Haaven, a Dutch startup streamlining the complex home-building industry, has secured €1.1 million in a pre-seed round led by Speedinvest, which invested recently in Alinia and Exactly.ai.
Other investors that participated in the round include Dutch VC firm Golden Egg Check and notable angel investors, including Quintin Schevernels (ex-CEO of Funda), Mike de Boer (ex-CFO of Knab), Eric Klaassen (co-founder of Crisp), Erik Nieuwenhuis (Founder of 12Build) Andre Grimbergen (co-founder of Albelli; founder of WONDR), and Paolo Moresco (Italian family office).
Funds utilisation
Haaven will use the funds from the round to hire tech, product, sales, and technical support staff as it scales up in its initial markets – Italy and the Netherlands. The company plans to continuously enhance customer experience and centralise all construction parties onto one platform.
“We are thrilled to support Haaven in its mission to address the critical housing shortage in Europe, where the market is in dire need of new and more sustainable homes. Traditional home-building is fraught with challenges, but Haaven’s innovative platform simplifies it by directly connecting homeowners with architects and builders. We believe in this young, dynamic team and their potential to revolutionise the prefab housing industry,” said Jeroen Arts, Partner at Speedinvest.
What challenge does it tackle?
When people make one of the biggest decisions of their lives, which is building a home, there is a lot at stake. The process can be stressful and full of hiccups. Amsterdam-based Haaven is here to change this.
The platform brings together all the right skills from architects, prefabricated home builders, and contractors to help you bring your home to life. These professionals are vetted, experienced, and trusted. We also help you manage your budget and timeline so there are no surprises.
What does Haaven do?
Founded by Dédé Kruisman, Sacha Bloem, and Thomas Leeson in 2023, Haaven connects architects, engineers, and prefab builders to help customers bring their homes to life by guiding them throughout the process. This integrated approach lets customers plan and realise their construction projects all in one digital place.
Its customers can choose a design from Haaven’s collection or collaborate with an architect for a custom design project. Haaven then generates an instant quote and connects the customer with the appropriate builders. From there, the platform oversees the entire process, ensuring support for the customer and accountability for the construction companies.
The platform offers a simple, user-friendly experience while focusing on sustainability and efficiency. Each home is designed to be carbon neutral and completed in just 15 weeks. By using wood in prefabrication, they reduce carbon emissions and increase productivity.
Since its launch in Italy this February, the company has started building spaces for its first customers. Now, Haaven is expanding into The Netherlands, offering tiny houses, garden offices, family homes, and various other prefab housing solutions. It has partnered with builders across Scandinavia, Italy, Estonia, and The Netherlands, each offering different competencies.
“Addressing the housing crisis needs rapid construction. Yet, energy-efficient design and extreme durability remain core to our philosophy, ensuring homes are well insulated and preserved for future generations,” stated Dédé, CEO and co-founder.
“The process with Haaven was straightforward and much less stressful than I expected. I initially chose a design from their collection but decided to make some changes along the way. The team was very responsive and guided me through every step. Despite the adjustments, everything stayed on schedule,” said Marco, a customer from Italy.
What do we think about Haaven?
As the company makes building your home an easy, green, and fast process and has secured funding from Speedinvest and other prominent players, it will transform the home-building process and make it customised.
