Member Article

Commercial property search portal launches on the back of £3m funding

A new commercial property search portal that claims to use advanced data science and high-quality data sourcing to better support commercial agents and surveyors has launched today (Friday 23 June) after raising £3m funding.

London-based Harness Property Intelligence has launched just five months after the company was founded and allows businesses and investors to undertake ‘differentiated’ searches across the office, retail, industrial, leisure and land sectors.

Headed up by former Head of Digital Strategy at News UK and Commercial Director at The Nielsen Company and Telefonica Digital UK, Ben Mein, the startup has already attracted £3m in seed funding prior to its full launch - a figure which the firm is touting as a PropTech record.

Mein, who is Chief Executive at Harness, commented: “This industry is complex and very much driven by people, and respecting and enhancing commercial agents and surveyors’ relationships with their own clients is at the core of everything we do.

“Using our advanced platform in conjunction with other like-minded partners will enable them to remain the authority and guide in every commercial property transaction.”

Supporting Mein is a team of experienced industry and tech stalwarts including Chief Technology Officer, Chris Noden, who has previously shepherded startups Gamesko, MOFILM and Monstermob. Meanwhile, Harness’ Chief Data Officer, Dr Lee Mollins, has previously held the role of Data and Analysis Director at Hometrack.

Mein believes the firm’s technology represents a ‘step-change’ for the commercial property sector owing to its data-driven, agent-focused approach.

He added: “We have developed a tech platform that offers our clients a step-change in the way the commercial sector can access and use data to significantly improve the transaction cycle.

“However, our technology approach is designed around commercial agents and surveyors’ day jobs, not the other way around.

“With the UK market looking uncertain, this is the right time for us to collaborate with commercial property professionals to harness knowledge and help them unlock market potential more efficiently and so achieve better results for their clients.”

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