The Kansas City proptech startup’s acquisition by one of its first and largest customers provides founder David Biga with an opportunity to get back on his entrepreneurial roadmap, he said, adding that Particle We reflected on the next steps after Space’s technology is fully integrated into its new home. .
“Build, give back, build, give back,” Biga said of his plans after returning to Kansas City from Japan and spending time growing his real estate data-as-a-service platform. Ta.
The acquisition of Particle Space by Ajay Pondicherry’s Los Angeles-based real estate marketing software company Curve Hero was announced Wednesday, but terms of the deal were not disclosed. Biga’s technology will become part of Curb Hero’s core systems, he said, noting that he will help the company transition Particle Space into its technology stack before taking the next career step.
“Curb Hero is used by tens of thousands of real estate agents to support marketing, open houses, and lead generation,” said Biga. “Our platform is essential to creating the next wave of solutions for lenders, brokers, agents and more.”
Particle Space’s David Biga will speak at the April 2023 Startland News and KU School of Business Entrepreneur Lunch and Learn Series. Photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News
Biga founded Particle Space in 2015 while working in a number of software engineering roles at companies like Hallmark, Google, H&R Block, and startups like EyeVerify, PMI Rate Pro, and Cariloop. One of Startland News’ 2022 Kansas City Startups to Watch, his proptech solution has garnered attention from local partners and funding programs, as well as accelerators further afield.
Biga said Particle Space supports hundreds of thousands of API requests per month and that more than 300 technology companies leverage its platform for their products. He pointed out that it is a major customer.
“Our relationship has always been good and we have frequently provided valuable feedback for improvement,” he continued. “We were at the core of how they enhanced their technology, and after several conversations this year, it made sense to come together.”
Biga also acknowledged that the move comes amid Particle Space’s struggle over the past two years to go it alone while gaining enough traction to continue to grow the business.
“With the current economic downturn, we are seeing proptech starting to dry up,” he said. “If it’s not core to your industry, like payment collection or physical maintenance, you’ve had to really work hard to make your product fit the market and gain some traction.”
“Building relationships, relying on our customers, and treating them well has given us the ability to move forward and lead to successful acquisitions,” continued Mr. Biga.
Particle Space’s David Biga (third from left) on stage with his fellow members of the Pipeline Entrepreneurs Class in June 2023. Startland News Photos
Lessons learned from regional entrepreneurial support groups helped the Kansas City founders prepare for the decision to exit, he said, particularly with Omaha-based equity investment accelerator NMotion and Midwest entrepreneurs. He called for guidance from the network Pipeline.
“NMotion helped us give us a vision for the product, validate what we were building, and strengthen our go-to-market plans,” said Biga. “The guidance and hands-on approach allowed us to think outside the box and see where we were struggling and where we needed to pivot.”
Pipeline added an outstanding ecosystem and support to leverage, and helped Biga ask the tough questions as a founder, he added.
“Knowing that we had a support group that we could call family that we could lean on helped us through this journey,” he said. “No matter what business situation I was facing, there was someone else I could turn to for help.”
