Budapest, Hungary — September 2024 — Lattice Homes, a Hungarian start-up born out of the EIT Jumpstarter programme in 2023, has successfully closed a pre-seed funding round of €200,000. The round was led by the Lunar Program in collaboration with STRT Holding Nyrt. and supported by a group of angel investors. The fresh capital will drive Lattice Homes’ mission to provide innovative, temporary accommodation solutions for displaced communities and those affected by natural disasters.
Lattice Homes is tackling the global housing crisis with its patented, in-house developed shelters. These structures are designed to offer fast, cost-effective, and easily transportable accommodation in conflict zones and disaster-stricken areas. The shelters are stackable and can be enhanced with solar panels, which are integrated into the design to power outdoor spaces.
“Our goal is to provide humane, mobile, and affordable housing solutions for people displaced by natural disasters and conflicts,” said Ábel Bálint, architect and founder-CEO of Lattice Homes. The company’s innovative approach earned it 3rd place in the New European Bauhaus category at the EIT Jumpstarter Grand Final in 2023.
In the short term, Lattice Homes aims to enter the festival market, where attendees seek unique and sustainable accommodation options. Simultaneously, the company is committed to supporting humanitarian organizations like UNICEF and the Red Cross. In alignment with their mission, Ábel Bálint announced that 5% of the company’s revenue will be dedicated to providing shelters to communities in need.
“This is one of many notable investments secured by start-ups born from the EIT Jumpstarter programme. To date, the initiative has helped raise a total of €150 million since its inception in 2017, with this particular investment being special as it originated from the New European Bauhaus cohort,” noted Piotr Boulange, leading the EIT Jumpstarter programme.
EIT Jumpstarter is a flagship pre-accelerator funded by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) and supported by six Knowledge and Innovation Communities. Since its launch, the programme has contributed to the creation of over 124 startups, more than 2,100 jobs, and trained over 1,180 entrepreneurial talents across Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe.
The New European Bauhaus, an EU initiative launched by the European Commission in 2021, focuses on sustainable and innovative solutions for transforming the built environment under the green transition. Lattice Homes is a shining example of how start-ups can align with this vision while addressing global challenges. This region is supported by EIT Regional Innovation Scheme, a unique support programme that aims at enhancing innovation capabilities of the regions ranked as moderate and emerging innovators countries according to the European Innovation Scoreboard.