The Cygnus Home’s E-Smart house is the brainchild of CEO Roger Walker, derived from a passion to 'reboot' UK house building, With its very traditional, site-centred approach to housebuilding in the UK. The E-Smart house solution realises the potential of the latest high-quality, state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques, the latest and best internationally-available equipment, materials, and building systems, coupled with intuitive whole house intelligent control and monitoring.

In his drive to translate this objective into a successful, growing business enterprise, Roger Walker has been strongly supported by the Company's Chairman, John East CBE and Director John Wybrew, OBE; both bringing complementary, relevant experience and expertise; and both are significant investors on a continuing basis. The management team is completed by Commercial Finance Director Mark Guilford.

The Product

The Cygnus E-Smart house is built around the Cygnus E-Riser module, which we believe is a unique services core combining innovative design and pending Patents. This is the catalyst for delivering this cost-effective solution and the smart performance achieved over the E-Smart house range.

The E-Smart house is estimated to require a third of the energy for heating and is significantly more cost efficient than standard new dwellings, whilst still adhering to all regulatory requirements regarding build quality and mortgage suitability.

It is endorsed and supported by leading component and systems manufacturers and already by a housing contractor specialising in the social housing market. The plan is to deliver the houses with Building Regulation approval, commissioned and tested and with mortgage recognised warranties.

Market Opportunity

Whilst the British house-building industry is increasingly using factory-made components, there is strong evidence from the market that the innovative patent-protected design of the Cygnus Home’s E-Smart house is at the forefront of the industry's drive to modernise, become more productive and meet the dual challenge of affordability and the standards of high energy efficiency. 

For developers, Cygnus homes are expected to offer enhanced cost competitiveness and certainty, better and quicker compliance with technical requirements and significantly reduced working capital requirements through the short lead times from order to revenue-generating occupation.

The E-Smart house product range is available for sale in the UK to any organisation or company involved in the building or development of houses.

Progress

The product has been designed with 16 module options which combine to provide a range of 2/3/4 bed dwellings in terraced, semi-detached and link detached configurations.

The E-Riser modules have been designed and four Patents have been filed.

Cygnus Homes has established an excellent advisory team and supply chain based on businesses which are themselves leaders in the market. All are committed to the Cygnus Homes’ “project” with Architects Pollard Thomas Edwards, and supply chain members including Polypipe; Renson; Viessmann, Wieland and Cygnum Timber Frame.

A final demonstration programme is under way, ready for the delivery of the first homes which are currently planned in Q1 2017.

Route to Market

With the trial build complete and first orders established the marketing of the houses will be expanded from Q4 2016.The plan is to develop repeat business customers with whom the company can mutually develop and that is the basis for the current opportunities that are being pursued.

The initial number of units under discussion is around 30, which with mutual development has the potential already to achieve annual sales of 300 units.

The target for 2017 is up to 100 units, starting with the 30 noted above rising to 1,250 in five years.

Business Model

Even on highly-conservative estimates of the sales of Cygnus Homes E-Smart houses, investment in the current round of crowd funding offers the prospect of being returned with a multiplier of 24 times investment on a timescale of 5 years.

Returns are made from the sale and installation of the company’s houses. The five-year plan is to achieve a 1% market penetration of 1,250 houses a year based on current house build rates in the UK. This produces an EBITDA in year 5 of £11.3m and a valuation of £56.5m.

Summary

For our investors, this is an opportunity to be part of a programme which will encourage a Step Change in the UK housing industry. In a market where there is an unquestionable need for more housing and quickly, and where energy dependency considerations are increasingly important.

The equity investment being raised, to provide working capital for this next development stage of the business to market entry, promises exceptional returns on the basis of conservative assumptions with only a 1% market share.

An opportunity for investors to be a part of the team that is making this happen both today and for future generations.