Aviva Ventures, Aviva plc’s venture capital arm, has invested $2.5 million in Casalova Inc., a Toronto based online end-to-end real estate marketplace streamlining the buying and renting process.
Casalova allows users to start their home search, schedule viewings, make offers online, and process payments directly through the platform. Launched in May 2015, Casalova now operates in 140 cities with over 120,000 exclusive and on-market listings across Canada, making it the leading real estate marketplace in the country.
“Our first investment in the Canadian marketplace is monumental for us,” commented Ben Luckett, Managing Director, Aviva Ventures. “We’re excited to be working with Casalova and to learn from each other to help grow, enhance and continue to disrupt the marketplace. We believe Casalova is making a huge difference in the real estate market at a time where the industry desperately needs it.”
“We are very excited to be working with Aviva Ventures,” said Ray Taaeb, CEO and cofounder of Casalova. “Their strategic investment will help us expand and scale our technology to reach millions of Canadians looking to buy, sell, or rent their homes, while keeping them protected along the way. This is a major step forward for the real estate industry to provide Canadians with innovative solutions to archaic problems.”
photo credit: Casalova