Urban Partners

Did you know that residential buildings contribute approximately 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions? That's a significant amount, but we believe that change is possible!     One of the biggest challenges faced by homeowners and decarbonization startups is the undersupply and fragmentation of the installer landscape. Up to 40% of phone calls to European HVAC technicians go unanswered, while half of heat pump installer time is spent on tasks unrelated to actual installation. This slows down the crucial process of home decarbonization, even for homeowners who are highly motivated.     Last year, our technology venture strategy 2150 invested in 1KOMMA5°, a company with an integrated digitalized product offering to accelerate the transition. 1KOMMA5° has the ambition to build and manage Europe’s largest install base of decentralized residential renewable energy assets.      Read about the 1KOMMA5° 3 step approach in our latest Impact report: https://lnkd.in/ehA2Cw62 and find out more about 2150's portfolio companies: https://lnkd.in/gmH2uy-K    So, curious to explore why the ‘urban stack’, as we call it, is the next frontier of tech and sustainability investing? This is how we see it: https://lnkd.in/ejbJaVAq

We are excited to share our involvement in last week's two-day intensive advanced financial modelling course for women in real estate private equity! Organised by WIRE Global Group and Bayfield Training in London, the course was aimed at building confidence, skills, and advancing female talents' investment careers💫 Two of our international Nrep team members, Susse Schaumann and Vanessa Lin, attended alongside other talented women representing 12 nationalities. A true flagship of diversity, without even trying! It was a privilege to sponsor and host a dinner with senior investment professionals and industry leaders from firms such as Hines, Oxford Properties Group, LaSalle Investment Management, Starwood Capital Group, and Morgan Stanley participating. The evening celebrated diverse perspectives and the remarkable talent within our industry🎉 A heartfelt thank you WIRE Global Group and Bayfield Training, as well as our colleagues Mariya Tsvetkova, Nick Melgaard and Amin Amirian for supporting this initiative. The positive feedback from both attendees and guests underscores the impact we can make together – within our organisation and beyond – through diversity🙌 We hope to make this an annual tradition and continue fostering growth within our community✨

In celebration of Pride Month, we want to demonstrate our strong support to LGBTQ communities both within our company and beyond 🏳️🌈   🏙️ At Urban Partners, we believe that diverse people from various backgrounds coming together leads to better decision-making and creates more inclusive environment. By focusing on cultivating urban solutions that reflect the diversity of society, we aim to foster a sense of belonging for all. Our work with Railway District exemplifies our focus on neighborhoods where people can openly share their hopes and dreams for the new area.   🦄 As an organization, we cultivate an environment where individuals can bring their whole selves to work. We actively promote a workplace culture that supports the LGBTQ community and advocates for equal rights. Our own rainbow community ‘The Unicorns’ was established to foster this positive change within our firm, and in the extension also in the industry. By embracing diversity, we not only enrich our company culture but also create an inclusive and supportive work environment for all.    🌈 We are not done. And the industry is far from inclusive enough. So, join the mission to foster environments where everyone can live as their whole self, without fear of discrimination or prejudice.   Together, let's stand up for LGBTQ equality - for a lasting impact.

🌎We are delighted to be part of London Climate Action Week!🌍 Today, we had the pleasure of hosting 35 climate investors inside Tower Bridge to discuss the opportunities and tailwinds of the urban transition. A big thank you to Alice Charles and Simon Durkin for leading this essential conversation💡 We are also delighted to participate in the #BESummit2024, organised by one of our close partners, Breakthrough Energy . The urban and energy transitions are closely intertwined, and it is imperative that we harness our collective learnings from both areas and rapidly advance climate action together🌿🏙 London Climate Action Week is crucial in bringing stakeholders together to discuss the key issues relating to the climate challenge, and we are pleased to support this collective endeavour towards net-zero💯 #LCAW2024 #sustainability #smartcities #decarbonisation #netzero

Velo Capital, the alternative real estate credit platform within Urban Partners, is gaining recognition in the industry!     We're happy to share that Lesley Lanefelt, Head of Nordic Investments at Velo Capital, just got her column published in Real Estate Capital Europe👏 In the column she challenges some common misconceptions around value-add debt affordability, offering a fresh perspective on the topic💡 She also highlights the growing importance of effectively utilising value-add #debtfundfinancing to support liquid real estate markets and drive the #greentransition in the coming years. https://bit.ly/45AZC1v   Read the full piece below or via the link in the comment section👇  

Today, the global coalition #Mission2025 was launched at London Climate Action Week!🚀 A high-ambition coalition ready to work with governments to deliver 1.5C-aligned climate plans in 2025 and faster action ahead of #COP30. Join us on a decade-defining mission to secure the success of our economies and the well-being of our people and planet. #LCAW2024 As advocates for sustainable urban development and the transformation of industries that power our cities, we strongly support this coalition through our venture capital firm, 2150. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gqrz3iBX

