For Walliance, 2019 was a splendid year, raising 61% of capital compared to 2018 and preparing for the launch of its platform in France. We met with Leonardo Grechi to get a better idea of the present and future of this brilliant Italian proptech.

What do you think was the main reason for your success in 2019?

Communication. We chose to speak clearly and transparently to investors explaining the company’s needs and responded well by increasing both the number of investments and the amount of money invested for individual projects.

The 3 most important projects of the year?

Milano NOLO and Milano Naviglio Grande and a project on Florence, all of which developed during the second half of 2019. They were the most significant because we raised a lot of capital in a very short time: one million in 5 hours in the first, Milano Nolo; 1.650 million in 3 hours on Milano Naviglio Grande and 3 million for the Florence project in 5 hours.

For this year you have announced the launch in France. With what objectives?

That’s correct. We have actually already opened there as already authorized by AMF, the French Consob. The goal is mainly to gather projects to allow Italian investors to invest in the French market. In the second phase, we would also like to allow French investors to invest in the Italian market.

Why in France?

We noticed that from the point of view of corporate law it is a country similar to ours, so of all the countries in the union, it was the one where it made the most sense to go to from our point of view. We are also waiting for the European regulation on crowdfunding that will allow us to cross-board with other countries as well.

How do you think the Italian Real Estate Crowdfunding market is doing?

It’s really growing. The numbers are double-digit year-on-year. This is partly due to the general trend of crowdfunding, but in real estate, resources are being raised for projects that have a bigger average cut, definitely bigger than a startup, and that’s why the volume of money is increasing.

How could this further growth be encouraged?

By clarifying the regulations since there is a big difference between crowdfunding and lending crowdfunding equity platforms. Finding harmony between these two instruments, also from a regulatory point of view, can give a big hand to the whole sector for its growth.

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