Planet Group Ends 2018 With a New Round of Capital Injection Consisting of €34 Million From Equity Investors

LONDON, January 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --

The international player, leader in Smart Affordable Housing, plans to launch eight smart cities in the next 24 months  

Planet Holding Board of Directors have just announced a capital increase of €34m raised from 193 new and existing shareholders. This capital increase, which took place at the end of 2018, follows the first round of €10m capital injection, secured in September of the same year.

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The shareholders have endorsed an ambitious plan which aims to launch eight new smart cities in the next 24 months. Three will be launched in Brazil, where Planet is already building Laguna Smart City - the first smart city for affordable housing in the world with 6,500 housing units. Five smart cities will be planned in countries characterized by a large affordable housing deficit.

Planet's unique value proposition tackles affordability, one of the most pressing global issues in real estate, and responds to the current demand for sustainable and technological solutions, integrating eco-sustainable technologies, digital infrastructures and social innovation into large projects, while offering a stream of dedicated services through a District App. The value-added services make the life of the smart community citizens easier, going well beyond traditional building and construction operations.

Gianni Savio, the Group CEO, commented: "It's impressive to see how our business model has been understood so quickly by such a large number of institutional and non-institutional investors and how our original group of investors has been enriched thanks to new ones coming from the international financial and industrial community. I'm also particularly glad that 22 of our employees invested their own money in the company, demonstrating their commitment with our vision. Along with the projects already launching in Brazil, we are analyzing with great interest the Indian market where the affordable housing deficit tops 25 million units."

Stefano Buono, Chairman of Planet Holding Board of Directors, declared: "With this capital injection, the number of Planet Holding shareholders reaches 234, following a model - which is dear to me - of a private company already operating as a public one. The challenge now is to rapidly broaden the executive committee who will lead the Group towards a quick expansion, continuously improving and replicating its unique business format in different countries. I'm convinced that the services offered through our digital platform and the District App will be the major driver of development for the Group. We will invest heavily in that."

PLANET GROUP  

Global leader in the integration of smart solutions and social innovation practices in the design and development of large real estate affordable housing projects, Planet has more than 300 employees across the United Kingdom, Brazil and Italy.

The Group has its own Smart City Competence Centre in Turin, Italy, called Planet Idea, which is comprised of 50 highly qualified professionals from different backgrounds and nationalities, who are experts on eco-systemic resources, social innovation, IoT and urban planning. Planet Idea is an in-house innovation lab responsible for smart solutions into the projects of the Group but also consults with third-party in Italy and internationally. The Centre is currently advising the two largest Italian real estate funds developing new smart districts in Milan (650 apartments) and Rome (950 apartments).

The Group is building the first smart city for affordable housing in the world called "Smart City Laguna", consisting of 6,500 housing units over 330ha of land. The project is at an advanced stage in São Gonçalo do Amarante, Ceará, 50 km from Fortaleza, in Brazil, and will be the home of approximately 25,000 inhabitants. The second smart city for affordable housing was launched in Brazil in September 2018, close to the city of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, over 170ha of land.

NOTES TO EDITORS

Affordable Housing  

• Housing is defined "affordable" when the average annual rent or mortgage cost is less than 30% of the average household's yearly income. Globally, Affordable Housing projects have key requirements in terms of minimum dimensions (around 55 square meters), access to clean drinking water, sewer system, electricity distribution network and distance from the workplace (the commuting time is supposed to be less than one hour).
• Traditionally in Europe the problem of affordable housing has always been dealt in two ways: public housing projects financed by the state or social housing interventions managed by private entities such as real estate development funds, foundations and cooperatives.

Smart solutions  

Planet selected more than 200 innovative solutions for its catalogue. The 48 smart solutions listed below have been applied to Laguna Smart City.

    Ecosystem resources                         Built Environment

    Smart lighting                              Underground power grid
    Urban forestation                           Urban ecological network
    Rainwater harvesting system                 Innovation Hub
    Permeable paving systems                    Sports Hub - The Planet Club
    Plant selection and park management         Road hierarchy
    Urban gardens                               Mixed-use design
    Solar Bricks                                Smart bench
    Community composting                        Urban Furniture Designed for All
    Intelligent irrigation for urban            Planned and sustainable construction
    gardens                                     site
    Smart waste bins                            Construction site pre-greening
    Pedestrian path network                     Outdoor fitness area
    Bike path network                           Shopping street

                                              
    Technological Systems                       Society                                              

    Free Wi-Fi in institutional areas           Community startup
    Interactive totem                           Guidelines for best practices
    Video surveillance system                   Social manager
     Recharging stations for electric cars       Fun theory
    Air quality control system                  Library of things                          
    Control center for local administration     Bookcrossing
    Beacon                                      Guidelines for healthy eating
     Car pooling                                 Healthy corner         
      Personal security device                    Children's Cinema
     Child tracker                               Events area                           
    Home automation                             Shared social kitchen
    Smart home appliances                       Community bulletin board                        

For further info, please contact: 
Daniele Russolillo  
+39-347-7731-827  
Email: d.russolillo@planetidea.it   
http://www.planetsmartcity.com  
http://www.planetidea.it