Taronga Ventures Appoints Julian Kezelman as RealTechX Program Manager

News

Press Release: 17 April 2019

 

Taronga Ventures Appoints Julian Kezelman as
RealTechX Program Manager

Taronga Ventures announces that it has appointed Julian Kezelman as Program Manager for the RealTechX Growth Program and as a Growth Advisor to Taronga Ventures.

Julian is an experienced innovation consultant and entrepreneurship program manager. Julian was previously a Director at X-Lab Ventures leading key-client engagements in the research and development sector, including developing UNSW’s Founders 10X Accelerator, and before that was a Director at The Strategy Group managing innovation projects with large corporates in real estate, financial services, asset management and government.

Earlier, Taronga Ventures announced that it secured Government  support from the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science for its 2019/2020 RealTechX Growth Program. The growth Program is an integral part of the ecosystem that Taronga Ventures has created to support emerging technology companies that are focused on enhancing the built environment and the communities in which we work, live and play.

Innovation and the Global Real Estate Sector

There has been a surge in activity across Asia and globally, with companies developing technologies and innovation which impact traditional models of real estate and the wider built environment. At the same time there has been a substantial increase in capital targeting those companies from both industry-based investors as well as venture capital.

In Australia, major institutions like the Industry Superannuation Property Trust (ISPT) have undertaken strategic reviews to assess the impact of technology on their portfolios and how they should respond. ISPT invests on behalf of some of Australia’s largest industry superannuation funds, and ultimately, the 50%+ of working Australians who have their retirement savings invested in property through them.  In December 2018 Taronga Ventures entered into a partnership with ISPT.

RealTechX Growth Program

The RealTechX Growth Program has been designed as a best of breed, scaleup and growth program, focusing on companies that are of relevance to the major real estate groups across Asia. The Program includes investment into companies, capability development, facilitated introductions to strategic corporate customers, partners and investors, one-on-one coaching and international linkages visits.

A number of major industry corporates, investors and mentors have provided support to Program with program details to be announced shortly, with a first intake in late 2019 and then a second intake in 2020.

Following the Government’s announcement , Julian Kezelman said, “It is fantastic to have the Government’s support for the RealTechX Growth Program. In recent years, we have seen entrepreneurial activity in finance, health care and agriculture boosted by programs supporting FinTech, MedTech and AgTech startups – until now, the real estate sector has been left largely unsupported. We are excited by the opportunities that the RealTechX Growth Program will bring to promising real estate technology businesses.

 

For further information please contact:

Avi Naidu                                       Jonathan Hannam

Taronga Ventures                         Taronga Ventures

Mob: +61402444170                   Mob: +61435688880

 

About Taronga Ventures, the RealTech Ventures Fund and RealTechX

Taronga Ventures, through its RealTech Ventures Fund, is a technology and innovation investor focused on real estate and the wider built environment. The Fund is a corporate venture fund that invests into globally scalable entities that will enhance or challenge the way real estate, across all sectors, throughout the real estate life-cycle. The Fund is focused on developing a diverse portfolio of investments across sustainability, design, materials, energy and operating models; providing capital, mentorship and global networks for companies in which it invests, as well as competitive advantage for its corporate partners. Taronga Ventures has extensive experience across global real estate markets and sectors and is supported by strategic and institutional partners across Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

RealTechX is Asia’s first industry focused scale-up program for companies impacting real estate and the wider built environment.