Rocket  Internet  becomes  a  strategic  investor  for  online  real  estate  investment manager

Global Founders Capital, the venture capital arm of Rocket Internet announced that it is investing in London and Berlin-based BrickVest, an online real estate fund management platform, as it continues to back start-ups with high growth potential. By backing BrickVest, Global Founders Capital is expanding its financial technology (fintech) portfolio.

BrickVest, cofounded by Emmanuel Lumineau, Dr. Thomas Schneider and Adalbert Wysocki, will  provide  access  to  Pan-European  and  North  American  real  estate investments  direct  to  investors  via  its  online  platform.  Investors  on  the  BrickVest platform  will  then  benefit  from  the  full  spectrum  of  fund  management  services typically reserved for a closed network of real estate investment professionals.

The  investment  comes  as  fintech  firms  continue  to  attract  venture  capital. According  to  Accenture,  global  fintech  venture  investments  stood  at  $12.2  billion in 2014 ($1.48 billion in Europe), tripling from $4.05 billion in 2013.

Oliver Samwer, Founder and CEO of Rocket Internet says: “We’re always looking for  strong  teams  which  work  well  with  us  and  grow  a  start-up  into  a  successful business – especially in a growing field like fintech. We were very impressed by the founding team and its extensive experience in real estate, investment services and technology. BrickVest not only merges of all of this experience, but it does so in a way  that  can  cause  a  paradigm  shift  to  how  real-estate  investment  takes  place across the globe.”

Emmanuel Lumineau, CEO of BrickVest, comments: “We’re thrilled to have Global Founders  Capital  back  our  business  proposition  ahead  of  the  launch  and  it  is testament to our vision and strategy that they have decided to do so. Real estate investment services have been closed off to a majority of investors for too long and our platform can deliver these services to a wider audience.  With  the  business growth  experience  of  the  Global  Founders  Capital  team,  we  expect  BrickVest  to make a big impact in the market.”