#Interview
“For aedifion, 2025 was successful, intense and groundbreaking in many ways. An absolute highlight was our Series B financing round, which gave us tailwind for the next development steps,” says founder Johannes Fütterer.
The Cologne PropTech aedifionfounded in 2017 by Johannes Fütterer, Felix Dorner, Jan Henrik Ziegeldorf and Erik Brümmendorf, develops software that property owners can use to analyze and, in the best case, reduce operating costs.
In recent years, more than 25 million euros have flowed into the company. The startup’s investors include the French investor Eurazeo, Drees & Sommer, World Fund, BitStone Capital, the Hopp family office and Phoenix Contact Innovation Ventures.
In an interview with deutsche-startups.de, aedifion maker Johannes Fütterer looks back in detail on the year that has almost passed.
2025 is almost over. What was the highlight for you in the last few months?
For aedifion, 2025 was successful, intense and groundbreaking in many ways. An absolute highlight was our Series B financing round, which gave us tailwind for the next development steps. At the same time, we were able to further establish our solution for intelligent electricity cost optimization in the market and set a real milestone with the launch of our digital building assistant. We are also particularly pleased about some prestigious awards, such as the immobilienmanager award, which we won together with BNP Paribas REIM for the portfolio rollout of our software solution in the “Digitization” category.
What didn’t go well for you in 2025?
Fundraising has undoubtedly worked very well, but it also takes a lot of time and focus. This double burden is challenging and we have learned how important it is that other important areas of day-to-day business are not neglected. You have to plan for this if you want to ensure growth and stability at the same time.
Which project is at the top of your agenda in 2026?
At the top of the agenda is proactive internationalization – especially in France and Great Britain. At the same time, we are opening up new customer segments and massively pushing forward product development: in the user experience, increasing the flexibility of buildings through demand side management and in the implementation of our building assistant, which answers questions about real estate operations via chat and underlines the potential of generative AI for real estate operations. Last but not least, we are concerned with healthy growth of the organization: our team has now grown to over 100 employees. It’s not just head count that counts, but also clever structures, a mature corporate culture and increased productivity through AI – all of which have a direct impact on team performance, customer satisfaction and our long-term success.
What are your economic expectations for 2026?
We look forward to 2026 with great confidence because our solution is a real no-brainer. The real estate industry has recognized that digitalization is not an end in itself, but indispensable for economically successful and sustainable assets. Thanks to the added value that our software creates, we have a strong competitive position. In short: 2026 will be our year.
What do you personally have planned for 2026?
I want to give 100% to my family and to aedifion again in the coming year and at the same time make sure not to neglect myself. It’s a balancing act, but one that’s worth it.
Tip: You can find more reviews and outlooks in our Annual review.
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