Aareon invests up to €100m in AI-powered proptech Stonal

Mainz/Paris, 6 May 2024 - Founded in 2017 by Michel Tolila, the current executive chairman, and Jean-Maurice Oudot, Stonal’s mission is to deliver data quality at scale for asset owners and investors. Its collaborative AI-powered platform extracts information from documents and blueprints, creating an accurate and continuously updated database on buildings open to stakeholders such as property managers, surveyors, and insurers. Its decision-making modules offer ESG reporting and CapEx planning to increase returns, improve productivity and preserve value. 

Since its inception, the company has quickly expanded into residential and commercial real estate. In early 2024, Stonal launched its proprietary StonalGPT, the first generative artificial intelligence solution designed for real estate owners and investors, establishing itself as one of the pioneers in this field.

Robin Rivaton, CEO of Stonal: “The real estate industry, both residential and commercial, is at a crossroads. AI is a massive opportunity to reshape the sector in a remarkable way, but requires a significant amount of data on which to train these systems. Thanks to the strategic partnership with Aareon we will reach such a scale and accelerate our European expansion.” 

Aareon is the trusted provider of SaaS solutions for the European property industry. With locations across France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, Aareon serves 13,000 customers totalling 18 million units.

Harry Thomsen, CEO of Aareon: “Investing in Stonal is a strategic step to strengthen our “Aareon Sustain” product portfolio and amplify our proficiency in AI technology across the Aareon Group. With an expected uptick in the need for robust data management solutions, this collaboration not only reinforces the existing partnership between Stonal and Aareon in France but also equips us to meet our customers’ needs and deliver unrivalled innovation and operational excellence.”

Aareon’s investment in Stonal reflects the growing appetite of the real estate sector for technological solutions that enable it to address the major challenges it faces, applying to both larger companies and smaller ones. Expanding ESG expectations, increased CapEx for greener properties, stringent building safety regulations, higher vacancy due to remote work for offices, all converge in the context of high interest rates. The capacity to evaluate risks and make well-informed decisions promptly is now more crucial than ever.

Stonal was advised on this deal by Lazard, Aareon by Vulcain.

 

About Stonal 

Founded in 2017, Stonal is the leading data management platform for real estate owners and investors in Europe. It helps more than 130 clients, REITs, insurers, housing organizations, asset managers, family offices, to manage a combined portfolio of more than 200 million sqm (including 1.6 million housing units) across all Europe. With 150 employees, Stonal is present in France and the UK. 

About Aareon 

Aareon is Europe’s trusted provider of SaaS solutions for the property industry, leading the charge towards a digital future.

Passionately committed to connecting people, process, and property, Aareon brings the ecosystem closer together. Our Property Management System, powered by smart software solutions, promotes efficient property management and maintenance, enabling superior digital experiences for everyone involved. In our continuous pursuit of innovation, Aareon remains the industry’s reliable partner, inspiring positive change for sustainable spaces for all.

With a dedicated team of around 2,000 professionals, Aareon achieved pro forma revenues of € 410 million and a pro forma Adjusted EBITDA of € 137 million in 2023.