COVER STORY
Number of proptech companies launched worldwide from 2008 to 2018
300
250
200
150
100
50
0 2008
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
2018
In 2018 , there were two Proptech companies founded , whereas 261 Proptechs were launched in 2014 . The number of launches has slowed significantly since 2014 , but the volume of capital invested has continued to rise . Source : © Statista 2020
in the next two years , compared to less than a third of respondents in a similar poll in 2018 .
ASIA ’ S POTENTIAL
In Asia , China has been at the forefront of proptech developments . Research from the University of Oxford showed that the world ’ s proptech unicorns are either located in the US or China . With over 550 proptech companies operating from Asia , the region , led by China , holds a huge potential to rise to an equal footing with the US and Europe as leaders of the proptech world in the next 5 to 10 years , said the report .
In the near-term , however , investor sentiment towards proptech innovation is expected to be muted .
Global venture capital firm Pi Lab founder Faisal Butt recently told Forbes that investors will inevitably be more cautious in the short-term and that it may take up to six months for the fundraising markets to reopen fully . In addition , investing in proptech post-pandemic will likely “ penalise startups with weaker balance sheets ”. Investors are currently prioritising their existing portfolio companies over making new investments , adding a hurdle for proptech to reach its potential , he said .
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