Deepki will climb several levels at once. The French greentech, which uses data to accelerate the energy transition of real estate players, raised 150 million euros in funds led by the investment funds Highland Europe and One Peak Partners LLP.
Bpifrance and Revaia also participated in a financing, as well as the young shoot’s historical investors, Hi Inov and Statkraft Ventures. This operation – which includes a secondary share of an undisclosed amount – represents a big leap forward for Deepki, whose last funding round was “only” 8 million euros in 2019.
The enthusiasm of investors for a start-up absent from the French Tech 120 may come as a surprise. But Deepki, which was founded in 2014 by Vincent Bryantformer energy efficiency director for Engie, and Emmanuel Blanchetwhich worked for Bouygues Construction, has some fine aces up its sleeve and is operating in a market that promises robust growth in the future.
15 million turnover
The start-up has developed software that aggregates data on buildings (invoices, energy meters, description of buildings, open data, etc.). It thus allows building owners to have reliable information on their CO emissions.2 and reduce them.
“We are here to help real estate players build their path towards zero carbon”, summarizes Vincent Bryant. “It’s a nice box,” comments an investor who follows Deepki closely. “ Their growth has really accelerated in recent years. They have been effective with very little money and have a fairly close prospect of profitability. What entice large funds, who increasingly want to bet on greentechs.
Deepki claims a turnover of 15 million euros in 2021. The start-up provides its reporting solution to specialists in shopping centers (Klépierre), retail players (Les Mousquetaires), major insurers (Generali, Allianz), property companies (AEW) or state institutions, etc.
“We have doubled every year for two years. And we still plan to do it in 2022”, anticipates Emmanuel Blanchet, the company’s co-founder. Deepki also has a SaaS model which reassures investors. “It’s the promise of hyperrecurrent income and with a low churn (customer disengagement rate, editor’s note),” observes an investor. “There is a regulatory aspect that carries Deepki. This is also what the market is buying,” he continues.
Real estate at a turning point
In France, the building sector accounts for a quarter of CO emissions2 and will have to make its revolution in the coming decades. The situation is the same in other European countries. Beyond the environmental aspect, asset owners who take ESG criteria lightly could pay dearly.
“A building that is not efficient (in environmental terms, editor’s note) will no longer be rentable or salable in ten years,” insists Emmanuel Blanchet. “This risk of dropping the value of buildings will tip the sector into the next world”, is convinced Vincent Bryant.
For Deepki, the time was therefore ideal to accelerate, especially since the other European market players are smaller. “ Our platform runs in 38 countries,” recalls Vincent Bryant. The company, which already has offices in London, Madrid, Milan and Berlin, plans to open another this year in the United States, where Measurabl raised $50 million in 2021. A major challenger? “We are 50% bigger than them,” says Vincent Bryant.
The development of Deepki will go through numerous recruitments – 200 in 2022 – and acquisitions. “We have three processes underway,” slips Vincent Bryant, without giving more details. An ambition worthy of a future greentech champion.
