Meet the Climate Tech company using data and automation to help residential property with sustainability: ValAi

ValAi is building the tools the industry needs today so they can meet the sustainable finance demands of society tomorrow.

Founded by Allys Tood and Tom Reed, their product, Greenhouse, is an automated sustainability rating tool and customer platform that provides customers personalised insight on their residential property including carbon and energy footprint to drive a sustainable net zero future! And with around 78% of homes built before 2011, before rating systems, Greenhouse is what we call a game-changer.

Customer Focus

Focusing on the importance of human-centered design, their novel product puts people at the heart of the global transition and challenges the finance sector to influence the next phase of our community’s transformational change. Greenhouse customers are Banks, Insurers and Valuation Firms.

Their go to market strategy seeks an Australian launch with roll out across other territories with similar residential and lending governance. This includes US, Canada, UK and NZ.

Greenhouse is a technology that can be white-labelled by banks and insurers and delivered to existing customers through their customer loyalty programs.

Greenhouse uses environmental psychology, motivational cues and behaviour change tactics for customers to receive guidance about why they should improve the sustainability of their property such as insurability and what green finance products they are eligible for to fund their transition.

Challenge

Challenges of the market – Compared to other market segments our customer segment, banks and insurers are heavily regulated and our technology must meet all security, privacy, banking standards.

Regulation – Each global territory has different housing standards and our tool requires different inputs to meet regional needs. Technology complexity - Different sustainability metrics are required to accommodate the complexities of different climactic zones and regional variations.

Sustainability/climate/carbon footprint education level – Different countries are further along the carbon footprint and open energy journey. Therefore, less mature markets require further engagement whereas more mature markets are already seeking products to accommodate their existing adoptions.

Competition – No other company had delivered an automated sustainability model to market globally – this novel technology is our first to market advantage.

Highlights

ValAi is the culmination of three very different brain trusts in our lean team:

Property Valuation, Sustainability and Environmental science and Data Science expertise. 

We are challenging business to motivate everyday consumers in our transition to net zero. We are female founded – this isn’t special but whilst gender disparity exists across business, investment and leadership we’re making a point – because you can’t be what you can’t see!

Report Card

• Team: High energy team with smarts, unique skill set and passionate for net zero action. Core team of two co-founders and two employees.
• Product: Greenhouse puts data into the hands of the consumer - fun, informative, motivational and impact driven.
• Market: Finance meets Consumers to drive positive change.
• Momentum: Global validation to deliver new product to market.
• Impact: Energy, Carbon, Sustainability, Financial wellbeing. 

From the Funders

• Company Name: ValAi www.valai.com.au
• Themes: energy, sustainability, consumer, carbon footprint
• Summary: ValAi has developed Greenhouse, an automated sustainability rating tool and marketplace that provides customers tailored insights for their home, and fills the knowledge gap for homeowners and financial institutions on the impact of a sustainability rating on the value of the asset.
• Product stage: MVP built, public trial commencing Q1 2022
• Founders: Allys Todd & Tom Reed
• Capital Raising: Seed
  

Company mission: ValAi has a vision to contribute to creating a zero-carbon, nature-positive global economy, in which finance fuels the energy transition, a healthy planet and green jobs.

Why the team wants to solve this problem: The societal demand to create a new normal is driving our company roadmap to align economies, business and people towards a sustainable future - because they are all connected.

What other climate tech companies we admire:

• Global climate tech - https://doconomy.com/‍
• Local for-purpose start ups – who deserve a shout out - Zero co http://zeroco.com.au‍
• Who gives a crap https://au.whogivesacrap.org