This week's funding and investment roundup begins with a major acquisition in Asia...
Lifull Connect announced the formation of a newly formed regional vehicle 'SEA Connect Ventures' this week after acquiring several assets from the portal operator Digital Classifieds Group (DCG).
Acquired assets include Lamudi Indonesia and the Cambodian market leader, Realestate.com.kh.
DCG went into administration in March.
Full coverage of this story can be read here.
Alma Media has taken a minority stake in the luxury rentals marketplace Hilla Villas for an undisclosed sum. The investment follows a collaboration between the two businesses dating back to 2023.
Hilla Villas targets international travellers seeking high-end accommodation across northern Finland’s key tourist destinations.
Maarit Tarkiainen, Director of Consumer Comparison Services at Alma Media, said:
“Hilla Villas’ rapid development and customer-first model have impressed us greatly. We believe this service has the potential to become the leading premium holiday home platform in Finland.”
Alma Media says it will use its media assets to increase Hilla Villas’ visibility. The company operates leading marketplaces in Finland, namely Etuovi.com and Vuokraovi.com.
Mediahuis-backed Zimmo Group has acquired Belgian proptech scale-up Smooved for an undisclosed sum.
Founded in 2019, Smooved provides relocation services focused on meter transfers and utility contract optimisation. It also operates the review platform HouseMatch.
Smooved will now be fully integrated into Zimmo Group's operations, while Smooved’s co-founders, Nathan Coox and Ignace Buelens, will exit the company.
Yves Vanderveken, business director at Zimmo Group, said:
"The integration of Smooved into Zimmo Group enables us to support real estate agents even better and to guide and unburden consumers in a smooth and transparent way throughout their real estate journey.
"This creates added value for both agents and consumers. Smooved offers a unique product portfolio, and through close collaboration with Zimmo, we are opening up new opportunities for innovation and growth within our real estate activities."
Zimmo Group is also acquiring shares previously held by Pitchdrive, Imec.istart, and a group of business angels.
Mediahuis previously invested in Smooved in 2023.
Brussels-based Nodalview has acquired French AI startup Flaash.
Founded in 2016, Nodalview serves over 20,000 clients across 30 countries, offering agents tools for producing professional photos, immersive 360° tours, videos, floor plans, and AI-driven enhancements.
Flaash, launched in December 2023, is a specialised virtual home staging solution that allows users to reimagine interiors in seconds, from changing flooring to adding decor or clearing rooms entirely.
Thomas Lepelaars, Co-founder and CEO of Nodalview, said:
"We chose Flaash because they are clearly the best in virtual home staging. Plus, we share the same DNA: creating high-quality products that help professionals in the market improve the service they offer their clients, while enhancing the overall property experience for buyers.
"We’re excited to welcome the Flaash team to Nodalview and continue building the future of property search together."
All Flaash employees will join Nodalview’s 50-person team. According to Flaash Co-founder Jean Mulin, the acquisition will accelerate product development and innovation:
"Joining Nodalview means becoming part of Europe’s real estate marketing leader. We share a common ambition to offer our clients the best technologies to boost their sales and stand out in a highly competitive market.
"This strategic partnership will allow us to focus on advancing AI technology and accelerating innovation that directly benefits our users."
A Nodalview survey found 76.6% of prospective buyers consider AI-staged images to be a meaningful improvement to listings. The integration of Flaash’s tools aims to make such features accessible at scale, not only on agent sites, but also on property portals and network platforms.
Nodalview reached full-year profitability in 2024 and remains active in approximately 30 markets.
Lepelaars added:
"We will continue to combine our strong organic growth with strategic acquisitions to reinforce our unique market position. Our goal remains the same: build the most comprehensive and high-quality solution on the market, meeting the full range of marketing needs for real estate professionals. This includes our core markets as well as the rest of Europe where there is a great consolidation opportunity ahead of us."
Nodalview has raised €10 million to date from investors in Belgium, the UK, and Spain. Flaash claims over 12,000 professional users since launching less than 18 months ago.
OLX Group has announced the sale of its subsidiary, KIWI Finance, subject to regulatory approval.
The buyer is Partners Financial Services, a Czech financial advisory company.
Following the sale, the group will focus its resources on its core Romanian classifieds platforms: OLX, Storia and Autovit.ro.
KIWI Finance is a key player in the Romanian credit brokerage market, with a 10% market share in the production of new mortgage loans. Over the years, the company has facilitated loans for hundreds of thousands of clients and established strategic partnerships with 80% of banks in Romania. OLX Group has owned the business since 2020.
Anca Bidian, CEO of KIWI Finance, said:
“We have a strong alignment in both development plans and organizational culture with Partners Group and we are determined and motivated to ensure the same quality standards for our clients, the same strong leadership of the credit brokerage industry and to remain the same solid and reliable partner of our partner banks.”
Last year, KIWI Finance recorded income from credit brokerage of over €9 million with a total volume of intermediated credits exceeding €400 million.
Since its establishment, KIWI Finance has intermediated credits worth over €3.1 billion and is present in 38 cities in Romania.
[Translated from Romanian]
OneDome has acquired Trussle, the UK-based digital mortgage broker formerly trading as Better.co.uk, for an undisclosed sum.
Trussle joins OneDome's portfolio of businesses, including CMME, Coreco, and Nethouseprices, as OneDome expands on its vision to create a fully integrated ecosystem for real estate in the UK.
Babek Ismayil, founder and CEO of OneDome, said:
"This acquisition brings us one step closer to transforming the way people buy and finance homes in the UK. Trussle’s values and technology perfectly align with our vision to make homebuying simpler, faster, and more transparent."
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