Exclusive interview: Spencer Rascoff talks SPAC mania, home buying and why he’s created a stealthy social media startup with his daughter

When we reached out to entrepreneur and angel investor Spencer Rascoff on Tuesday with notes about appearing on the GeekWire podcast — an appearance that was scheduled several weeks ago — we mentioned possible discussion topics around SPACs, real estate trends and any other big tech news events of the week.

Knight Frank invests in Fifth Wall’s European proptech fund

Global property consultancy Knight Frank has today announced it is backing Fifth Wall, the largest venture capital firm focused on real estate technology, with an investment into its European Real Estate Technology Fund.

Coatue Leads Funding Round for Real-Estate Startup Side

Real estate technology business Side Inc. said it’s now valued at $1 billion after a $150 million funding round led by Coatue Management. The round brings Side’s fundraising total to $200 million to date, according to a statement. Other investors in the company include Trinity Ventures, Matrix Partners and Sapphire Ventures….

NFTs Are Spurring a Digital Land Grab—in Videogame Worlds

Investors are pouring millions of dollars into land. But these lush fields and rolling hills only exist within videogames. Just as physical land appeals to pension funds and family offices, digital real estate is luring both investors and dedicated gamers, said Craig Russo, the co-founder of Polyient Games, an investment fund and startup incubator focused on the intersection of gaming and so-called nonfungible tokens. Those are digital identifiers which help verify the authenticity of an asset….

Another West Coast tech company relocates headquarters to Austin in big move

CrowdStreet, which operates an online marketplace for investing in commercial real estate, announced March 19 that it’s shifting its headquarters from Portland, Oregon, to Austin. CrowdStreet is considering office space in downtown Austin and around North Austin’s Domain complex. CrowdStreet is targeting a June 1 opening date for the new office.

New York arts centre uses capacity-monitoring tech to reopen safely

Scooters Are Making A Comeback And May Play An Outsized Role In Multifamily And Office

The coronavirus pandemic didn’t just empty out the nation’s office sector. Subways and other public transportation options were also empty for months as office workers toiled at home and even many essential workers traveling to work avoided closed-in spaces such as train cars.

Knotel to Name WeWork Veteran Michael Gross as CEO

Knotel Inc. is planning to announce that former WeWork Vice Chairman Michael Gross will join  as chief executive, as the real-estate startup seeks a turnaround after it filed for bankruptcy. In addition to Michael Gross, Knotel plans to announce that Eric Gross and Yoav Gery will become co-presidents. Eric Gross, Michael’s brother, most recently served as an executive at WeWork, the shared-office pioneer that flamed out ahead of a planned initial public offering in 2019. Mr. Gery most recently w…

CREtech Invests in Leading Real Estate Tech Venture Event, RELEVATION

New York, NY (March 23, 2021) — CREtech (cretech.com), the largest media company devoted to the real estate technology sector, announced their investment in RELEVATION, the leading European digital fundraising event in the real estate tech sector. CREtech’s investment in the European-based company represents the company’s continued expansion as the largest international community of real estate tech professionals in the industry. This investment in RELEVATION is CREtech’s first outside investmen…

Investing in the Future: A VC’s Approach to New Tech in CRE Trailer

Merritt Hummer, Partner at Bain Capital Ventures, sheds light on the hallmark of a great tech investor, what she looks for in founder and startups, and where the industry is heading.