How do we unlock the low-carbon real estate market? This is the question we set out to answer when co-founding Leaders of the Urban Future 18 months ago, partnering with Systemiq Ltd. to convene a group of global investors, representing $0.5trn in unlisted real estate AUM, at the forefront of decarbonizing our industry As a collective action group, our objective has been to accelerate the deployment of capital towards a better built environment – driving decarbonization tipping points in our sector which today accounts for 40% of global emissions. To underpin this, we set out to ask ourselves as investors whether we could identify a common understanding of net zero in our sector – a collective ‘North Star’ for decarbonization?🌟 Today, we are proud to launch the result of this project – our collective ‘North Star’ for decarbonization as investors, in our industry paper 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗨𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝘄-𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁. In short, our recommendations are as follows: 𝗪𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻-𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴. Performance transparency and clear 1.5°C-aligned or better targets enable the market to properly identify, price, and demand low-carbon buildings and portfolios. Investors can play a key role in delivering this through: 1️⃣ stimulating demand for transparency 2️⃣ driving better rating tools 3️⃣ facilitating data sharing 4️⃣ advocating for policy Transparency is not a silver bullet, but it is a crucial part of unlocking the low-carbon real estate market, helping investors deliver better, lower-carbon buildings whilst creating and preserving value. You can read the full paper on our website: https://lnkd.in/duQ4pGbx Find out more about LOTUF’s work: https://lnkd.in/e6mw8rxS A huge thank you to our friends at Systemiq Ltd., Ivanhoé Cambridge, ATP, BlackRock, HOOPP (Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan), Norges Bank Investment Management, Pictet Group, and Victory Group for driving this agenda forward with us, as well as our industry partners, including Laudes Foundation, WBCSD – World Business Council for Sustainable Development, World Green Building Council and GREEN Global Real Estate Engagement Network #LOTUF #SeeingIsBelieving #LowCarbonRealEstate

Urban Partners Impact Report 2023 is officially here!    We are thrilled to share our very first Impact Report as Urban Partners, covering all our strategies and showcasing our commitment to creating positive change.     This summarizes our impact and progress the past year. The lessons we have learned and the path we are charting for the future, highlighting our increased ESG data coverage, CO2 footprint calculations, efforts to improve urban neighborhoods, and the projects that shaped our journey in 2023.     Highlights from Urban Partners, including our strategies Nrep, Velo Capital, and 2150, includes:  🌍 A comprehensive GHG inventory, providing an overview of emissions across all our investment strategies  🚀 Real-life examples showcasing the positive impact of our investments, including Nrep's urban project The Railway District, Earth Shot developments, Plushusene concept; Velo Capital's Lyyra investment; and the 2150 portfolio company 1KOMMA5°.  🙌 The impact we are seeking through both our partnerships with C40 Cities and LOTUF, and employee engagement.... and so much more!     Our journey is imperfect. And continuing. The challenges we face and the changes unfolding around us demand our unwavering focus and relentless commitment, just as they have done in the past.    In this era of rapid transformation, we firmly believe that our approach and investment strategies can truly help cities win the battles for our future.     Don’t miss out – head over to our website to delve into the full report: https://lnkd.in/dEebkayn

In Urban Partners, our purpose and our people are fundamental for everything we do. And last week, we placed exactly these two at the center of a gathering on the beautiful west coast of Sweden – for our Urbanites to connect with each other, and with our joint purpose: We invest to help cities win the battles for our future 💚 This purpose reflects us being an investment platform seeking to be cities’ best friend. We are here to help the complex living ecosystems that make up a city, to overcome the crucial challenges they face as a result of urbanization – not least the devastating effects of climate change. We do this for our joint future – for the next generation and those to follow. And we do it together.  We fundamentally believe doing good is good business. That there are ways to make a real difference while creating value for all stakeholders. Thank you, all Urbanites and mission-aligned partners for making this journey possible. And remember, while we stand on 19 years of trust and track record, we are just getting started... 🚀

How does a green career in the urban landscape look like? 🌿 We recently had the pleasure of hosting an event in collaboration with CBS Real Estate Club. We welcomed over 50 students at Urban Partners' office in Nordhavn for an enlightening evening focused on sustainable finance, innovative construction practices, and investment strategies. Thanks to our great colleagues for sharing insights from the industry and personal stories about how failures and successes from their own career has shaped them to who they are. There was also time to connect, network and enjoy a delightful dinner together – and we can't wait to see how these bright minds will utilize their skills to shape the future of sustainable urban development 💡