcase their credibility. It also provides personalised recommendations on how to improve that credibility, and de-risks the property transaction with reservation agreements.

• Material Index is a company founded by engineers, architects, and software developers, which enables the reuse of construction materials at scale, construction being the largest source of waste by volume in the UK. The company’s unique digital tools allow for the rapid inventorying of materials in a building prior to deconstruction, and their sale to business buyers.

The GeoTech branch of the programme is supported by OS. Geovation was looking for start-ups innovating in the OS priority areas: Resilience & Protection of Life, Environment & Sustainability, Transport, Health & Wellbeing and Energy. The successful start-ups are as follows:

• Agrasta’s online marketplace connects food businesses which want to reduce their carbon footprint to farmers looking to capitalise on their low carbon produce. While food emissions account for around a third of global emissions, almost 50% of food emissions occur within the farm gate.

• Guerrilla is a company which produces a retrofittable device which enables roadside drains to capture particulate pollution, which would otherwise be washed into the ocean due to rainfall in cities. The device performs membrane-less phase separation of urban-surface runoff, without using any electricity or moving parts while maintaining high flow rates.

• VOLTQUANT uses geospatial data analytics to help energy developers identify and assess potential renewable energy sites, accelerating the transition to a clean energy future.

“This was the first time I've been directly involved in the process of selecting the teams for the Geovation Accelerator Programme. I really enjoyed listening to all the impressive and varied pitches - but I'm especially excited about the start-ups we’ve selected for this cohort. It’s a really diverse set of use cases that demonstrate the impact that location data can have on the world - led by brilliant and ambitious founders.” - Gareth Sumner, new head of Geovation

“By offering our data, funding and mentoring to the new cohort over the next 12 months, we’re fostering the next generation of data-led PropTech entrepreneurs. We’re really excited to work with them and watch their progress in transforming the property industry and beyond.” - Lynne Nicholson, Lead Product Manager (Data) at HMLR