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With over 80% of Latin Americans residing in urban areas, efficient property management for residential communities has become essential. The pandemic has amplified the popularity of food delivery apps such as Rappi and Uber Eats, heightening the need for a centralized platform to ensure the safety and well-being of urban residents in gated communities.
Enter Kolonus.
Kolonus is a proptech platform changing the way residents and property managers communicate. Kolonus provides a way for residents, property management companies, and landlords to efficiently communicate and collaborate.
Kolonus is a comprehensive solution designed to streamline life in every kind of community. It provides a range of features to improve security, communication, and convenience for residents, property managers, and security guards. Residents can also receive secure QR code invitations for entry, ensuring authorized access and safeguarding personal information on the platform.
The inspiration
While speaking with VC Mexico, Francisco recounted the origin of Kolonus. "About 10 years ago, I was at a friend's house in a gated community, and we had ordered some food for delivery. We received a call on my friend's cell phone from the front security gate to confirm the order. I then asked a few questions about the personal information the security team had access to. I was shocked by my friend's answers," Francisco explained.
“Talking about security in Mexican gated communities, a friend's delivery issue sparked the idea for Kolonus. The lack of communication between residents and security guards led us to envision an app with QR code access control. We realized this could improve security and convenience, so Kolonus was born.” - Francisco Macedo (Co Founder and CEO of Kolonus)
Founders
Kolonus's Business Model
- SAAS model: Kolonus adopts a B2B (Business-to-Business) model. Instead of charging individual residents, they charge a subscription fee to the property manager. This service contract covers the cost of providing platform access and features for residents, property managers, and security guards.
- “Kolonus Pay”: More recently, the team launched Kolonus Pay, a portal that facilitates electronic payments within the community, like maintenance fees or monthly or quarterly HOA fees. Kolonus charges a transaction fee for all payments processed through Kolonus Pay.
Satellites: Complete Residential Control
Kolonus provides residents with complete control over their residential experience through "Satellites." This comprehensive suite of features allows residents to:
- Manage access for visitors and deliveries
- Monitor activity within the community
- Communicate with neighbors and security guards
What is the Kolonus Kiosk?
The Kolonus Kiosk simplifies visitor and supplier entry. Visitors and suppliers can use a QR code generated directly from the app to enter the community. This not only improves security, but also simplifies the access process.
Speed Up Entry with Konmutador
Konmutador integrates a dedicated phone line directly into the "Kolonus Guardia" app used by security guards. This allows residents to easily contact security guards for any need, enhancing communication, response times, and overall privacy of personal data.
TAK Kolonus: Secure and Integrated Access Control
TAK Kolonus provides a secure, fast, and transparent access control system. This system integrates with internationally recognized security gate brands like ZKTeco's Inbio Pro models, ensuring residents have a familiar and reliable way to enter their homes.
Patience Pays off
Despite their current success with over 250,000 active users and managing nearly 600 communities in Mexico, since launching in 2014, Kolonus did face some initial challenges. Gaining traction and securing funding can be tough for any startup, and Kolonus was no exception. Part of these challenges Francisco noted was “market readiness, and overall understanding of the value Kolonus can bring to a community.”
Since 2020, it is evident that Kolonus has found its product-market fit, growing its active user base to over 270,000 and achieving breakeven in December 2021.
Funding
2020, $300K (Pre-Seed) including LABCAP VC, ANGELHUB VC
(Kolonus is actively raising Seed round, interested in learning more? Click Here)
Here's what Kolonus offers:
- Stronger Community: Build a more cohesive neighborhood by fostering communication and collaboration among residents.
- Financial Transparency: Gain clear insights into community finances with easy access to reports and efficient collection systems.
- Improved Quality of Life: Free up your time by managing everything related to your residence from your smartphone.
- Enhanced Security: Kolonus safeguards your community with features like secure entry/exit control, visitor logs with photographic evidence, and professionalized security guard services.
Trusted by Industry Leaders
Kolonus has partnerships with leading construction companies (VIDUSA, GP Vivienda, Koval, Ucalli, Carza, and Casas Texxo among others), property management firms, security providers and technology companies to deliver a comprehensive solution.
Market Opportunity
Kolonus is positioned to continue to expand across multiple markets in Latin America. Here's why:
- Latin America's Booming Real Estate: The real estate market in Latin America is experiencing significant growth. While the global commercial real estate market is vast, with an estimated value of USD 35 trillion in 2022, Latin America is carving out its own space, with a market size exceeding USD 1 trillion. This regional growth, coupled with rising security concerns, is fueling the demand for gated communities, creating a perfect opportunity for Kolonus's solutions.
- Aligning with Global Trends: The property management software market itself is experiencing global growth. The market size reached US$2.6 Billion in 2023, and is projected to reach US$3.9 Billion by 2032 according to the IMARC Group, exhibiting a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.7% from 2024-2032. This global trend further strengthens the potential for Kolonus’s solution in Latin America.
- Tech penetration in Mexico: Mexico, a key market for Kolonus, exemplifies the region's growing tech adoption. Statistics predicts the number of internet users in Mexico is expected to increase between 2024 and 2029 by a staggering 29 million users (28% increase) to just under 130m people highlighting the environment for mobile app solutions like Kolonus to continue to grow.
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