The Weekly Smart Building Briefing - #38 2024
Latest Research & Insights
Mapping the Strategic Direction of Johnson Controls in Smart Buildings 2024
This Research Note examines the emerging strategic priorities of Johnson Controls (JCI) in the smart buildings space. We have mapped acquisitions, divestments, strategic partnerships, and investment activity to ascertain the growth ambitions of the group, by categorizing the various business relationships by technology and investment type. This article is intended as a non-exhaustive indicator of JCI’s strategic direction between October 2022 and August 2024.
Notable Investors in Smart Buildings: Keyframe Capital
In this Research Note, we examine the role of Keyframe Capital Partners, L.P., a New York-based SEC-registered investor in the smart buildings space, reviewing 10 target companies in its portfolio. To date, Keyframe Capital has invested in financing the energy transition, across transportation, buildings, and energy infrastructure markets.
The Energy-Efficiency-as-a-Service (EEaaS) Market Landscape
The “as-a-service” business model is still de rigueur in business and startup communities. Energy-Efficiency-as-a-Service (EEaaS) has the potential to lower barriers to entry, and drive efficiency into commercial real estate. In this research note, we explore recent business activity from various segments of the market to consider long-term trends in EEaaS and its impact on the wider smart building market.
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Funding & Investments
IoT disaster restoration tech startup Kahi raises $2.3 million
Kahi produces Internet-of-things (IoT) disaster tech sensors that track and manage the climate control equipment used by restoration subcontractors on its platform. Kahi recently raised a $2.3 million CAD seed round led by BDC Capital Seed Venture Fund.
Skysun secures a Series A funding round to develop a photovoltaic portfolio of over 300 million euros by 2030
Skysun is an independent energy production company specializing in the development, installation, and management of solar panels for businesses. In 2020, the company had already secured €5 million in subordinated debt to finance its projects with AG Real Estate (AGEAS group). This €16.85 million Series A round aims to support Skysun’s growth and promote sustainable development through renewable photovoltaic energy parks for SMEs, industry, and the real estate sector.
Elum Energy Secures $13 Million in Series B Funding
Elum Energy, a provider of advanced energy management solutions for renewable energy systems, has secured $13 million in Series B funding led by Energize Capital. This investment will support the company’s growth plans to address the booming global renewable market, including a U.S. launch, as well as product evolution within the energy storage and EV integration categories.
AttoTude Introduces $29M in Series A to Revolutionize High-Speed Networking for AI and Hyperscale Data Center Applications
AttoTude, a leader of groundbreaking interconnect technology for AI and hyperscale data center applications, today announced the completion of its Series A funding round of $29M. This latest round comes on the heels of AttoTude's initial Seed Round which raised $11M in March 2024. The company is developing new interconnect technology that allows for high-speed data communication at individual lane speeds from 112 Gb/s to 448 Gb/s and beyond.
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M&A & Partnerships
ASSA ABLOY acquires Level Lock in the US
ASSA ABLOY has acquired Level Lock, a technology solutions business based in Redwood City, California. The acquisition of Level Lock complements ASSA ABLOY’s technology portfolio and strengthens its digital offering in the Americas division. Level Lock sales for 2023 amounted to about $16m (approx. MSEK 170).
Vitaprotech Finalizes Merger with Identiv’s Security and Identity Reader Business and Relaunches Hirsch Brand
Hirsch announces the relaunch of its brand. This milestone follows the purchase of Identiv’s physical and cybersecurity business units by Vitaprotech, positioning Hirsch in physical security, video intelligence, and identity solutions, protecting everything from small enterprises to critical national infrastructure.
RightCrowd and Wavelynx Forge Strategic Partnership to Advance Digital Access Control Solutions
RightCrowd, a physical identity and access management vendor, announced a strategic partnership with Wavelynx Technologies. This collaboration will enhance digital accessibility and access for businesses by providing wallet-based credentials on employee devices, further modernizing workplace security. The collaboration offers businesses the flexibility and interoperability needed to manage secure access across physical spaces, using either iOS or Android devices.
Technology Developments
Retrofits more effective in cutting operational, embodied carbon emissions than new builds
An analysis of embodied carbon in over 1 million buildings in Chicago led by Hu and Ph.D. student Siavash Ghorbany reveals that increasing the average lifespan of buildings from 50 years to 75 or 80 years and reducing building size by 20% can cut their overall carbon emissions by two-thirds.
How Ventas used machine learning and AI to create a net-zero plan
Real estate investment trust (REIT) Ventas Inc used an innovative approach to generate net-zero road maps for all properties within the company’s operational control. Leveraging the power of AI (specifically, a form of advanced machine learning) and physics-based modeling, it derived nearly 800 building-level plans. These road maps are intended to guide building operators through specific steps for each of the next 17 years and include estimated costs and operational cost savings from energy reduction.
The H?lg Group Optimizes Energy Consumption with viboo and AI
The H?lg Group, together with the AI software startup viboo, is introducing a service model that reduces heating energy consumption in commercial buildings. viboo's AI-controlled building management system learns the thermal behavior of a room based on measurement data and uses this knowledge in a predictive controller. This can result in significant energy savings.
BrainBox AI makes buildings greener and smarter with AWS Generative AI
BrainBox AI's latest innovation, ARIA, is a generative AI-powered virtual assistant that allows building operators and facility managers to interact with their structures in an entirely new way—conversationally and in real time. At the heart of ARIA’s capabilities lies the Amazon Bedrock suite of foundation models (FMs), a powerful generative AI backend that enables ARIA to engage in natural, conversational interactions.
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Managing Director at Memoori
6 个月What did we miss? Let us know in the comments ??