Global property data and technology business PriceHubble, co-founded by serial entrepreneur and now executive chairman Stefan Heitmann, is launching in the UK.
The move comes at a time when the UK housing market, lending, borrowing, and interest rates are firmly in the spotlight following measures announced in the Chancellor’s Mini-Budget.
At only six years old and with more than 200 employees, PriceHubble already has an existing footprint in nine international markets – Switzerland, France, Germany, Austria, Japan, the Netherlands, Belgium, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
PriceHubble serves over 1,500 B2B customers, including well-known brands, such as Credit Suisse in Switzerland and BNP and Axa in France.
The UK launch represents the latest in a string of acquisition-led and green field market entries across Europe and Asia.
PriceHubble is now focused on partnering with UK banks, wealth managers, real estate agents, mortgage brokers, IFAs and fintechs, to deliver powerful property insights that can be digitally embedded into their customer journey, transforming customer engagement, and overall business performance.
Heitmann said: “Following the success in European and Asian markets, we are thrilled to be launching the business in the UK – a clear milestone in our global expansion strategy.
“The UK is Europe’s most dynamic and very likely, most competitive real estate market, but UK customers and their financial services partners do not have access to the level of data and insights that PriceHubble currently delivers to its existing clients worldwide.
“We are entering the UK market with a laser like focus on partnering with new clients to deliver powerful property data and insights that transform their customer engagement and business performance.”
In October PriceHubble will be introducing the first one of its flagship products – Property Adviser – a visual dashboard which includes multiple data sets, including property valuation and local amenities, to help organisations better advise clients on their property wealth and for consumers to benefit from a new level of transparency about their homes.
Tony Prestedge, former deputy CEO of Santander and Nationwide, joins as adviser and investor.
He is supporting the firm’s UK expansion strategy and business development initiatives, along with Ian Walsh, UK country head.
Prestedge said: “There is no doubt we are at an inflection point in the UK, because of an ageing demographic, changing housing market and growing economic challenges, including rising interest rates.
“The home itself is now becoming a financial asset, which changes throughout people’s lives.
“This means making the right decisions about property can not only change the outcomes of an individual’s life for one generation, but multiple generations.”