January 25, 2017 | Malvern, PA United States

GLOBAL INNOVATION MEETS LOCAL RENOVATION

 World’s Leading Building Materials Company Saint-Gobain Invests in Renovation Matchmaking Start-up Sweeten
A newly announced partnership between Saint-Gobain and Sweeten links the 350-year-old global leader in sustainable living spaces, construction, and comfort with the dynamic 5-year-old New York City-based tech company that matches renovators with the best local general contractors. 

The partnership  was spearheaded by NOVA, Saint-Gobain’s external ventures group dedicated to developing strategic alliances with startups all over the world. NOVA’s mission-- to launch synergistic projects with innovative start-ups--leverages the technical and commercial assets of Saint-Gobain. Since the concept of multi-comfort is a key priority of Saint-Gobain, establishing a relationship with Sweeten makes perfect sense;  the companies share a commitment to helping people create better living spaces. Sweeten’s free service attracts homeowners looking for renovations, but who are often daunted by the process, transforming a typically stressful process into a positive one.

Minas Apelian, VP R&D and Global Director of NOVA, explains, “The Sweeten team has identified a systemic issue in a notoriously opaque space-- home renovation--where many people feel overwhelmed. This partnership enables Saint-Gobain to continue to build confidence in this space via our high-quality products and Sweeten shepherds homeowners through the building process from beginning to end.”

“Sweeten fosters trust at every point in the process, from setting contractor standards through rigorous screening to personal check-ins on renovation progress,” adds Sweeten Co-founder & COO Preeti Sriratana. “Saint-Gobain’s high-quality products elevate construction projects for our network of contractors, ultimately allowing homeowners to fulfill their design vision and improve their daily lives.”

About Saint-Gobain in North America
Saint-Gobain, the world leader in sustainable environments, has designed and manufactured high-performance building materials that improve the lives of people all over the world. From the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles and the glass pyramid at the Louvre, to The Statue of Liberty and The World Trade Center, and even components that allow the Mars Rover Curiosity to seek out life on another planet, Saint-Gobain has been a part of the fabric of human history, advancement and improvement. Experience our innovation, wonders and advancements by visiting www.saint-gobain-northamerica.com and connect with Saint-Gobain North America on Facebook and Twitter.

About NOVA External Ventures
Since 2006, NOVA External Ventures seeks to create mutually beneficial partnerships between Saint-Gobain and the global startup community. We connect Saint-Gobain’s 350 years of manufacturing excellence, materials expertise and deep market knowledge with disruptive technologies and business models. The team is located in key global hubs including North America, Europe, and Asia to create opportunities for transformative innovation across the world. Over the last eleven years, NOVA has established partnerships with startups in various stages and in various forms: co-development, licensing, commercial agreements, direct investments and joint-ventures and is also a limited partner in a number of global funds..

About Sweeten
Sweeten is the renovation matchmaker, an award-winning platform that brings technology, trust and transparency to a $300B industry. The company considers each project’s budget and scope, connecting renovators to the best general contractors for the job from its highly screened network, with personal support from start to renovation completion. Founded by trained architects in NYC in 2011, the fast-growing service is free to consumers; average project size is $90,000, and more than $350M in construction deals are in the pipeline. Sweeten taps its real-time renovation data to produce education guides and presents original "before & after" stories with the mission to help consumers to "renovate fearlessly." www.sweeten.com

Media contact
Dina Silver Pokedoff: 610-893-5518