Bpifrance, Banque des Territoires and Icade Launch Urban Ventures, a €45M Fund
Bpifrance, Banque des Territoires, and Icade have launched a new venture capital fund dedicated to startups transforming the building and construction sector. With a current endowment of €45M, Urban Ventures aims to reach €80M and focuses on seed and Series A investments in France and Europe.
Targeted Innovation Areas of the Fund
Urban Ventures targets six areas of intervention: artificial intelligence, data and digital solutions for designing, operating, and decarbonizing buildings; low-carbon technologies and materials for construction, renovation, and reuse; decarbonized energy linked to buildings (production, storage, management); new operational and programming models for buildings (mixed-use, affordable housing, urban logistics); financial innovations and economic models of the sector (making buyers solvent, new forms of investment); and territorial resilience related to buildings (soil, water, biodiversity, climate adaptation). The fund invests in minority stakes, with ticket sizes ranging from €1M to €4M.
An Integrated Model Combining Investment and Experimentation
Urban Ventures works in conjunction with Urban Odyssey, Icade's startup studio, which forms the first stage of the system. Urban Ventures serves as a natural extension, the second stage allowing the best solutions to scale. The funded startups benefit from real-world experimentation and direct market access through Icade, as well as a territorial network of public and private clients via Banque des Territoires. This integrated model aims to reduce the time to market for innovations and accelerate the emergence of French and European champions in a sector critical for industrial and energy sovereignty.
