Automated Architecture has been named the European Final winner of the Urban Land Institute’s PropTech Innovation Challenge 2025, following its earlier success in the UK & Ireland round of the competition.
The announcement was made in December 2025 by the Urban Land Institute (ULI), which confirmed that Automated Architecture, known as AUAR, was selected for its automated construction platform focused on sustainable and affordable timber housing.
“Winning the PropTech Innovation Challenge is an incredible recognition of AUAR’s vision to transform how we build homes and cities. It reinforces our belief that automation and technology can drive not just efficiency, but also sustainability and equity in homebuilding. For our team, this award is validation that the future of housing lies in empowering communities through our accessible, no-CapEx micro-factories.”
Mollie Claypool, Co-Founder and CEO, Automated Architecture
The delivery of the PropTech Innovation Challenge is led by the ULI Europe Young Leaders Executive Committee, including Jorden Marek Korte, Vice President Private Alternatives at AllianceBernstein; Oumniya Bouhdoud, Vice President Real Estate Private Equity Investing at BGO; and Simon Abboud, Programme Director at Hines Europe.
“AUAR represents exactly what the PropTech Innovation Challenge was designed to spotlight, bold innovation that solves real problems for the industry and for society. Their model proves that sustainable, affordable housing doesn’t have to be a compromise; with automation, data, and decentralised micro-factories, it can be scalable, investable, and community centred.
“AUAR shows how technology can accelerate decarbonisation in a way that’s commercially viable today, and that is why they stood out as the clear European winner.”
Ariana Maass, Chair of ULI Europe Young Leaders and a member of the PIC jury
Entries were assessed on impact, scalability and likelihood of adoption. The European Grand Final brought together eight national winners from across the region, including Green Fusion from Germany, Zenova from Iberia, Coat-ing from the Nordics, aloHOMora coliving from France, IZODOM from Poland and the Czech Republic, vyzn from Switzerland, and 2025 Materials Limited from Greece and Cyprus.
Automated Architecture was ultimately selected as the overall European winner. Founded in 2022, the company uses data-driven learning and generative design within an automated construction platform. Its model deploys decentralised robotic micro-factories to deliver sustainable timber housing at scale.
“We chose AUAR because they turn decarbonisation from an aspiration into an investable operating model. By combining mass-timber design with AI-driven automation and distributed micro-factories, AUAR cuts embodied carbon and waste at the source, shortens programmes, and lowers total delivery cost – without burdening partners with heavy upfront CapEx. It’s a pragmatic, scalable pathway to low-carbon, high-quality homes that works for affordable housing budgets today.”
Jorden Marek Korte, Vice President Private Alternatives, AllianceBernstein
Two additional finalists, Coat-ing and aloHOMora, received special mentions from the jury in recognition of their strong potential to advance sustainability in affordable housing.
“This year’s PIC addressed one of the sector’s most urgent challenges: decarbonising housing in a way that’s financially sustainable. AUAR stood out because they didn’t see affordability and decarbonisation as competing goals – they showed that solving for one accelerates the other. Their modular, AI-enabled model demonstrates how technology can deliver scale, cost efficiency and deep carbon impact simultaneously.
“Affordability has become a key issue in many cities – if we can make low-carbon housing delivery viable, it can be a game changer. AUAR’s approach signals the next wave of value creation: aligning financial performance with technological innovation and environmental outcomes. That’s the future ULI PIC and the C Change programme are helping us move towards – where decarbonisation becomes not just a moral imperative, but a strategic and profitable one.”
Oumniya Bouhdoud, Vice President Real Estate Private Equity Investing, BGO
Now in its third year, the PropTech Innovation Challenge is a ULI Europe Young Leaders-led initiative designed to support innovation across the built environment. The 2025 programme aligned with ULI’s C Change priorities, with a particular focus on decarbonising affordable housing through scalable and commercially viable solutions.
“As our industry looks to address some of society’s biggest challenges, PIC’s added value is on addressing the innovation gap between the real estate industry and the pioneering, deliverable and scalable high- and low-tech start-ups already providing solutions. This year’s theme is especially timely and material with housing identified as the number one priority in many countries across Europe and to ensure solutions are equitable and future proof, decarbonisation needs to be an essential part of any solution.
“My congratulations go to AUAR for their success in this third year of the competition, the finalists and to all the companies that took part. My thanks also go to our Young Leaders in Europe who are driving this very successful initiative for ULI, to our country champions, and to our regional and European juries, for all their hard work. The enthusiasm and positive energy part of the programme are mind-blowing and demonstrate the appetite within the industry to embrace innovation and drive progress.”
Lisette van Doorn, CEO, ULI Europe
