REA Group Takes Minority Stake in AI-Powered Energy Intelligence Platform VALAI

REA Group has announced a minority investment in VALAI, an AI-powered energy intelligence platform. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

VALAI’s platform combines property data with AI-driven energy modelling to produce a clear, comparable score at national scale. The business provides data to large businesses of influence to inform their sustainability engagement with homeowners. Their data feeds financial decision-making tools that make it easier for people to take practical sustainability action with their own homes. The company's website says it is currently working on a similar product for commercial buildings.

The partnership will see VALAI’s flagship product, Home Efficiency Score, added to property profiles on realestate.com.au, helping Australians understand how a home’s energy performance compares to similar properties in the suburb.

VALAI's home efficiency scores reflect a property's energy performance across heating, cooling, hot water, appliances and the thermal fabric of the building.

Users on realestate.com.au will see a score out of ten and a comparison to the suburb benchmark. The feature also offers suggestions on how to improve energy performance and estimated savings.

Jonathan Swift, Chief Product Officer at REA Group, said:

"realestate.com.au research shows us that two in five Australians are unsure about how to improve efficiency in their homes, despite seven in 10 planning to invest in energy efficient features in the next five years. Adding this new home energy efficiency score feature to every property profile will help to bridge a clear knowledge gap. It also offers homeowners a simple way to learn more about their property’s energy efficiency, giving them specific information and practical steps to improve its energy performance.”

Allys Todd, CEO at VALAI, added:

"We’re excited to partner with Australia’s leading property portal to make the energy efficiency of homes in Australia more transparent and their potential comfort and running costs visible. Australians should know what their home is actually costing them and what they can do about it. With home energy efficiency scores now on realestate.com.au, that intelligence is available to every property owner in the country, not just those who know where to look. This is about giving people a clear pathway to understanding how their home performs and what upgrades could reduce its running costs and emissions."