Nearly five years ago, Thibault Launay and his wife, Simi, embarked on what they hoped would be an exciting journey: building their dream home in Portugal. However, their experience quickly turned into a frustrating ordeal marked by constant delays, ballooning budgets, and exhaustive management of multiple subcontractors. Their construction project, originally scheduled for completion by February 2024, remains unfinished as of May 2025, well over a year past deadline.
Recognizing their situation was far from unique, Thibault and Simi, both entrepreneurs experienced in launching and growing ventures, decided to create a solution. Early last year, they founded Litehaus, an innovative tech startup focused on making the home-building process more affordable, efficient, and sustainable. The platform streamlines the entire construction workflow by connecting landowners and developers directly with architects, builders, contractors, and interior design professionals. Litehaus features tools for tracking costs, managing schedules, and monitoring building progress in real-time.
With sustainability at its core, Litehaus is targeting modular construction as its primary go-to-market strategy. According to Thibault, modular methodologies can reduce construction costs by 30%, accelerate build timelines by 40%, and cut down waste and CO2 emissions by up to 60%, making it a significantly greener alternative to traditional methods.
Litehaus is entering a niche in the market already populated by other modular-focused startups like U.S.-based Ginosko Modular and Flummerfelt, as well as India’s Schnelle Prefabs. Yet, Thibault sees substantial room to grow, especially given the notoriously fragmented European home-building industry. He points out that while billions have been invested in construction technology in the U.S., the European market still lags far behind, presenting a clear growth opportunity for startups like Litehaus.
To accelerate its plans, Litehaus recently raised €1.46 million in a pre-seed funding round. UK-based Cornerstone VC led the investment, joined by Portugal’s Explorer Fund, Luxembourg’s Claster Group, and angel investor Pascal Levy from the U.S.-based Long Journey Ventures.
Rodney Appiah, managing partner at Cornerstone VC, emphasized the importance of the company’s mission, stating that Europe’s acute housing shortage is creating a crisis where essential quality housing is slipping beyond the reach of many families. Impressed with Thibault and Simi’s vision, Appiah highlighted Litehaus’s potential to bring clarity, quality, trust, and environmental consciousness into home construction.
Having raised their capital through a fast-paced, relationship-driven process, the couple plans to use the fresh funding primarily to scale the platform further, as well as to grow their engineering, marketing, operations, and product teams.
Aside from Litehaus, the co-founders each bring extensive entrepreneurial experience to the table. Thibault, originally from France, has previously launched an immersive gaming studio and boasts an established track record as an angel and institutional investor through roles at 50 Partners in France and Origins in New York. Simi, born in Nigeria and based previously in London, has successfully built businesses across various fields, including running a contemporary art gallery, leading a wellness brand aimed at women of color, and providing strategic consultancy services specializing in law and African markets. At Litehaus, she leads communication, marketing, and design, while Thibault manages fundraising, business development, and technical strategy.
Reflecting on their journey, Thibault humorously noted the irony that he and Simi have successfully launched a business, secured over a million euros in investment, and welcomed two children in the time it took to finally near the completion of their home—a reality they expect to achieve next month, more than fourteen months behind schedule. Ultimately, Litehaus was born out of precisely these personal struggles to build a home—a challenge they intend to solve for millions of others.
