A Warehouse Robot Learns to Sort Out the Tricky Stuff

Inside a warehouse on the outskirts of Berlin, a long line of blue crates moved down a conveyor belt, carrying light switches, sockets and other electrical parts. As they came to a stop, five workers picked through the small items, placing each one in a cardboard box.

At Obeta, an electrical parts company that opened in 1901, it is the kind of monotonous task workers have performed for years.

Jetty Partners with Cortland, Increasing Portfolio Protection

Jetty, the financial services company on a mission to make renting a home more affordable and effortless for everyone, today announced its exclusive national partnership with Cortland, one of the largest apartment owners and operators in the United States with more than 60,000 units across Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. With Jetty as a partner, Cortland has doubled its protection per unit, while lowering move-in c…

Digital twins give urban planners virtual edge

At the World Economic Forum in Davos last year, US company CityZenith unveiled an interactive, real-time simulation of the Indian city of Amaravati. A CityZenith video explained how “hundreds of IoT [internet of things] systems and public databases are consolidated into a single portal”, creating a “digital twin” of the city. The simulation allows users to monitor construction progress, traffic, environmental conditions, public safety, energy consumption and building occupancy.

ProspectNow Expands Access To Over 2,000 KW Commercial Brokers

ProspectNow, the industry’s leading provider of predictive analytics for commercial real estate, has entered into an agreement with KW Commercial to expand access to its database of over 100 million properties to over two thousand KW Commercial agents. “The expansion of ProspectNow in our firm provides yet another reason for commercial brokers to join KW Commercial,” said LesliAkers, president of KW Commercial. “This data gives our commercial brokers a huge advantage and ability to serve clie…

Katerra Adds Former Construction CEO To Board Of Directors

Up until his retirement from the company in December, Hoopes had been the chief executive of San Francisco-based Swinerton since 2013. The commercial construction company named Eric Foster its 12th CEO earlier this month, Bisnow reported at the time.  Now, after 35 years with Swinerton, Hoopes steps in as a construction expert for Katerra, a self-described tech company intent on revolutionizing the construction industry from design to supply chain to off-site, factory construction.  The SoftBank…

CRE Stakeholders Clamp Down On Data Privacy and Cybersecurity

Commercial real estate stakeholders aren’t leaving data privacy and cybersecurity to chance in 2020. Stakeholders across the industry are clamping down as both become a pressing challenge among connected buildings, Arie Barendrecht, CEO of WiredScore, a CRE tech firm and creator of a digital connectivity rating system for the sector, tells GlobeSt.com.

Next-gen smart building solutions market worth $2 billion

The next wave of smart building solutions is forecast to grow at 32 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the next eight years to create $2 billion in software and services revenues by 2026. According to a new report from global tech market advisory firm ABI Research, the smart building market has begun to grow and evolve away from the traditional areas of HVAC, lighting, access control and safety to more advanced needs.

Sandeep Mathrani Named WeWork Chief Executive

WeWork, the struggling co-working giant attempting to turn itself around after a botched IPO attempt, is tapping industry veteran Sandeep Mathrani as CEO. Mathrani is taking over the role from Artie Minson and Sebastian Gunningham, the Wall Street Journal reported. The two have served as co-CEOs of the We Company — WeWork’s parent — since the departure of the startup’s founder, Adam Neumann, in September.

Real estate tech company RealPage hit by $10.5M hack

Texas-based property management software provider RealPage was the target of hackers who stole $10.5 million from the company’s accounts, according to local media.

Tribe Theory Grabs $3.5 Mn From Tim Draper To Form Its International Division

Venture capitalist Tim Draper has invested $3.5 Mn in Tribe Theory, an international entrepreneur-focused hostel chain. The hostel chain was founded by Vikram Bharati in Singapore and came into India with the acquisition of Construkt Startup Hostels founded by Shashikiran Rao and Karan Bahadhur. With this, the existing hostel will rebrand to Draper Startup House (DSH), which is an expansion of Tim Draper’s global brand that also includes Draper Venture Network, Draper Associates and Draper Unive…