Arda Secures $3 Million Pre-Seed Funding to Revolutionize Real Estate with Blockchain

Arda, a startup focused on revolutionizing the real estate sector, has successfully raised $3 million in a pre-seed funding round. This investment is led by Lightshift and aims to support Arda's mission to enhance efficiency in the real estate industry, which is valued at $380 trillion but is often characterized by fragmentation and opacity.

Arda is developing 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 seeks to reduce transaction times and enhance transparency through real-time ownership and financial processes. The platform introduces a programmable execution layer for real estate, integrating digital rights management, AI-driven automation, and seamless data interoperability. Key features include digital asset profiles for verifiable property history, real-time money movement for improved settlement efficiency, and integrated data and automation to reduce administrative friction in asset management.

The company 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's extensive experience in digital assets and cryptocurrency strategy is expected to bring a unique perspective to the real estate sector, leveraging blockchain technology to streamline operations and enhance transparency. Harris played a key role in the development and commercialization of Quorum, an enterprise Ethereum platform, and contributed to institutional digital asset adoption. His experience includes board positions at 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 grows, governments and industry leaders are exploring frameworks for secure, verifiable digital property transactions. Arda's platform is designed to enable digital interoperability, automated transactions, and real-time execution in the global real estate sector. The pre-seed funding will enable Arda to develop its technology further, attract top talent, and establish partnerships with key stakeholders in the real estate sector.

“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 focus on building an operating system that leverages blockchain technology aligns with the growing trend of digital transformation in the real estate sector. The successful pre-seed funding round is a testament to the potential of Arda's approach and the growing recognition of blockchain technology's role in transforming the real estate sector. As Arda moves forward with its development, the startup will face competition from other tech companies aiming to disrupt the real estate industry. However, Harris's expertise and the strategic vision behind Arda's operating system give the company a competitive edge.