Shared 29 May, 2025
Hastings Borough Council (HBC), in partnership with specialist housing and technology provider, SimplyPhi, has completed the acquisition of over 100 homes in the borough.
The acquisition programme, which started in 2023, includes two office-to-residential conversions, two homes being adapted for wheelchair accessibility, and the creation of three high-quality Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMO). So far, the project has resulted in placing more than 40 families in safe and secure homes within four months of purchase.
Councillor Glenn Haffenden, lead councillor for housing, said: “We loved seeing some of the properties that we have bought through our housing acquisition programme. the team has been working incredibly hard on the programme, and it is making a real difference to residents’ lives. We want every resident in Hastings to have a safe and secure place to call home, it’s one of the top priorities in our new Corporate Plan. Not only is this better for families, but it also helps our finances by reducing the amount we have to spend on temporary accommodation.”
Omar Al-Hasso, chief executive of SimplyPhi, said: “Building new homes for councils can be challenging given the rising construction costs, high interest rates, regulatory delays, and limited available land. However, it is important that we seek innovative solutions to make sure that there is a constant supply of homes to our council clients. We have used this project as an opportunity to optimise existing stock on the market rather than building new homes to provide affordable homes at a much quicker rate. In order to complete the acquisition programme with HBC, we used SimplyPhi’s proprietary software platforms, SimplyFind and Iris to support with the sourcing, acquiring and refurbishing of these properties to ensure they all meet HBC’s fit-to-let standard, which includes an EPC ratings of C or above.
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BuiltAPI GmbH, the company pioneering API-driven data infrastructure for real estate investment and asset management, has successfully closed its latest funding round backed by industry leaders including Second Century Ventures, TDS, and Propertymark. The investment marks a major milestone as BuiltAPI expands its services across Europe and the UK, following its graduation from the REACH UK Accelerator Program.
BuiltAPI tackles one of the real estate sector’s most persistent problems: fragmented, siloed data ecosystems. The company provides a robust API framework that enables seamless connectivity between legacy systems, modern SaaS tools, and intelligent automation platforms — with interoperability, governance, and cybersecurity at its core.
“We’re building the backbone of real estate data infrastructure,” said Olga Dentzel, Co-Founder of BuiltAPI. “This funding and the support of the REACH UK program are accelerating our ability to deliver secure, scalable integrations to clients across borders.”
BuiltAPI’s technology is already making an impact with major real estate institutions such as HIH Real Estate and its fund service platform INTREAL, through their digital unit INTREAL Solutions. These collaborations highlight a shared vision for practical and scalable digital transformation in real estate asset and investment management.
“The industry doesn’t need yet another tool — it needs a connective tissue,” added Ivan Nokhrin, Co-Founder of BuiltAPI. “Our mission is to empower real estate professionals to access, share, and act on their data securely and without barriers.”
Graduation from the REACH UK Accelerator — the scale-up program backed by Second Century Ventures – marks BuiltAPI’s official entry into the UK market. The program has played a key role in unlocking investors support and refining BuildAPI’s growth trajectory.
BuiltAPI GmbH, the company pioneering API-driven data infrastructure for real estate investment and asset management, has successfully closed its latest funding round backed by industry leaders including Second Century Ventures, TDS, and Propertymark. The investment marks a major milestone as BuiltAPI expands its services across Europe and the UK, following its graduation from the REACH UK Accelerator Program.
BuiltAPI tackles one of the real estate sector’s most persistent problems: fragmented, siloed data ecosystems. The company provides a robust API framework that enables seamless connectivity between legacy systems, modern SaaS tools, and intelligent automation platforms — with interoperability, governance, and cybersecurity at its core.
“We’re building the backbone of real estate data infrastructure,” said Olga Dentzel, Co-Founder of BuiltAPI. “This funding and the support of the REACH UK program are accelerating our ability to deliver secure, scalable integrations to clients across borders.”
BuiltAPI’s technology is already making an impact with major real estate institutions such as HIH Real Estate and its fund service platform INTREAL, through their digital unit INTREAL Solutions. These collaborations highlight a shared vision for practical and scalable digital transformation in real estate asset and investment management.
“The industry doesn’t need yet another tool — it needs a connective tissue,” added Ivan Nokhrin, Co-Founder of BuiltAPI. “Our mission is to empower real estate professionals to access, share, and act on their data securely and without barriers.”
Graduation from the REACH UK Accelerator — the scale-up program backed by Second Century Ventures – marks BuiltAPI’s official entry into the UK market. The program has played a key role in unlocking investors support and refining BuildAPI’s growth trajectory.
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