German corporate venture builder to appoint Sarona Partners for its upcoming strategic construction-tech challenges

As the Israeli startup ecosystem is a thriving ingenious community, leading the world head-on with its continuous growth and innovation, many communities abroad are interested in getting a taste of what that truly means. Israeli tech is expanding its breadth of expertise, to include not only cyber security, smart mobility, and agritech, but also construction and property tech, to name a few. Moreover, since the Startup Nation is so well connected, both locally and internationally, it has the ability to push startups to scale up and succeed, so it is no surprise that REHAU New Ventures wants in on the action.

REHAU New Ventures is the independent venture building arm of the REHAU Group employing around 80 specialists in sites in Germany, the U.S. and China. The REHAU Group has more than 20,000 employees working at more than 190 sites worldwide and generating annual sales exceeding 4 billion euros. REHAU New Ventures’ goal is to create and shape the future of the building industry with innovative and user-centred products and services.

They have recently launched a pilot initiative with Sarona Partners, one of the top Israeli growth ecosystems, focused on building a future with visionary companies in the Israeli startup world. They are looking for Israeli startups and founders to join the REHAU New Ventures team as potential customers who are offering innovative solutions that can help REHAU New Ventures with business problems they are facing in the world of construction tech and proptech.

In an interview with Geektime, REHAU New Venture’s Head of Technology Innovation Lab, Ansgar Niehoff, shared what excites him about the Israeli ecosystem, and how REHAU New Ventures’ partnership with Sarona will help them meet their company goals.

As an outside observer, the drive, passion, and technological ingenuity of Israeli tech startup founders has always fascinated Niehoff. He shared that he is excited to work with Sarona Partners because they have the tools REHAU New Ventures needs for continued success: “Sarona Partners has built a one-of-a-kind innovation ecosystem in Israel with its 5 pillars: accelerator programs, corporate innovation, VC funds, co-working spaces, and media. I consider these pillars the key ingredients for building a strong and reliable innovation ecosystem where startups, corporates, and investors benefit in the best possible way.” As one of the focuses at REHAU New Ventures is tackling the construction industry, they understand that the construction sector has a huge responsibility; it gives us places of comfort to live and work. Providing people with a safe and sound physical environment requires the utmost care and caution, so the industry as a whole tends to be more conservative and less flexible. But this doesn’t stop REHAU New Ventures from seeing its innovative possibilities. “We see huge potential in the tools that are used for construction projects. Digital collaboration tools, smart real-time maps, computer vision and drone technologies offer great prospects to make construction easier and to build more efficiently both regarding time and budget” Niehoff continued. Such innovations will benefit us all, which is why they are the focus of REHAU New Ventures, and why they came to the Startup Nation to find them.

Sarona Partners is enthusiastic about the partnership and fostering long-term win-win relationships for REHAU New Ventures. Their focus will be to leverage their connections within Israel’s startup ecosystem to help REHAU New Ventures succeed in their innovation journey. In the same breath, this pilot will allow selected Israeli startups to grow their global footprint. “Partnerships are a pillar to development,” Daniel Partida Elías, Corporate Innovation Partnerships Director at Sarona Partners stated. “Our partnership with REHAU New Ventures is no different; we are exposing global companies that are willing to explore innovation and tech opportunities to the Startup Nation. There is no better place in the world to do so, and there is no better facilitator than Sarona Partners.”