In December 2025, a Dutch startup named Renno entered the spotlight with a specific mission: to tackle the cash-flow challenges plaguing the construction industry. With €1 million in pre-seed funding, Renno promises to rewrite the rules of financial management for home renovation projects. I’ve spent years building startups across multiple industries, including deeptech, so their approach piqued my interest. Let’s take a closer look at why Renno’s launch matters and what it’s trying to solve.
Cash-Flow Chaos in Construction
Managing finances in the renovation business is no small feat. An €850 billion market in Europe hides a troubling reality: liquidity issues that stall projects and disrupt the livelihoods of thousands of small construction companies. Here’s what the data says:
- 95% of contractors rely on personal credit or savings to fund upfront costs.
- €280 billion is tied up every year in delayed payments.
- 92% of projects experience delays due to cash-flow constraints.
This system benefits no one. Contractors bear financial risk, while homeowners take on the anxiety of paying large, often unsecured deposits without clear safeguards. This inefficiency creates an environment of mistrust and delays that hurt everyone involved.
Renno’s Approach: Realigning Payments with Progress
The solution Renno presents is simple, yet it directly addresses these pain points. They’ve built a platform focused on transparency and fairness. Here’s how it works:
- Funds in Escrow: Homeowners pay the full project amount into an escrow account upfront. Payments are then released to contractors in stages, tied to verified project milestones.
- Transparency at Every Step: Using their platform, all project details, from contracts to change orders, are documented in real-time. This eliminates disputes and ensures all parties stay aligned.
- Fast Payments for Contractors: Once milestones are confirmed, contractors receive their payments instantly, ensuring they don’t face liquidity shortages.
Mark Slaughter, Renno’s CEO, summed it up perfectly: “We’re not reinventing payments. We’re realigning them with progress to fix what’s broken.”
This is where their model stands out. It avoids the debt pitfalls of factoring services while removing the financial stress from contractors and the risk from homeowners.
What Other Startups Are Addressing Similar Pain Points?
Fintech players targeting industry-specific niches are on the rise, and Renno’s approach mirrors trends across Europe. For example:
- Delfio is tackling group procurement for the electronics sector in Amsterdam, using platforms to simplify payment processes.
- Payrails, based in Berlin, is building payment software for global commerce.
- Qomodo, a French fintech, offers smarter payment solutions for physical stores.
What sets Renno apart is its focus on construction and home renovation, a sector long overdue for comprehensive financial solutions. This niche gives them room to grow without directly competing with broader fintech solutions.
Step-by-Step: How Homeowners and Builders Can Benefit
Renno’s rollout focuses on the Netherlands initially, with plans to expand to Belgium, Germany, France, and the UK by 2026. Here’s how the system works:
For Construction Companies:
- Start by defining milestones and contracts using Renno’s digital platform.
- Receive funds promptly as each stage is completed, verified, and funded from the escrow account.
- Avoid project delays by having access to working capital at every step.
For Homeowners:
- Deposit the full project amount in escrow as proof of your financial commitment.
- Track project progress digitally, and pay only when work is verified. No more risky deposits.
- Enjoy a trustworthy relationship with your contractor, backed by proof of where your money is going.
This clarity reduces disputes, boosts trust, and keeps projects on track.
Mistakes the Construction Market Has Made So Far
- The Deposit Problem: Homeowners are often forced to put down large, unsecured deposits, leaving them exposed to contractors who may not deliver.
- Loan-Based Operations for Builders: Many contractors leverage debt to fund projects, increasing their costs and risk. This also affects their ability to scale operations.
- Miscommunication About Scope: Without tools that document contracts and changes, disagreements on scope are inevitable.
By integrating transparency into their financial processes, Renno is addressing these core issues head-on.
The Bigger Picture: Why This Matters
The construction industry has been slow to adopt financial technology. Factors like trust gaps, manual workflows, and reliance on outdated systems have made progress difficult. With Renno’s platform, the shift toward digital escrow and milestone-linked payments could set a future standard.
