Office Software Company Envoy Unveils New Product Platform

The San Francisco-based startup, which has provided visitor management software since 2013, will now move beyond the lobby with a host of new workplace products, from conference room booking to a new employee app, it said in a blog post last week. With over 13,000 offices already using its guest check-in software, Envoy’s new product suite includes Envoy Rooms, which books meeting rooms, and Envoy Mobile, a mobile application for employees and office guests.

A/O PropTech Launches With €250M

A/O PropTech, a London, UK-based venture capital and private equity firm focused on proptech, has launched with €250m. The firm backs emerging-technology companies, enhancing the real estate industry at large, from Series A to later stage growth breakouts. It enables founders to create, iterate and scale disruptive tech-enabled products and platforms. It uses its $35bn+ strategic RE portfolio to test, integrate and scale the products and technologies we invest in and help accelerate their growth…

When Retail Startups Get Valued Like Tech Companies, Trouble Follows

Rent The Runway, the designer women’s fashion rental service, is private and doesn’t publish earnings but it would be surprising if it was profitable. It is valued at a cool $1 billion. Stitch Fix, the online personal styling service, makes money but its earnings are erratic. It is valued at $2 billion, over 50 times EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization).

The News Funnel Spotlight: Andrew Ackerman of Dreamit Urbantech

On this week’s Spotlight, The News Funnel is excited to feature Andrew Ackerman, Managing Director at Dreamit Urbantech. Since the launch of Dreamit Urbantech in 2017, Andrew has been closely involved with proptech and construction startups, leading them through the process of pitching to investors and securing funding. Outside of commercial real estate, you might find Andrew skiing or enjoying a good book. Read on to learn more about Andrew:

WeWork’s Troubles Increase Scrutiny On Other CRE Unicorns

Growing Bricks and More Ways to Shrink Concrete’s Carbon Footprint

Cars. Airplanes. Power plants. Cows. These are among the biggest sources of greenhouse gas emissions that scientists say are warming the climate. Another culprit? Concrete. The world’s most widely used construction material, concrete plays a significant role in emissions of carbon dioxide, a common greenhouse gas, simply for the sheer scale of its production. More than four billion metric tons of cement, a primary ingredient in concrete, is produced a year, accounting for

First American to buy Docutech for $350M

Title insurance giant First American has reached a deal to buy housing tech company Docutech for $350 million. The deal should close by the end of March, and Docutech’s current management team, including president and CEO Amy Brandt, will stay on board to lead the company, according to HousingWire.

Gables Residential expands resident experience with rollout of Amenify in Dallas Fort Worth portfolio

Gables Residential, a vertically-integrated owner and operator of multifamily and mixed-use communities, announced the expansion of Amenify — a platform for services and experiences — to their residents across the Dallas Fort Worth market. The thirteen high-end communities in the DFW market will now provide best-in-class services for residents and their pets, including the following:

• Dedicated home cleaning services
• Laundry services

Boston University is building an enormous new building that looks like a Jenga tower and uses no fossil fuels

Boston University is taking a major step towards sustainability with its 19-story, 350,000 square-foot building planning to be finished in 2022. The building, which will be the tallest on BU’s campus, will combine the math, statistics, and computer science departments.  Plans for the building are in line with the university’s climate action plan, which was approved in 2017. The plan revolves around eliminating carbon emissions totally be 2040, estimated to cost $141 million, based on the city’s …

The Rise of PropTech in the U.K.

The proptech sector has been experiencing tremendous growth in Europe. New companies are coming forward from all corners of the continent, and introducing new technologies that aim to transform the traditional real estate processes. Their collective goal is to incorporate innovation and a customer-focused approach into one of the oldest industries in the world. So far, they have been showing significant progress.