MetaProp’s 2025 Accelerator Cohort Draws Record Number of Applicants

Early stage proptech venture capital firm MetaProp on Thursday announced its 10th accelerator startup cohort.

This year’s version of the MetaProp Accelerator @ Columbia University includes six startups selected from a record 200-plus applications. The startups are focusing on innovation in AI, affordable housing, climate, construction technology (aka contech) and mobility technology. Participating entrepreneurs include a former Google executive, members of Brooklyn Navy Yard’s deep tech center Newlab, a Y Combinator graduate, as well as Harvard, Stanford and University of Pennsylvania alumni.

“This is the first cohort that fits all of our financial goals and all our strategic and social goals,” said Zach Aarons, co-founder and general partner at MetaProp. “It’s a very diverse class in terms of the founders’ backgrounds, their sexes and ethnicities. We have companies that check the housing affordability box of our mission, the resiliency part and sustainability. We believe all the companies are primed for significant growth.”

While MetaProp received applications for its latest cohort from around the world, this year’s participants are primarily from New York City.

“In the past, we’ve had companies from countries like Sweden, the U.K. and Nigeria,” Aarons said, “but in this case we really wanted to focus strongly on New York City. We recently gained a new capital partner in the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and we thought it was a good time to double down on New York City. Actually, this class has two companies that are neighbors at the Newlab in the Brooklyn Navy Yard neighborhood, and those are both hard tech solution companies.”

The cohort includes Buildrfi, a Miami-based construction financing platform; and Newlab-based Fram Energy, a solar company for property owners, which in 2024, received a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for winning the American Made Solar Prize, a competition designed to spur innovations in solar hardware and software technologies.

The cohort also includes PopWheels, a Newlab-based e-bike battery swap network that recently received a $2.7 million grant from DOE to install charging cabinets in front of affordable housing in New York City, and PropRise, a San Francisco-based AI-powered platform designed to give developers, acquisition specialists and brokers data-driven insights.

Rounding out the new accelerator members are Ulama, a Manhattan-based startup that seeks to speed construction permitting through AI-powered code compliance analysis, and Wealthie, another Manhattan company that facilitates the investment of home equity by homeowners.

Manhattan-based MetaProp hosts the 22-week accelerator program with participation from Columbia, the NYCEDC and the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY).

“As both a participating member of NYCEDC’s Venture Access Alliance and a recipient of the NYC Catalyst Fund, MetaProp is at the forefront of real estate technology — uplifting startups to lead the way in sustainable urban innovation and decarbonization,” Melissa Román Burch, the NYCEDC’s chief operating officer, said in a statement. “The success of the MetaProp Accelerator @ Columbia University over the past decade is tangible throughout the five boroughs, and we look forward to the 10th cohort advancing cutting-edge technology and creating local jobs as they grow their businesses.”

Historically, MetaProp’s real estate industry limited partners — including CBRE (CBRE), JLL (JLL), Cushman & Wakefield (CWK), RXR and PGIM — have been deeply engaged throughout the accelerator programs. This year, the accelerator cohort features a new partnership with REBNY.

“REBNY’s partnership with the MetaProp Accelerator underscores our commitment to integrating cutting-edge technologies within New York’s real estate sector,” Sandhya Espitia, chief operating officer at REBNY, said in a statement. “This collaboration is pivotal in maintaining New York’s leadership in real estate technology and providing our members direct access to innovations shaping our industry for years to come.”

Since launching in 2015, 50 companies have participated in MetaProp acceleration programs, according to the firm. Graduates have raised more than $200 million in combined venture funding and have exited to industry leaders such as JLL, Comcast, Realtor.com and Alarm.com. 

Participants in the MetaProp Accelerator @ Columbia University receive up to $250,000 in financing. The program focuses on driving business growth and accelerating market penetration. It offers curated access and introductions to industry decision-makers, technology pilots, sources of investment capital and media, as well as pairings with top executives from MetaProp’s real estate industry mentor network. The program culminates with Pilot Days and Demo Days for the cohort.

Philip Russo can be reached at prusso@commercialobserver.com.