It’s a logical path forward. The gig economy operates with similar protections for freelancers (holding funds in escrow until a milestone is met), and it’s surprising renovations didn’t adopt this sooner.
Final Thoughts
What excites me is the precision with which Renno is solving a well-defined, high-stakes problem. Contractors and homeowners both suffer under the current system, delayed payments, trust issues, financial risk, and endless disputes. Renno’s platform offers a clear, tech-enabled fix with real potential to scale across Europe.
As a startup founder, I know how tough it is to change ingrained systems. Breaking into the €850 billion renovation market won’t be easy. Still, if Renno can replicate its Dutch success across neighboring countries, it’ll prove there’s room for niche fintech solutions to create lasting value.
Ready to learn about Renno’s model? Visit EU-Startups for their full story about Renno’s €1 million launch or follow updates on their progress on LinkedIn.
FAQ
1. What is Renno, and what problem does it solve?
Renno is a Dutch fintech startup founded in December 2025 to address the cash-flow challenges in the European construction industry. It offers a platform using milestone-based escrow payments to eliminate contractor liquidity issues and protect homeowners from risky upfront deposits. Learn more about Renno’s mission
2. Who are the founders and key team members of Renno?
Renno was co-founded by Mark Slaughter (CEO) and Mourad Chennaoui (CPTO). Both possess significant expertise in fintech and aim to restructure payment flows in the renovation sector. Explore Renno on LinkedIn
3. How does Renno’s escrow model work?
Renno’s platform requires homeowners to deposit the full project amount into escrow. Payments are released incrementally upon verification of project milestones, ensuring financial fairness and transparency for both contractors and homeowners. Learn more about Renno’s approach
4. What are the main challenges in the construction industry Renno aims to address?
The construction sector faces liquidity problems, delayed payments, and trust issues between contractors and homeowners. For instance, €280 billion annually is tied up in late payments, and 92% of projects experience delays due to cash-flow issues. Discover the challenges Renno is solving
5. Who are Renno’s primary investors, and how much funding has it raised?
Renno raised €1 million in pre-seed funding from leading investors, including āltitude, Angel Invest Ventures, SeedX Ventures, and TipTop VC, along with angel investors. Discover details about Renno’s funding
6. What benefits does Renno offer to contractors?
Renno provides rapid payments for verified project milestones, reducing reliance on personal credit or loans and eliminating liquidity shortages. Contractors also gain access to transparent documentation for scopes and contracts. Learn how contractors benefit from Renno
7. Which European markets does Renno plan to target after its launch in the Netherlands?
Following its initial launch in the Netherlands in 2025, Renno plans to expand to Belgium, Germany, France, and the UK by 2026. Learn about Renno’s expansion plans
8. How does Renno’s platform address trust issues between homeowners and contractors?
Renno ensures that all project details, contracts, and change orders are documented in real-time. Combined with the milestone-based payments, this transparency significantly reduces disputes and boosts trust. See how Renno promotes trust
9. How does Renno differentiate itself from competitors like factoring services?
Unlike factoring services, which rely on loans to provide liquidity, Renno’s escrow model avoids debt entirely. It offers verified milestone-based payouts, preventing financial stress both for contractors and homeowners. Discover Renno’s competitive advantage
10. What are the broader implications of Renno’s solution for the construction industry?
Renno’s platform has the potential to set industry standards for milestone-linked payments and digital transparency. By reducing financial risks and improving trust, it may significantly modernize the €850 billion European renovation market. Learn more about Renno’s vision
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta Bonenkamp’s expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
- Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the “gamepreneurship” methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.
About the Publication
Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic “without any funding and without any code,” this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.
Mission and Purpose
Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call “gamepreneurship”. By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.
Key Features
The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:
- Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
- Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
- AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
- SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
- Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
- Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials
Impact and Growth
Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:
- 5,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
- 100+ startup tools built
- 5,000+ pieces of articles and news written
- 1,000 unique business ideas for women created
Partnerships
Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.
Recognition
Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique “play to learn and earn” model.