Nauta is a digital investment platform focusing on real estate tokenization, allowing investors to access and invest in fractional ownership of high-quality real estate assets.

The problem

Buyers and investors face significant challenges in the Colombian market. Inflation rises (1), decreasing the purchasing power of investors and resulting in higher material and labor costs (2), as well as increased property costs and interest rates (3). Complex and bureaucratic procedures make real estate transactions overwhelming (4). A down payment of up to 30% of the property value is required (5). Properties in LATAM take as much as 18 months to sell (6).

Solution

Nauta makes Real Estate investment more inclusive and accessible to a broader range of investors. Launched in March 2023, with USD 360,000 AUM for >700 users, Nauta transforms the traditional real estate acquisition model through a user-focused platform for buying, selling, and trading real estate fractions, turning an illiquid market into a liquid one.

Nauta’s operating model

Selection: Nauta selects properties that meet high standards regarding quality, location, profitability, and appreciation. Fractionalization: Nauta fractionalizes the properties into equal parts. Acquisition: Investors can acquire fractions beginning at USD 10. Management: Nauta is the real estate managing each property & tenants. Distribution: Monthly dividend distribution from rents to investors [1] [2] [3] [4]. Liquidity: Retail Investors can sell, buy, and trade tokens with other verified users.

[1] Nauta follows government guidelines and is supervised by the Superintendence of Industry and Commerce (SIC). [3] Nauta is a member of Colombia Proptech, working with the Financial Superintendence to propose detailed regulations and establish a sandbox for real estate asset tokenization. [4] Only for Colombian users. USA users may not have access due to regulatory restrictions and compliance requirements. As the regulatory landscape evolves, we may expand services to the USA.

Why Stellar

Stellar's advantages, such as low transaction fees, rapid settlement times, and comprehensive asset issuance options, make it an ideal choice for Nauta's platform. Nauta does not operate on any blockchain at the moment.

Nauta's integration with the Stellar blockchain has two distinct phases:

Initial Phase - Transparency and Efficiency: In the first integration with Stellar, Nauta focuses on migrating its current operations to Stellar (Nauta does not operate on any blockchain at the moment) by representing tokenized assets in the Stellar network and creating accounts for existing and new users. Buying and selling property shares between users becomes a simple Stellar payment, and makes dividend distributions transparent to our users.

Second Phase - DeFi platform on Soroban: As Nauta works through the necessary compliance requirements to expand operations to other countries to tap into a broader addressable market, Nauta will take the opportunity to build a genuine DeFi (Decentralized Finance) product on top of Soroban.

Technical

When a new property is purchased, Nauta will issue a new asset. Example: A property is purchased for USD 100,000, so NAUTA issues 100,000 NAUTA01 representing that specific property split in 100,000 equal parts. Another property asset would be coded as NAUTA02, etc. Through its platform, Nauta will limit the purchases to a minimum of 10 USD, and making use of Stellar's comprehensive asset issuance controls, it will freeze the assets in each investor account, until it's time to buy or sell through the Nauta platform, only with other users who have gone through the KYC process. When income for a property is received, Nauta will do off-chain calculations to distribute the dividends proportionally according to the ownership of the NAUTA01 asset. When a property is sold, Nauta will claw back the assets representing that property and send USDC back to the users, which can then be reinvested in other properties.

Nauta’s revenue streams

Sales: 3% fee on initial sales of fractional ownership of the real estate assets. Nauta also earns a 1.5% fee on transactions of existing shares between participants. Property Management: 8% of the rental income generated by each property.

Market Research

While 89% of millennials aspire to generate passive income through property ownership in LATAM [1], the landscape is shifting due to the younger generations' shift in habits [2]. These tech-savvy and experience-seeking individuals prioritize travel and flexibility and shy away from the burdens of traditional responsibilities [3], including hefty down payments and debt [4]. Nauta seizes the potential presented by this generation. LATAM boasts a significant millennial and centennial population, with 330 million across the region [5] and 29 million in Colombia, accounting for 51% of the country's population [6]. Approximately 7.5 million possess the financial means to invest [7]. Nauta aims to capture 10% of this segment or 750k users.

Marketing & Sales

Nauta employs 2 user acquisition strategies. B2C: We actively engage potential individual investors with targeted ads on platforms like Meta. We also invest in content creation, partnering with influencers to extend our reach. A/B tests on channels such as Google and TikTok help optimize customer acquisition. B2B2C: Strategic collaborations with established companies enhance our credibility and provide access to their customer base. Currently, we're beta testing with the Colombian Air Force (11,000 users + families) and Cosmos Security (1,000 employees). These partnerships explore innovative microcredit solutions using real estate tokens as collateral, aiming to onboard up to 12,000 users.

Resources & Relationships

Multidisciplinary Team: Our multidisciplinary team brings together professionals from various fields, such as technology, finance, compliance, real estate, growth, and blockchain. Founder's Industry Knowledge: Stefano Lignarolo, Nauta's CEO, as an architect and real estate developer, has witnessed the difficulties individuals face when acquiring or investing in properties. Strong Alliances: Well-established alliances with real estate developers, homeowners, and Colombian government entities. In-Depth Understanding of Real Estate Transactions: Real-world experience in the sector, from property acquisition to rental management. This expertise allows the platform to streamline processes, ensuring a seamless experience for users.

Legal

The real estate projects that NAUTA offers to its users are materialized through a contractual agreement represented by utility tokens, which are fractional units representing a percentage of the contribution made to each project. These tokens do not constitute securities, financial instruments, or investments according to Colombian law (Law 964 of 2005). Therefore, NAUTA cannot be considered a fund manager or engaged in any activities described in the securities law or related to investment funds. Additionally, to ensure security and compliance, NAUTA follows Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) procedures. These steps verify user identities and prevent illegal financial activities. Our commitment to these practices fosters a trustworthy and transparent environment for all participants in our real estate investment ecosystem. Nauta Propiedades owns the properties and enters into a usufruct contract with Nauta Land. Nauta Land transfers the usufruct contract to the users, supported by tokens. This contract, represented by the tokens, grants users the right to receive lifelong earnings from rental income and property appreciation as long as they own the tokens.

Does Or Will Your Project (Mainly) Serve An Underserved Audience?

Yes. Approximately 70% of the Latin American population falls under the category of unbanked (meaning they either lack access to checking/saving accounts) or underbanked (have bank accounts but limited access to credits and loans) [1]. Interestingly, cash remains the dominant mode of payment for most retail transactions in the region. This significant number of individuals highlights the pressing need for innovative financial solutions to promote greater financial inclusion and accessibility to formal financial services. Companies like Nauta are at the forefront of addressing these challenges, offering platforms and technologies that bridge the gap and empower individuals with opportunities for investment and economic growth. Through Nauta's inclusive real estate investment platform, we aim to make a positive impact on this underserved population, providing them with a pathway to participate in the real estate market and unlocking new avenues for financial inclusion in the region. This approach creates a more inclusive way to invest, breaking down barriers and opening doors for individuals who may have thought real estate investing was only for the wealthy. With Nauta, anyone can enter the market and become a real estate investor with a small amount of money. By tokenizing real estate assets and making them available at such accessible prices, Nauta empowers individuals to diversify their investment portfolios and potentially benefit from the returns that real estate can offer. It brings the advantages of real estate investment within reach for a broader range of people, fostering financial inclusion and providing opportunities for wealth accumulation. Through Nauta's platform, individuals can experience the benefits of real estate investment, such as potential rental income and property appreciation, regardless of their initial investment size. This democratization of real estate investment helps level the playing field and creates a more inclusive investment landscape for all.

$75.3K