What’s next for the Pitch winner, architecture platform Oltre

It’s been described as ‘Canva for architects’ and now Oltre might be about to follow in the startup unicorn’s successful footsteps. Led by founder and architect Kirby Roper, Oltre has been crowned the winner of the Pitch, SmartCompany’s pitch competition for early-stage startups, walking away with a bundle of prizes, including a $10,000 technology hardware pack and mentorship opportunities from Dell.

Oltre — Italian for ‘beyond’ — is Roper’s concept for bringing accessible architecture to larger audiences, making architect pre-designed homes available to more than just the luxury set. “51,000 houses were started in Victoria in 2023 — of that, architects designed only 5%,” Roper told the Pitch judges and audience. “The problem is that we have reduced construction quality, energy efficiency and comfort. Oltre works on a subscription level for architects who all have strong principles, it provides access and support to upload their designs, which are easily accessed online by consumers.”

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The future looks bright for Oltre

With a Pitch win in the bag, Roper — who is also the director of Melbourne firm Kirby Architects — has a chance to reflect on what’s still to come before the next phase begins. In the short term, at least, the evening’s tech prizes (which includes a Dell XPS 13 laptop and PowerEdge T150 server) should provide a platform for Oltre to keep growing. “This all requires the technology in order to exist, so having technology that can actually match what we want to be able to do is really significant,” Roper says.

As a platform, Oltre relies on pre-designed architectural templates which, through the use of AI, can be adjusted to suit the needs of consumers. To take the next steps and launch to the public, Roper says that Oltre first needs to build its collection of architect-led home designs. “The focus for us is actually getting out there to architects, getting those designs on and building that consumer awareness,” she says. 

And, while Oltre seems destined to make architectural design more accessible to everyday consumers, Roper says that the platform has the potential to expand into other sectors crying out for a simpler process. “If we can get the take up from architects, I can see Oltre making great inroads into that segment of the market that really needs it,” Roper says. “HousingVic, at the moment, sends out a tender, someone responds to that tender. They’ve spent months developing that tender, then they answer that tender, and then they engage with the architect and it might be another 18 months before they actually get something to send out to the builder.”

Roper’s ultimate vision for Oltre is being able to cut these design times significantly, while delivering great quality architecture to those that need it. “Imagine putting that developer tender online with Oltre to all those architects, and then going and designing stuff that is just sitting there on a white label,” she says. “HomesVic or NDIS or the hospitals, or anyone can come along and go, ‘yep, alright’. The potential is not just in the residential market, it can change how we do things.”

While Roper reflects on a bright future for Oltre, the Pitch’s other contestants will hold their heads high as they keep developing their early-stage startups. Judges and the audience got the chance to hear pitches from four others: end-of-life management platform Restify; sustainable social marketplace Grapevine; in-home physiotherapy app Peak Medical; and taking out the People’s Choice award — as voted by the audience — was dating app Humpday Dating.

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