Overview

Helping MapMortar build a product, get funding, and grow their brand

Digital Product Design
Mobile and Desktop UI Design
SaaS

Branding
Marketing Design
Metrics-Driven Design

Challenges

MapMortar had a rough demo and no clear product roadmap
Limited resources made it difficult to conceptualise and prioritise features
Lacked a cohesive brand and materials to engage investors or clients
No dedicated design partner to align product development with user needs

With Lumi

Delivered a polished MVP that validated their vision and secured investor interest
Raised significant pre-seed funding and prepared for a seed round
Established a professional brand that resonates with corporate clients and startups
Continued refinement of the product to keep aligning with market demands and user feedback

In 2022, three founders with huge ambitions launched MapMortar, a PropTech startup on a mission to help commercial landlords tackle one of the 21st century’s most pressing challenges: decarbonising their property portfolios.

They set out to build a SaaS platform that would simplify complex sustainability projects, helping landlords cut carbon emissions while saving a lot of time and money.

From day one, we’ve been proud to team up with MapMortar as their product and design partner. Here’s how we’ve helped them define, create, and grow their product.

Lumi just really understands how startups work. They have that ability to think big but then also make it feasible – they’re really talented at turning what you’re thinking into full-on concepts, which is so valuable.

Josephine Bromley

COO, MapMortar

Testimonial video from Rapidream CEO Yedid Herskovitz

The problem

From building an investor-ready MVP to fine-tuning a growing product

When MapMortar first approached us, they needed an MVP to secure funding and establish credibility in a very difficult market.
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We were faced with the challenge of creating a product for sustainability professionals who would otherwise take months to manually decarbonise portfolios.

After securing the initial investment and client interest, the team needed a design partner who could evolve the product, adapt it to real-world feedback, and continue delivering value.

The Solution

Helping MapMortar secure investments and scale up

We approached our partnership with MapMortar as an extension of their team so that every decision was rooted in a true understanding of their vision and users.

Setting the direction with collaborative discovery

Our first step was to align with the team’s vision and create a thoughtful roadmap for success.

-> Interactive workshops to explore long-term ambitions and identified the most impactful use cases for their target audience

→ Whiteboarding and discussion to align on product features

Really understanding their users

We then embarked on a process of deeply understanding the users, so that we could subsequently build everything to answer their needs.

→ User interviews and team workshops to uncover MapMortar’s target users’ pain points and mental models

We were absolutely delighted with the outcomes. Lumi delivered everything we had hoped for and more, teaching us about product development and helping us prioritise features and ideas.

- Josephine Bromley, COO, MapMortar

Building an MVP

Armed with deep insights about the team’s goals and their users’ needs, we designed an MVP prototype that showcased the value of data-driven decarbonisation.

The MVP had features like:

A map and dashboard that give a comprehensive risk/benefit view across portfolios
An intuitive interface that makes it easy to improve data and simulation accuracy
Retrofitting suggestions that empower users to evaluate options and take action

We were blown away by how they took all the complexity we threw at them and delivered intuitive wireframes.

- Josephine Bromley, COO, MapMortar

As MapMortar gained momentum, we leaned into a dynamic process of refining the MVP – transforming user and market feedback into real-time improvements.

This iterative approach meant the team could move seamlessly from concept to execution, equipping them with a product that grows with real user needs as they evolve.

Defining and growing the brand

As we worked on shaping MapMortar’s MVP, the need for a strong, cohesive brand identity goals emerged – something that appealed equally to their diverse audience while reflecting their bold mission to decarbonise the built environment.

→ Brand identity: We worked on a modern, approachable visual brand that communicated trust, ambition, and impact

→ Website design: We designed and built a polished, user-focused website to capture the attention of investors and potential clients

→ Pitch decks and collateral: From investor presentations to conference banners, we created materials that clearly communicated MapMortar’s value, helping them secure funding and build their reputation in the industry

We get a lot of compliments on how the software looks – it usually isn’t pretty in the built environment!

- Josephine Bromley, COO, MapMortar

Iterating and refining the product

We embraced a highly interactive approach, holding regular meetings to address active issues, share progress, and make swift adjustments based on real-time feedback.

But our work didn’t stop once the MVP was delivered. We collaborated closely with the MapMortar team to refine the product, allowing them to implement, learn, and improve continuously. This iterative process meant the product could evolve alongside user needs and market demands, keeping it aligned with MapMortar’s ambitious goals.

Why? Because from the beginning, MapMortar was looking for more than just a design agency – they needed a product partner. When the team faced new challenges, like creating a fundraising deck that could secure investor confidence, we were there to help. What started as brainstorming sessions full of spontaneous (and scattered) ideas turned into a polished pitch deck that made their vision unmistakably clear.

→ Product design: Creating user-focused designs that turned complex concepts into actionable and intuitive interfaces

→ Product strategy: Helping MapMortar prioritise features and align their product roadmap with user needs and business goals

→ Prototyping and feedback loops: Zeroing in on testing and improving designs based on real-world feedback

We were really struggling to make our vision look nice and clear. We couldn’t put it into visuals – it’s such a skill, and Lumi really helped.

- Josephine Bromley, COO, MapMortar

The Results

Funding secured, brand established, and a product that answers real user needs

Highlights

Secured significant pre-seed funding with our collaborative MVP, branding, and pitch deck work

Drove continuous product evolution through client feedback and iterative development

Established professional brand identity that resonates with both corporate clients and startups

Created intuitive data visualization that transforms complex metrics into actionable insights

We believe success isn’t just about delivering a product – it means working with our partners to help them thrive. For MapMortar, that meant transforming a bold idea into a trusted, market-ready solution, and we couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve achieved together:

From day one, we made sure the development team had a crystal-clear understanding of the product’s functionality and roadmap. This clarity allowed them to hit the ground running
With the MVP in hand, MapMortar shifted from pitching a concept to delivering real, measurable value to their clients. With strategic branding, the team were able to reach exciting new partnerships as well as meaningful conversations with investors and industry leaders
Fast-forward to three years later and MapMortar has secured prestigious clients and pilots, successfully raising funding in a difficult landscape.

If you’re looking for a strategic partner to help your product reach its full potential, let’s talk.

We were absolutely delighted with the outcomes. Lumi delivered everything we had hoped for and more, as they also taught us about the product development methodology they had employed and pushed us to prioritise features and our ideas. Our customers loved the wireframes and off the back of them, we are much closer to moving some customers towards paying for our MVP.

Josephine Bromley

COO, MapMortar

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Intro call

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Scoping deep dive

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First project

Let’s talk about your product

Meet one of our senior product leads (we don’t have salespeople) for a casual 30-minute chat to explore how we can help and see if we’re a good fit

Explore

Get Started

MapMortar

Helping MapMortar build a product, get funding, and grow their brand

Challenges

With Lumi

From building an investor-ready MVP to fine-tuning a growing product

Helping MapMortar secure investments and scale up

Setting the direction with collaborative discovery

Really understanding their users

Building an MVP

Defining and growing the brand

Iterating and refining the product

Funding secured, brand established, and a product that answers real user needs

Highlights

Let’s talk about your product

Explore

Get Started

MapMortar

Helping MapMortar build a product, get funding, and grow their brand

Challenges

With Lumi

From building an investor-ready MVP to fine-tuning a growing product

Helping MapMortar secure investments and scale up

Setting the direction with collaborative discovery

Really understanding their users

Building an MVP

Defining and growing the brand

Iterating and refining the product

Funding secured, brand established, and a product that answers real user needs

Highlights

Let’s talk about your product

Curious if we can help?