Furniture rental startup Fernish raises $15M from Khosla, Jeff Wilke, Spencer Rascoff, others

A group of top Silicon Valley investors and veteran tech executives are putting more cash behind Fernish, a Los Angeles-based startup aiming to reinvent how people buy furniture for their homes. Khosla Ventures led a $15 million Series A round announced Tuesday, which included participation from Techstars Investments, Tapas Capital, RET Ventures, and individuals such as HotelTonight co-founder Jared Simon, Zillow co-founder Spencer Rascoff, former Invitation Homes CEO Fred Tuomi, and Applied Sem…

The Future of Work Isn’t Fully Distributed or Remote

Big tech has lead workplace and talent strategies for the last decade — Namely how to attract and retain the best talent (e.g. onsite cafes, casual dress, summer hours, paid sabbaticals, etc). Now Facebook, Microsoft and others are outlining new work from home policies given recent productivity gains reported during sheltering in place orders telling employees that they won’t be required to show up until at least 2021: Zuckerberg also said that 50% of his workforce will be WFH by 2030 (even when…

TODAY @ 12 PM EST: CREtech Talks – Fully Automated Multifamily

The multifamily sector has been on a rapid path of growth and expansion over the past several years.  However, with the current pandemic disrupting occupancy, it’s no longer business as usual. Hear from four of the most insightful and active multifamily real estate owners and operators as they discuss their perspectives on the impact of the pandemic and how they’re leveraging innovative technology to help increase occupancy, community, and more.

WorkSpace Announces Financial Backing From ASG; Welcomes Key Leaders to Scale Up Industry-leading CREtech Platform

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. & WALNUT CREEK, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today, WorkSpace announces it has secured financial backing from ASG and its affiliates, a collection of vertically focused SaaS companies. WorkSpace also welcomes a new President, Chief Operating Officer, VP of Sales, and VP of Engineering. The move brings additional capital, resources, and a seasoned management team to drive the leading commercial real estate technology platform through its next stage of growth….

Fly on the Wall Ep. 11: Roy March, CEO, Eastdil Secured

Having begun his career at Eastdil Secured in 1978, CEO Roy March has weathered several economic crises. In this episode of Fly on the Wall, Brendan sits down with Roy to explore what makes this crisis different, and to hear his thoughts on how the real estate industry will adapt to the unprecedented levels of change ahead.

As companies reopen, technology will stand guard against COVID-19

As the COVID-19 lockdown wanes, and companies throughout the United States reopen for business, workers can expect to be watched more closely than ever before — and not by their human bosses. From smartphone apps that administer health checks before workers even leave the house to cameras and Bluetooth radio beacons that track people’s movements throughout the workday, companies are deploying monitoring technologies that could slow the further spread of the coronavirus….

Philip Miller Joins Greystone in New PropTech Strategy Role

Greystone has tapped Philip Miller to be managing director in a newly-created role that focuses on developing proptech strategies across its lending platforms. Based in New York, Miller reports to Greystone’s CTO, Jonathan Russell.

SmartRent Raised $60M to Make Apartments Smarter

How AI and remote collaboration tools could help the construction industry get back to work

In the two-plus months of global lockdown, much of the digital debate has focused on the pandemic’s long-term impact on the global workforce. Remote working has suddenly become the norm for millions of people, and companies like Twitter have already confirmed that employees will be able to continue working remotely indefinitely.

Tech Workers Fear Their Jobs Will Be Automated in Wake of Coronavirus

Technology-sector employees are particularly worried about being replaced by automation, including tools used by employers to cope with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, according to KPMG LLP. An estimated 67% of workers at U.S. technology companies are concerned about losing their jobs to digital capabilities powered by artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotic software, KPMG said in a report Friday. That compares with 44% among workers at companies outside the tech sector.