Second Century Ventures

Second Century Ventures (SCV) is a venture capital fund focused on promoting innovation in the real estate industry and helping to enable the entrepreneurial spirit of real estate thrive. SCV has been fully capitalized by the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (NAR). With over 1.4 million members, NAR is the largest trade association in the country. NAR can provide immediate strategic value to SCV portfolio companies by allowing them access to the vast resources of a 300-person organization with expertise, influence and power that comes only by being ingrained in an industry for over 100 years.

Mark Birschbach

Managing Director

Dave Garland

Managing Partner

Bob Goldberg

Chairman

Holmberg C.F.A., Johan

Senior Associate

Tyler Thompson

Managing Partner

Past deals in Illinois

Prisidio

Venture Round in 2023
Prisidio is a life organizer that allows you to securely store, organize, manage, and share key documents and information with your family and trusted advisors. With Prisidio, it’s easy to keep your affairs in order and yourself prepared for whatever may happen in life.

Obie

Series A in 2021
Obie is a software platform developed by Creisoft, Inc. that connects commercial real estate brokers and investors, streamlining the transaction process within the industry. The platform offers a range of features, including the ability for brokers to create marketing materials, list properties on a public or private marketplace, and manage financial documents and analytics in real time. Investors benefit from access to property teasers and instant delivery of offering memorandums upon signing an electronic confidentiality agreement. Additionally, Obie includes tools for underwriting properties, supported by integrated financial modeling capabilities. The platform serves various asset classes, including office, industrial, retail, and multifamily properties. Founded in 2012 and based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Creisoft, Inc. utilizes advanced encryption and operates on certified secure servers to ensure data protection.

Parafin

Seed Round in 2021
Parafin is a Chicago-based company established in 2017 that specializes in artificial intelligence software solutions tailored for the commercial real estate sector. The company offers a proprietary technology that integrates generative design principles with real estate development needs, enabling users to create optimized building designs rapidly, within minutes rather than the traditional timeline of months. Parafin's innovative approach is specifically designed for developers involved in the acquisition and development of commercial properties, providing them with tools that address site-specific, construction, and financial requirements.

Groundbreaker

Seed Round in 2021
Groundbreaker Technologies, Inc. specializes in developing software solutions for small to medium-sized commercial real estate investment firms that seek to raise outside capital. Founded in 2014 and based in Chicago, Illinois, Groundbreaker offers an all-in-one investment management platform that automates key processes such as fundraising, reporting, and investor relations. The software enhances productivity and investor satisfaction by integrating six primary functions, including investor reporting, fundraising automation, an investor portal, investment management, customer relationship management, and security. This comprehensive approach streamlines back-office operations, providing significant value to real estate investment organizations.

BrokerAssist

Funding Round in 2020
Collaboration & Referral Network... Come gig with us! OUR SERVICE: BrokerAssist is the gig economy for real estate professionals! As the new go-to collaboration and referral network, BrokerAssist is a free mobile-first marketplace connecting Realtors® in real-time for fractional assistance on deal specific tasks (showings, open houses, inspections, etc). Even more, BrokerAssist offers a free platform for on-demand referral connections nationwide! Broker/Owner? Contact us about a white label solution for your firm today! OUR BENEFIT: BrokerAssist drives Realtor® collaboration and referral networking for efficient business management, growth & maximal client satisfaction. BrokerAssist keeps Realtors® at the center of their transactions by providing an integrated platform across communications and payments; thereby helping brokerage firms drive efficiencies & reduce noise in their systems. BrokerAssist’s referral model is fair, free, and in real-time as the modern Realtor® demands. HOW IT WORKS: Individual Realtors® or broker/owners register for the app on iOS or Android for free access to the marketplace, or they may choose to deploy a white label solution to fit the culture and needs of their firm. The BrokerAssist app offers a robust, intuitive and integrated workflow. Learn more here: https://www.brokerassist.com/how-it-works OUR ADVANTAGE: BrokerAssist is the first nationwide gig economy and referral network for Realtors®. As a mobile-first SaaS model, we benefit from low overhead and quickly deploy new features to meet client demands. The BrokerAssist platform is positioned to deploy horizontally across the real estate industry and into new verticals.

Pear Chef

Convertible Note in 2020
Pear Chef, Inc. provides room service facility to luxury apartment buildings. It also offers professional catering services, private cooking classes, and in-home personal dining services to residents and their guests. The company was founded in 2018 and is based in Chicago, Illinois.

Real Time Risk Solutions

Funding Round in 2020
Real Time Risk Solutions develops mobile, risk management technology solutions that provide advanced analytics to analyze risk across any industry in real-time. Our technology allows business owners to empower their field workers with dynamic mobile apps that enable them to easily capture higher quality data wherever they go. That data is cataloged with prescriptive risk factors for each organization, making it easy to manage to leverage those analytics for improved decision-making. They work with all industries where risk needs to be managed remotely - whether it be the largest insurance carrier or a small construction company - they listen, understand, and develop custom risk solutions with proprietary technology. In 2018, they were recognized by CIO magazine as one of the Top 25 GRC Technology Solutions Providers. In 2016, they were a nominee for the Global Investor Challenge and were awarded the National Association of Home Builders Innovation Award. In 2015, they were awarded the American Society of Safety Engineers Innovation Award.

