Curated daily by our industry experts. Stay informed on how tech is shaping the real estate industry with these important headlines.
GlobeSt
Global firm Zventus recently revealed that it would launch a blockchain lab for the financial services industry with a specific focus on “modernizing the mortgage sector.” The firm said the initiative will develop new products, services, and solutions to enhance the loan process to make loan processes more secure and economical.
GlobeSt
Earlier this week, BuiltUp Ventures revealed a significant investment in OKIBO, an Israeli contech startup that’s creating its robotic automation solutions to address challenges like skilled labor shortages. OKIBO’s robots are “designed for the harsh conditions of a construction site,” the companies said in a joint statement announcing the deal, with 3D scanning, autonomous path planning, and USPTO-approved real time modeling technology. Its first product is a drywall finishing robot performing …
CREtech
Don Weinreich, Partner at Ennead Architects, shares his approach to technology as a double edged sword, and questions how much ‘tech debt’ a company can truly acquire while still remaining competitive in the industry.
Bisnow
It’s a challenging time to be leasing office space in Houston. Nearly a quarter of the city’s inventory is sitting empty, reflecting the lingering effects of a previous energy downturn, the coronavirus pandemic and last year’s crash in oil prices. Contributing to the vacancy rate is a growing inventory of obsolete buildings thanks to the city’s 1980s-era construction frenzy — a spate of development brought on by major tax reforms and a simultaneous oil boom that buoyed the local economy….
TechCrunch
HomeLight, which operates a real estate technology platform, announced today that it has secured $100 million in a Series D round of funding and $263 million in debt financing. Return backer Zeev Ventures led the equity round, which also included participation from Group 11, Stereo Capital, Menlo Ventures and Lydia Jett of the SoftBank Vision Fund. The financings bring the San Francisco-based company’s total raised since its 2012 inception to $530 million. The equity financing brings HomeLight’…
GlobeSt
While raw data is primarily based on the past, what apartment operators do with those data in the future is what is now proving critical. Leading apartment executives discussed data’s emergence in decision-making and how it can steer property transactions and even convert leases during a session on Tuesday at National Apartment Association’s Apartmentalize Conference in Chicago.
TechCrunch
Agricultural robotics firm Carbon Robotics (not to be confused with our former Battlefield contestant) announced this week that it has secured $27 million in funding. The round — which features Anthos Capital, Ignition Capital, Fuse Venture Partners and Voyager Capital — follows an $8.4 million Series A raised back in 2019. The company’s total funding is now at around $36 million.
Bisnow
With a new variant to contend with, and different attitudes across the board, working out the way forward when it comes to face-to-face meetings and traveling to see clients or colleagues is a tough job right now. CBRE Senior Vice President of Capital Markets and Investment Properties Karly Iacono said divining current meeting etiquette has become a new challenge. The same client might have been comfortable with meeting in their office a month ago, and now, within a few weeks, might be asking…
The Real Deal
SmartRent’s eyes may be bigger than its stomach. The smart home automation firm is looking to grow internationally even as it seeks to meet untapped demand at home. The Scottsdale-based company, which went public last week in a $2.2 billion merger with the proptech venture capital firm Fifth Wall’s first SPAC, may also become a strategic acquirer to boost its in-house product development, founder and CEO Lucas Haldeman said….
Wall Street Journal
IBuyer investors must ask whether scalability and sustainability are mutually exclusive—and, if so, which is more important.
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