Europe’s Historic Buildings: Beautiful but Inefficient
Walk through almost any European city and you’ll see it: elegant, historic buildings that give our streets their unique character. But behind their charm, many are drafty, poorly insulated, and far from ready for a low-carbon future. Across the continent, nearly half of all buildings must be renovated for energy efficiency within the next decade - 45% by 2033, rising to 90% by 2045 - to hit sector carbon targets.
In Germany, energy class G buildings sell for 28% less than those in class A, and some can no longer be refinanced. New rules in France, Germany, and the Nordics will soon make it illegal to rent homes below certain energy standards. For property owners, the choice is clear: renovate or risk losing value. Yet the renovation industry remains slow, fragmented, and unpredictable, with too many handovers between architects, contractors, and suppliers creating complexity, delays, and cost overruns.
Rethinking Renovation From the Ground Up
When we met the Wallround founders Lukas, Henning, and Tatiana in Berlin, it was clear they weren’t just building another renovation service but were creating the missing infrastructure for large-scale building upgrades. With a founder who has already scaled operational digital businesses, a COO with deep experience running large-scale construction projects, and a product leader who has built platforms for some of Europe’s fastest-growing tech companies, this was exactly the team to make it happen.
At the heart of Wallround’s value proposition is a truly end-to-end approach. Their platform integrates every stage of the process: AI-powered property analysis, automated and binding cost estimation, centralised procurement, project execution, and rigorous quality control. Customers receive binding offers in minutes, access materials at up to 40% lower prices, and work with a single accountable partner from start to finish. This approach is already delivering results. In just their first year, Wallround has won the trust of major property owners, completed projects worth millions of Euros, and built a strong pipeline with several customers coming back.
Looking ahead: Building Decarbonisation at Scale
Today, Wallround delivers projects through its own operators. Tomorrow, the same system will be scaled across Europe via a franchise model: enabling local execution with the backing of central technology, procurement power, and operational standards. This structure will allow Wallround to grow rapidly, maintain quality, and adapt to local market conditions while keeping the advantages of a unified platform. The vision is to become Europe’s largest energy renovation company: a trusted brand and platform deployed city by city, making large-scale building decarbonisation possible.
We’re proud to back them alongside GGF, Vonovia, and an exceptional group of strategic investors.