It’s estimated that nearly 11 million tons of office furniture end up in European landfills every year, even though a lot of it doesn’t need to be there in the first place. The idea behind Rebench, a startup building a circular platform for reusing office equipment and more, has been recognized by the jury of the Urban Land Institute Europe – CEE PropTech Innovation Challenge (PIC). The winning Rebench was chosen from a group of five finalists, chosen from 21 submissions. It’s now moving on to the pan-European finals of the PropTech Innovation Challenge, where it’ll compete against the best technology companies on the continent.
The winner of the PropTech Innovation Challenge CEE 2024 will also receive the title of ULI PIC Pioneer 2024, be recognized as a leading innovator with a product or service that can drive change in the industry, join the prestigious group of Pioneer Alumni, and be featured in ULI Europe public reports, research, podcasts, and videos. It will also receive a one-year ULI membership, which includes access to the ULI Online Resource Repository and the opportunity to join the ULI Europe Technology and Real Estate Council.
“Every year, nearly 11 million tons of furniture end up in landfills in Europe – the equivalent of what we produce every year. I’m even more pleased that the jury was convinced by our closed-loop furniture platform model, which not only promotes the circular economy in commercial spaces but also brings real benefits to the planet and company budgets. We want to bring together as many real estate and furniture partners as possible and spread the word about reuse, reducing the unnecessary waste that often results from almost new furniture. We have only been in business since the beginning of 2024, so winning the PropTech Innovation Challenge CEE 2024 is an extraordinary honour for us. This award and the opportunity to represent the CEE market in a pan-European competition will be key to working with industry innovators,” said Mateusz Sikora, co-founder of Rebench.
“Our goal was to select a project that was not only innovative but also had a realistic chance of being scaled and adapted in the European market. We focused on solutions with the potential for significant long-term benefits and impacts on our industry, particularly in the context of decarbonization and carbon reduction. It was essential that the selected solution could address the challenges currently facing Europe, both technologically and socially. It was important to ensure that the project had a robust business case, was ready for development, and could be recognized not only locally but also internationally,” explains Marcin Juszczyk, Chairman of ULI Poland.
Rebench is a Polish circular technology platform that enables the management, reuse, resale, and purchase of furniture from commercial buildings. It combines an inventory application with a marketplace service, helping companies reduce unnecessary waste, costs, and the carbon footprint of their business interiors. Rebench was one of five finalists in the Central European final of the PropTech Innovation Challenge. The companies that made it to the top five finalists in CEE included Singu ESG, Czech Mykilio, OzeSoft, and Appartme.
“The first CEE PropTech Innovation Challenge in Poland and the Czech Republic was a great success. We had 21 participants from both countries. We’ll find out who won the pan-European competition in October. We’re rooting for our finalists. Let’s support Rebench in the September voting, which is open to everyone,” says Ruslan Hajduk, ULI PIC CEE Champion.
ULI PropTech Innovation Challenge European Finals
The winners of the regional stages will advance to the pan-European finals of the PropTech Innovation Challenge. This stage includes a public vote, followed by the grand finale at the C Change Summit in Barcelona in October, where the overall winner will be announced. Through the PIC competition, innovators have a unique opportunity to showcase their breakthrough solutions to leading real estate companies, helping to develop the global market and promote sustainable construction.
The PropTech Innovation Challenge is a pan-European competition organized by the Urban Land Institute Europe for innovative companies from the construction, real estate, and technology sectors. ULI is accepting applications from innovators in academia or research, companies, and non-profit organizations operating in European markets, including Germany, Switzerland, France, the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden), the Iberian Peninsula (Portugal, Spain), Central and Eastern Europe (Poland and the Czech Republic), and the United Kingdom and Ireland.