CartoFront

Funding Round in 2020
CartoFront, Inc. operates real estate technology platform that offers brokerage into real estate investment and lending, as well as large real estate disaster-related opportunities, such as flood insurance. The company was founded in 2015 and is based in Evanston, Illinois.

Pear Chef

Funding Round in 2020
Pear Chef, Inc. provides room service facility to luxury apartment buildings. It also offers professional catering services, private cooking classes, and in-home personal dining services to residents and their guests. The company was founded in 2018 and is based in Chicago, Illinois.

CartoFront

Seed Round in 2020
CartoFront, Inc. operates real estate technology platform that offers brokerage into real estate investment and lending, as well as large real estate disaster-related opportunities, such as flood insurance. The company was founded in 2015 and is based in Evanston, Illinois.

LulaFit

Venture Round in 2019
LulaFit is a provider of fitness & wellness company offering in-home personal training, small group classes, nutritional counseling, massage therapy & wellness coaching.

LulaFit

Venture Round in 2019
LulaFit is a provider of fitness & wellness company offering in-home personal training, small group classes, nutritional counseling, massage therapy & wellness coaching.

Trove

Funding Round in 2019
Boutique vacation rental service delivering exceptional consumer experiences and maximum value for property owners

The Minte

Convertible Note in 2019
The Minte provides hotel-style housekeeping services, utilizing a building-centric model for staffing its housekeepers. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, the company allows customers to book its services conveniently through an app or by pressing a button located outside their door. This innovative approach aims to streamline the housekeeping experience, catering to the needs of busy individuals and families seeking reliable cleaning solutions.

Occly

Funding Round in 2017
Occly, LLC designs and manufactures wearable personal safety devices for personal and commercial safety applications. The company’s Occly device includes a panic button, four cameras that record surroundings, sirens, a microphone, and LED lighting. Its device triggers sirens and lights alerting people in the immediate area, while simultaneously recording images and audio around them, as well as sends real-time relevant information, including images recorded before and during the alarm to 24-hour emergency response center. The company also offers Occly Blinc that delivers personal protection for commuters, students, cyclists, joggers, rideshare drivers and passengers, travelers, real estate agents, campus safety, and others. Occly, LLC was founded in 2015 and is based in Chicago, Illinois.

Goby

Venture Round in 2015
Goby Inc. operates a cloud-based enterprise data management platform that provides AP automation; and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) solutions. Its platform collects invoices directly from online accounts and applies validations on data to ensure any errors are caught in real time. The company also offers strategic sustainability consulting; sustainability reporting; energy management; and utility bill audit, analysis, and tariff optimization services. Goby Inc. was founded in 2008 and is based in Chicago, Illinois.

Guard Llama

Funding Round in 2015
Guard Llama develops and offers a GPS based wireless handheld remote for students. The company provides a personal security system that utilizes a wireless keychain remote to alert authorities in the event of an emergency. Its product includes a remote that activates a mobile application on user's smart phone that immediately sends his or her GPS location and personal profile to local police. Guard Llama was formerly known as EduProtect. The company was founded in 2013 and is based in Chicago, Illinois.

Goby

Seed Round in 2014
Goby Inc. operates a cloud-based enterprise data management platform that provides AP automation; and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) solutions. Its platform collects invoices directly from online accounts and applies validations on data to ensure any errors are caught in real time. The company also offers strategic sustainability consulting; sustainability reporting; energy management; and utility bill audit, analysis, and tariff optimization services. Goby Inc. was founded in 2008 and is based in Chicago, Illinois.

Desktime

Funding Round in 2014
Desktime, LLC provides Desktime, a SaaS platform that allows coworking operators and businesses with extra capacity to share space, manage availability and resources, integrate with third party software and hardware systems, process payments, and communicate with users. Its platform enables to rent shared spaces, empty desks, conference rooms, or entire offices by the day, week, or month. The company also offers a Desktime Directory with listings for various coworking spaces to connect independent and mobile workers with available and well-suited spaces to work. Desktime, LLC was founded in 2011 and is based in Chicago, Illinois.

REach

Venture Round in 2012
REach is an accelerator founded in 2013 and based in the United States, operating as a subsidiary of Second Century Ventures, the investment arm of the National Association of Realtors. It is dedicated to fostering technology companies, particularly those focused on software as a service (SaaS), that are relevant to the real estate, financial services, banking, home services, and insurance sectors. REach aims to bridge technology innovation with the vast real estate industry, benefiting small businesses, real estate professionals, and consumers alike. The program provides access to a network of over 350 mentors from leading real estate organizations and offers direct connectivity to the National Association of Realtors' extensive membership for potential partnerships and clientele. REach accepts companies at various stages of development, from early concepts to established firms with revenue, and collaborates with other accelerators to enhance support and outreach for its participants.

DialogTech

Series B in 2010
DialogTech provides actionable marketing analytics for businesses that value inbound phone calls. Consistently recognized as the leader and pioneer in call analytics and optimization, DialogTech is the trusted voice management platform for Fortune 500 brands, agencies, and fast-growing companies. From call attribution to conversation analytics to caller experience optimization, only DialogTech has everything marketers need to drive more of the conversations that drive revenue.