Arda Raises $3M to Revolutionize Real Estate with AI, Blockchain

Arda, a company developing a universal operating system for real estate, has successfully raised $3 million in a pre-seed funding round. This investment was led by Lightshift, a venture firm focused on digital infrastructure and programmable assets. The funding will support Arda’s mission to enhance efficiency in the $380 trillion real estate sector, which is currently characterized by fragmentation and opacity.

Arda is constructing a digital framework designed to unify real estate assets, data, and financial services into a single, interoperable system. By leveraging AI and blockchain technology, the platform aims to streamline real estate transactions, reduce transaction times, and enhance transparency. The system will enable real-time ownership and financial processes, making it easier for stakeholders to manage and transact real estate assets.

The platform introduces a programmable execution layer for real estate, integrating digital rights management, AI-driven automation, and seamless data interoperability. Key features of the platform include digital asset profiles, which provide a verifiable record of property history to streamline due diligence; real-time money movement, which links payments directly to transactions for improved settlement efficiency; and integrated data and automation, which reduces administrative friction in asset management.

Arda was founded by Oli Harris, who previously served as the Managing Director in Digital Assets at Goldman Sachs and the Head of Crypto Assets Strategy at JPMorgan Chase. Harris played a pivotal role in the development and commercialization of Quorum, an enterprise Ethereum platform, and has contributed significantly to institutional digital asset adoption. His experience includes board positions at several prominent companies in the digital asset space, including Anchorage, BitGo, Blockdaemon, and TRM Labs.

“Real estate remains one of the most valuable yet operationally fragmented asset classes,” said Oli Harris, Founder & CEO of Arda. “By creating a programmable, trust-based system, we aim to bring real estate transactions in line with modern digital financial infrastructure.”

As institutional investment in digital assets continues to grow, governments and industry leaders are exploring frameworks for secure, verifiable digital property transactions. Regions around the world are advancing the adoption of digital assets, while policymakers are shaping regulations to integrate these assets into mainstream financial systems. Arda’s initiative aligns with this evolving market, positioning itself as a leader in the digitization of real estate.

“We invest in founders who are building the foundations of next-generation industries,” said Simao Cruz, Founding Partner at Lightshift. “Arda is developing purpose-built infrastructure that could redefine how real estate is owned, transacted, and financed.”

Arda’s platform is designed for institutions, enterprises, and governments, enabling digital interoperability, automated transactions, and real-time execution in the global real estate sector. The company is backed by investors who support the evolution of digital real estate infrastructure, aiming to transform the way real estate is managed and transacted.