Sustainability work has gained a foothold in the real estate industry. At the same time, the industry lacks the needed tools to work cost-efficiently and diligently with sustainability.
Civil engineer and founder Renate Straume has, for a long time, been eager to do something about the industry’s ‘unfortunate’ effect on the environment. Together with her team at Varig Technologies she’s developed a sustainability software (SaaS) which makes it easier to address environmental performance of buildings. with Varig’s sustainability software the real estate industry may enter a new, eco-friendly era. Leveraging the necessary tools to take action, with little additional cost.
“It’s ambitious to think that one person has the prerequisites to gather, interpret and share operational data in a way that makes sense to everyone else in the value chain. The starting point needs to be correct, but also needs context. A context that triggers motivation for action from owner, managers and tenants alike. And that’s not an easy task,” she says.
Straume has many years’ experience as a project manager and product developer within the real estate and construction industry. And knows that sustainability work can be a heavy burden to bear for one person.
Timing not coincidental
“As everyone’s been talking about sustainability and a greener development, Varig has been crafting the technology to convert words into action,” Straume says. “Varig’s data capture gives owners, managers and tenants a complete overview of a building’s, or portfolio’s, real environmental impact. It points to the areas that need addressing to make the buildings more sustainable.”
Contributions from industry-giant Entra
“Receiving open and honest feedback from Entra, one of Norway’s most forward-thinking real estate companies within sustainability, has been key to develop a solution that fits the clients’ needs,” Straume says.
After a successful test-phase Varig is now serving paying customers. As more and more buildings are being connected to the software, Varig’s software is also enrichened as more data provides more accurate insights and foundation for benchmarking.
Backing from impact investor Norselab
Varig has financial backing from Norselab, one of Norway’s leading investment funds focusing on meaningful technology companies. In cohort, Varig and Norselab have embarked on the quest to reduce the real estate industry’s environmental impact. With one measure being to contribute to increased longevity of exisiting buildings.
“Varig leverages a system that’s relevant for the entire value chain, making the complexity understandable in its user-friendly platform. this helps highlight the impact choices and behavior will have on the sustainability of the buildings,” Ivar Kroghrud, Partner at Norselab, says.
Transparency and sharing
“We at Varig have a great belief in transparency. Our clients have opted to share their data to provide the industry with a tool for comparisson across multiple factors. I believe that is key to succeed,” Straume says. Before rounding off:
“My desire is for Varig to contribute to the green transition by offering an effective and user-friendly service clients find valuable. we’re not fans of reports and measures being ‘stuck in the archive’.
