Heaptalk, Jakarta — Real estate decarbonization is claimed to be one of the most significant opportunities, with a staggering US$18 trillion of investment required over the next decade to achieve net zero emission. As is known, the real estate sector significantly contributes to global carbon emissions, responsible for nearly 40% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. However, this sector is observably shifting toward sustainability, driven by the imperative to limit global warming to 1.5˚C above pre-industrial levels by 2050.
Addressing the urgency of sustainable solutions, the SaaS platform that provides real estate developers Accacia integrates with its existing systems and offers comprehensive technology for tracking and reducing emissions.
According to the Co-Founder and CEO of Accacia, Annu Talreja, real estate is inherently a complex business with numerous moving parts. For this reason, Annu explained that the sector requires multiple specialized ERP tools and SaaS technology, which includes measuring scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions from asset operations, assessing and improving building designs for embodied carbon, calculating financed emissions for their investment portfolios, setting net-zero targets, tracking their decarbonization journeys.
“Our product is a carbon emissions tracking platform. But it goes beyond mere tracking to facilitate actual decarbonization. This scheme also opens the door to a vast market of retrofit solutions, advanced technologies, and innovative materials within the real estate industry,” explained Annu.
Before winning the market, the Accacia startup has continued experimenting with product-market fit since its inception in 2022. In perceiving Southeast Asian market growth, Annu said that the one essential play has been looking at local building assets and targeting local asset managers, many of whom have global real estate assets.
“We perceive plenty of development, specifically in more developed geographies in Asia, such as Singapore, Japan, and Korea, seeing 10% to 25% rental premiums drawn in green buildings as opposed to non-green buildings. This matter has been very encouraging for us,” Annu said.
Recently, Accacia closed a US$6.5 million pre-Series A funding round led by Illuminate Financial. AC Ventures also backed the round, which was followed by continued support from its existing investors, Accel and B Capital. The startup will use the injection to develop its emission tracker technology globally.
Looking ahead, Accacia aims to develop its decarbonization planning engine further to provide clients with tailored solutions for optimizing energy consumption and reducing carbon emissions. With plans to expand into North America and forge strategic partnerships with major clients, Accacia is poised to drive sustainable practices across the real estate industry.
