GroundBreak Ventures Champions Housing Innovation to Address Canada's Housing Crisis

Government of Canada invests $3.5M to establish the Centre for Housing Innovation, a unique initiative in partnership with DMZ, CivicAction and NGen

TORONTO, Jan. 29, 2025 /CNW/ - GroundBreak Ventures, a leader in home innovation and property technology venture building and investment, is excited to announce its partnership in the newly launched Centre for Housing Innovation (CHI). The Centre, supported by a $3.5 million investment from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, is a transformative initiative that aims to tackle Canada's housing crisis by advancing innovative, affordable, healthy and sustainable housing solutions.

The Centre for Housing Innovation brings together the expertise and resources of key partners – GroundBreak Ventures, DMZ, CivicAction, and NGen – to create a collaborative hub that unites innovators, developers, contractors, investors and municipalities. By leveraging each organization's strengths, the CHI aims to fast-track the development and adoption of cutting-edge technologies that will transform how homes are built, making housing more accessible and affordable within Canada and beyond.

The CHI will drive meaningful change through two cornerstone initiatives:

1. Accelerator for housing solutions: Designed to empower startups in housing innovation, this program will provide essential resources—such as infrastructure, mentorship and industry expertise—to scale impactful Canadian startups.
2. Training program for housing and manufacturing innovation: Tailored for professionals across housing and manufacturing, these programs will focus on sustainable design, regulatory compliance, advanced manufacturing techniques and the adoption of cutting-edge building materials.

"The Government of Canada's investment in the CHI represents a critical step toward addressing our nation's housing crisis," said Scott Kaplanis, Managing Partner at GroundBreak Ventures.  "Our team is committed to driving sector-wide innovation by investing in talent and technology to create tangible, lasting and exportable solutions. This collaboration exemplifies the leadership and creativity needed to solve complex housing challenges."

The CHI is a truly unique partnership.

• GroundBreak Ventures, a leading venture capital firm specializing in funding early-stage home innovation and property technology, will provide hands-on support to entrepreneurs as they scale and will work with leading private sector stakeholders to ensure the latest tools and technologies are made available to new and existing talent across the sector.
• DMZ, one of the world's leading university-based tech incubators, will provide infrastructure and expertise to empower startups and entrepreneurs developing innovative housing solutions.
• CivicAction, a nonprofit focused on advancing equitable cities, brings its extensive network and insights to ensure the CHI's initiatives meet the needs of diverse communities.
• NGen, Canada's advanced manufacturing supercluster, will provide resources to integrate cutting-edge manufacturing techniques into housing innovation, fostering productivity and sustainability.

GroundBreak Ventures continues to set the standard for innovation in the housing sector. Over the past 5 years, Groundbreak has been the most active property technology investor in Canada with over 30 investments. The firm has attracted incredible partners such as The Hopewell Group of Companies and Drew and Jonathan Scott (aka The Property Brothers) and has worked alongside policymakers to emphasize the importance of investing in Canadian technology as a stepping stone to improving productivity sector-wide. GroundBreak's participation in the CHI as well as its creation of a new, $50 million Healthy Home Innovation Fund are the two most recent examples of the firm's commitment to delivering forward-thinking solutions that can help improve housing affordability.

The Centre for Housing Innovation invites stakeholders across the housing and construction value chain—startups, corporations, educators, investors and government leaders—to join its mission to build a future where affordable, sustainable housing is accessible to all Canadians.

About GroundBreak Ventures™:
GroundBreak Ventures is a venture capital firm specializing in real estate and property technology. It invests as early as the pre-seed stage and provides both the capital and the domain expertise necessary to support the growth of our entrepreneurs, and the businesses they work tirelessly to build. Committed to driving progress in various industries, GBV fosters partnerships among diverse stakeholders to create impactful solutions for the challenges of today and tomorrow.

The firm is based in Toronto and supported by Hopewell^®, a multifaceted real estate organization with operations across North America. Hopewell has built extensive industry networks and deep expertise in residential and commercial development, homebuilding, property management and logistics. The company has embraced innovation; a willingness to adopt new technology is a key differentiator in its approach to business.

SOURCE GroundBreak Ventures

For more information or to find out how to get involved, contact: [email protected]