Welcome to The Print, Blueprint's weekly curation of the most important things going on in real estate and construction technology. We hope our newsletter will keep you informed as we shine a light on the newest innovations and opportunities that exist in the built world.
- The Federal Reserve may have a housing problem. At the very least, it has a housing riddle. Overall inflation has eased substantially over the past year. But housing has proved a tenacious?exception. (NYT)?Home prices grew more quickly than usual at the end of 2023 to finish at an all-time high. (Barron's)
- Investors are offering homeowners top dollar for a stake in their place. But the deals come with big risks. (Business Insider)
- Over the past few years, investors have poured hundreds of millions into startups at the intersection of construction and robotics.?The?funding comes amid a period of widespread construction labor shortages alongside rising building costs.?(Crunchbase)?
- Brad Hargreaves looks at how the DOJ's?antitrust case could change the way homes are bought and sold, opening new opportunities for investors and operators.?(Thesis Driven)
- How Suffolk Construction identifies contech and proptech startups for investment and?adoption.?(BDC)
- Ithaca, NY, wants to electrify all 6,000 of the city’s buildings by 2030. Here’s how it’s going so far.?(Fast Company)
- America isn't building enough homes. A new zoning atlas may fix that. (Business Insider)
- Zillow’s latest momentum is a manifestation of its strategy to diversify revenue across the transaction as it transitions from a lead gen platform to a housing "super app."?(MikeDP)?The blending of short and long-term rentals took a gigantic step forward with?Zillow's?recent announcement, writes Drew Meyers.? ?(Geek Estate)
RAISES, BUILDS AND TEARDOWNS
- Zacua Ventures?has launched a $56M?fund targeting early-stage construction tech startups, backed by some of the?sector’s biggest corporations, including?Procore, Volvo, and?Cemex. (Techcrunch)?
- PermitFlow, a platform?that simplifies?the construction permit application and management process, has closed?a $31M Series A round.?(CRETI)
- Affordable housing startup?Pronto Housing?has closed a $3M Pre-Series A round. (Commercial Observer)
- Solarcycle, a company that recycles buildings' solar panels, has announced plans to?build a $344M factory in Georgia.?(AP)
- Buildstock, a B2B marketplace and fintech platform for construction materials, has secured $1.6M in pre-seed funding. (Press Release)
- Conservation Labs, which is building a water-listening sensor that attaches to the plumbing in residential, multifamily and office properties, has raised $7.5M in a Series A round.?(Techcrunch)
- View Inc.,?a smart-glass company once valued at $2B, is facing a potential debt restructuring or asset sale, according to a filing.?(Bisnow)
- Parspec, an AI-powered software platform that streamlines the selection and sale of construction products, has raised?$11.5M in a?seed round.?(Press Release)
- Zonda, a?data provider for the?homebuilding industry, has acquired?Builders Digital Experience.?(HousingWire)
- RE/MAX?has announced the exit of CEO Nick Bailey?after revenue fell for a sixth consecutive quarter to end 2023. Amy Lessinger will succeed him.?(Inman)
- Linda Foggie, who served as Citigroup's managing director and global head of real estate operations since November 2021,?left the megabank in December and will announce her next role soon. (Commercial Observer)
NEWLY POSTED JOBS IN REAL ESTATE & TECH
