Venture Studio from Crisis

Agile Homes build high-quality, low carbon, affordable homes using modern, rapid construction methods. To date, they have delivered 21 affordable homes, with another 107 in the pipeline. 

They also created the Centre for Low and Innovative Carbon Solutions (CLiCs), which provides skills, training and education in modern methods of construction for Prisoners Released on Temporary License (RoTL). This training provides pathways to meaningful employment, reducing the risk of reoffending and building low-carbon affordable homes for people in housing need. 

The Venture Studio was attracted to Agile Homes' capability to deliver affordable and dignified homes at speed whilst involving the community in every step of the process.

Through harnessing the power of technology, data science and cutting-edge software engineering, Urban Intelligence helps local councils create smarter plans to meet the shortfall in housing provision. Their PlaceMaker software helps local authorities identify more development opportunities than the manual alternative and gives planning officers access to data that enables them to challenge viability assessments made in planning applications and deliver much-needed affordable housing. 

Urban Intelligence also received the Real Estate Digital Outstanding Achievement Award and Productivity Award at the 2022 EG Tech Awards. 

The Venture Studio was attracted to Urban Intelligence’s ability to increase potential capacity for social housing.

Husmus is a fintech startup that reduces bias in the landlord decision making process with a platform that provides inclusive financial profiling as an alternative to traditional credit scoring. By focusing on tenants' income sources, such as gig income, pensions and housing benefit, as well as behavioral metrics, it seeks to make renting in the private sector fairer and more affordable.

Husmus’ platform also works with insurance companies and lenders on new products, which eliminate the need for guarantors and advanced rent payments. This makes housing more accessible and affordable, and tenancies more sustainable.

The Venture Studio was attracted to Husmus’ mission to create an unbiased, financially inclusive world for all households by finding new solutions for improving access to housing.

Pfida is an ethical financial technology company working with local communities to provide debt-free homes and interest-free financial products that are accessible to all. Their mission is to provide everyone with equal and fair opportunities to save, invest and own a home without interest and debt. 

Pfida also offer an ‘equity buffer’ so if someone loses their income, unlike with a mortgage, they can fall back on this buffer and remain in their home, preventing homelessness. 

The Venture Studio was attracted to Pfida's groundbreaking model of a community focused approach to providing debt-free homes.

Grand Bequest is a property technology company using data analytics, conservation, and sustainability to promote the global redevelopment of vacant buildings, and will transform empty and derelict buildings into environmental, social and governance (ESG) impact investments.

There are over 600,000 empty building in the UK and they want to bring this unused housing back into the market at social rent levels. their platform that will enable communities to turn empty buildings into impact investments and deliver new social housing at scale.

The Venture Studio was excited to invest in a B Corp that is repurposing empty properties as a very real solution to help end homelessness.

GoodPAYE is a 100% charity-owned and technology-led business on a mission to revolutionize the way Payroll Giving is delivered. Using modern digital fundraising techniques and technology efficiencies, they will double the number of UK payroll givers and raise an additional £150m for charities by 2030.

The Venture Studio was attracted to GoodPAYE's potential to increase the accessibility and uptake of Payroll Giving, driving exponential benefit to charities, employers, and their employees.