Berlin-based start-up Doozer digitizes home renovation projects and processes through its Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform. In an industry that has been slow to embrace digital transformation, but is now adapting to evolving market conditions, the platform connects clients and craftsmen online, quickly and, above all, uncomplicatedly. Doozer’s customers include housing companies, real estate administrators, asset management companies, and cooperatives. In total, Doozer currently manages the renovation contracts for around 350,000 residential units.

We caught up with CEO Carsten Petzold to delve into how exactly Doozer simplifies the renovation process, plans to enhance the platform further, and new proptech trends on his radar.

 

Doozer

Nicholas Neerpasch, Founder, and Carsten Petzold, CEO, of Doozer Real Estate Systems GmbH

 

Can you tell us a bit about what your company does, what problems you solve for your customers, and what you are focusing on at the moment?

Carsten: Renovating an apartment can be an exhausting experience. We want to simplify and digitize the entire process. Doozer is the leading platform for renovations, connecting the real estate industry with craftsmen all over Germany.

We help our clients to streamline their processes and to work more efficiently. Doozer offers a four-in-one benefit: a process that usually takes days, or even weeks, is reduced to mere hours. Within seconds, Doozer shows 1) locally 2) available craftsmen, that are 3) capable of doing the entire renovation and 4) how much the renovation will cost.

How did you come up with the idea for Doozer?

Carsten: Our founder, Nicholas Neerpasch, came up with the idea of Doozer back in 2014. As an engineer and architect, he and his company, GFP Group, oversaw more than 1000 apartment renovations for large companies in the real estate industry every year. To keep up with the high demand, he developed a software for internal use. Soon, clients from the industry approached him about allowing them to use the software independently. That was the birth of Doozer.

Can you talk us through how exactly Doozer’s digital platform helps clients to renovate apartments more quickly and efficiently?

Carsten: Doozer digitally covers the entire process of renovating an apartment. After determining what work is necessary and selecting the products, the Doozer software then automatically calculates quantities and prices. Workflows for budgeting, internal clearance and ROI can be implemented on a custom basis per client. When the offer is ready, Doozer automatically shows all locally available craftsmen and their respective prices. To document the renovation process digitally, our platform provides features such as a chat, a digital acceptance protocol and defect management.

Employees no longer need to find available craftsmen and negotiate the offer to fit into the budget. Reducing this lengthy process enables employees to handle more renovations at the same time. Doozer allows companies to work up to five times more efficiently compared to the regular “offline” renovation process.

How does the platform benefit trade companies?

Carsten: Craftsmen benefit from Doozer through a constant flow of lucrative offers from the real estate industry and by reducing internal bureaucracy. Usually, it is the craftsman who compiles the offer. With Doozer, craftsmen receive professionally compiled offers directly from the real estate industry. Reducing the back and forth during the offer stage enables them to focus on their craftsmanship and to handle more projects at the same time.

Our craftsmen value the constant flow of incoming work without having to invest any additional efforts once they are registered with Doozer. On top of that, our team is dedicated to supporting our craftsmen if they have free capacities they wish to fill. We actively try to find projects that will allow them to do so.

What’s next for Doozer? Any new proptech trends or developments on your radar?

Carsten: Currently, our platform is designed to fulfill the needs of large companies with portfolios of 1,000 up to 100,000 apartments or more. However, we want to simplify the platform for private investors, owning only one or a handful of apartments, by streamlining some of the features.

The most interesting and relevant trend in the world of property technology is to connect different IT systems. Every proptech is designed to solve one specific problem. Doozer for example is the best tool to handle renovations of empty flats. However, to streamline all steps related to a renovation, an automatic integration with ERP systems is essential. We are heavily investing in creating APIs (Application Programming Interface) with other proptechs and ERP providers.

What do you look for in an investor? What makes Future Energy Ventures different?

Carsten: As a forward-thinking business we are always looking to improve our product. That is why we generally value investors with extensive experience in various verticals (Real Estate Industry, Craftsmen & Services, Products, Sales, etc.). Specifically, it is important to us that investors are familiar with the world of SaaS and digital platforms. That way they can share their know-how and help us to take our business to the next level.

Future Energy Ventures knows the real estate industry very well and understands its tendency to evolve slower than other industries. Fortunately, Future Energy Ventures and Doozer are aligned in their mindset of “win slowly and then keep customers virtually forever”. We are glad to have them as an investor and hugely benefit from their vast experience and network. Their strong support in tackling strategic and operational challenges is key to the continued growth of Doozer.

Future Energy Ventures’ view on Doozer

Doozer was founded in 2014 and went to market in 2015. Since the 7-year existence of Doozer, the company has achieved a lot. As a software and a platform, Doozer was able to win some major customers from the residential property industry and optimize and digitize the refurbishment processes. Nicolas and his team are always up to speed with market developments and are able to adapt to changes swiftly and effectively, always finding the best way forward for the company. We are very proud to accompany Doozer on their growth journey and to support their innovations to guide the property industry towards digitalization and much needed efficiency. We believe Doozer will be well-positioned to be one of the key players in the property industry, not only in Germany but across Europe – and beyond.

 

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