SearchLand

High-Level Overview

SearchLand is a UK-based PropTech company founded in 2020 that provides a property data and mapping platform to help developers, land agents, planners, investors, architects, and energy firms source off-market development sites, assess planning potential, and contact landowners directly.[1][2][3][5] The platform aggregates datasets like land ownership, planning applications, local policies, environmental constraints, and market comparables into an intuitive map-based interface, solving the inefficiency of manual land sourcing in the real estate sector.[2][3][5] It serves over 1,500 leading real estate and development companies, processing thousands of site searches monthly, with tools including AI-powered sourcing filters, appraisal features, and a Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) tool.[3][5] SearchLand has raised £2.3 million in seed funding, achieved rapid growth post-launch, and expanded to dedicated teams for energy and renewables markets.[3][4]

Origin Story

SearchLand was founded in 2020 in London by Mitchell, who identified a gap in automated sourcing of development opportunities, joined by co-founders Hugh Gibbs, Arthur, and Archie, leveraging their expertise in planning, data, and software development.[1][2][3] The idea emerged from frustrations in manual processes for off-market sites, leading to the launch of the UK's first land sourcing tool.[3] A pivotal moment came in 2021 with participation in the Geovation Accelerator Programme, sponsored by HM Land Registry and Ordnance Survey, which provided mentorship, courses, and a community that accelerated development by about a year.[2][3] Early traction included raising £200K in seed funding from angels for sales, marketing, and automation enhancements, growing to over 300 customers and an eight-person team.[3][4] Further milestones: £2.3M from Fuel Ventures in 2023, expansion to over 1,000 companies, a Rightmove data integration for market visibility, office move to Old Street, and launches of BNG and appraisal tools.[2][3]

Core Differentiators

• Comprehensive Data Integration: Aggregates HM Land Registry ownership data, planning applications, local policies, environmental constraints (e.g., Green Belt, flood risk), title boundaries, and company records into a single map-based platform, enabling quick landowner contact and site evaluation.[1][2][5]
• AI-Powered Sourcing: Industry-leading filters scan the UK for off-market sites matching criteria like proximity to substations, transport links, amenities, and planning history, outperforming manual methods.[3][5]
• Specialized Tools: Includes UK's first comprehensive BNG tool, appraisal functionality, and CRM-like features for property development, with recent Rightmove integration for real-time market status.[2][3]
• Tailored for Key Users: Optimized for developers (land sourcing), agents (outreach), planners (policy assessment), and energy firms (e.g., solar site optimization), serving diverse sectors like renewables and utilities.[2][3][5]
• Proven Growth and Backing: Fastest-growing UK PropTech via Geovation acceleration, £2.3M funding, and 1,500+ customers, with strong network effects from partnerships.[2][3][4]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

SearchLand rides the PropTech wave transforming real estate development, particularly amid UK housing shortages and net-zero goals, by automating land sourcing in a £114B+ market hit hard by pandemic declines but ripe for tech efficiency.[1][2] Timing aligns with rising demand for off-market sites, renewables expansion (e.g., solar near substations), and data-driven decisions as manual processes lag in a constrained market.[2][3][5] Favorable forces include open geospatial data from HM Land Registry/Ordnance Survey and investor interest in housing-enabling tools, positioning SearchLand against competitors like LandTech, Archistar, and PointData by focusing on UK-specific B2B automation.[1] It influences the ecosystem by streamlining due diligence, boosting developer speed-to-market, and fostering PropTech innovation through accelerators like Geovation.[2]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

SearchLand is poised to evolve into a full CRM-like platform for property development, building on its sourcing dominance with expanded appraisal, BNG, and renewables tools amid UK housing and energy transitions.[2][3] Trends like AI-enhanced PropTech, open data proliferation, and net-zero mandates will propel growth, potentially capturing more of the recovering real estate market.[1][2] Its influence may grow via strategic integrations (e.g., more like Rightmove) and funding for team scaling, solidifying its role in freeing land for housing and renewables—turning a manual bottleneck into automated opportunity.[3][5]