The 50 hottest technologies, products, & systems for smart buildings

In advance of the Buildings 2.0 conference, we wanted to highlight 50 companies with the some of the most exciting software and hardware products and systems for today’s buildings in the areas of: windows, mobility, furniture systems, foundations/pavement, energy systems, water systems, roof systems, building envelopes, lighting/sensors, building structures/systems, safety/security, and building management.


Windows

1. VG SmartGlass

VG SmartGlass delivers instant privacy, glare, and energy control built into a window.

Headquarters: Chicago

Founded: 2014

2. View

View’s tintable windows reduce solar radiation and glare, while still allowing natural daylight to enter the building.

Headquarters: Milpitas, CA

Founded: 2007

3. Polysolar

Polysolar delivers building-integrated photovoltatic (BIPV) solutions.

Headquarters: Cambridge, UK

Founded: 2007

4. iGlass Technology

iGlass produces electrochromic technology (software and hardware) that acts as an interactive layer on top of window surfaces, as an alternative to tintable glass.

Headquarters: Oakland, CA

Founded: 2013

5. Onyx Solar

Onyx Solar designs and manufactures photovoltaic glass for buildings.

Headquarters: Avila, Spain

Founded: 2009

 

Building Envelopes

6. Sagegreenlife

Sagegreenlife integrates nature into the built environment through living walls and other interior decor products that require minimal water consumption.

Headquarters: Chicago, IL

Founded: 2009

 

Lighting/Sensors

7. Igor

Igor’s real-time lighting monitoring uses sensors to activate on motion and controls how much light to give off, depending on the time of day.

Headquarters: Johnston, IA

Founded: 2013

8. Wavelength

Wavelength curates a system of LED light bulbs that integrates with already established lighting configurations.

Headquarters: Brooklyn, NY

Founded: 2013

9. GREEN CREATIVE

GREEN CREATIVE produces a line of LED lighting solutions for the retail, hospitality, food & beverage, office, education, and industrial sectors.

Headquarters: San Bruno, CA

Founded: 2010

 

Energy Systems

10. Tesla

Best known for their vehicles, Tesla has created a building energy management system to improve energy efficiency.

Headquarters: Palo Alto, CA

Founded: 2003

11. IBIS Power

IBIS Power combines solar and wind energy technologies to make integrated renewable energy solutions for skyscrapers, remote and developing locations, and post-disaster regions.

Headquarters: Eindhoven, Netherlands

Founded: 2012

12. Totem Power

Totem Power is an energy management platform for campuses, retail centers, commercial facilities, and cities.

Headquarters: Bedford, NY

Founded: 2015

13. NETenergy

NETenergy is a thermal energy storage company, which uses its own thermal battery to store cold energy.

Headquarters: Chicago, IL

Founded: 2013

14. Enerbrain

Enerbrain is an energy solution that allows buildings to reduce CO2 emissions.

Headquarters: Torino, Italy

Founded: 2015

15. SunPower Helix

SunPower designs, manufactures and delivers solar electric systems worldwide for residential, commercial and utility-scale power plant customers.

Headquarters: San Jose, CA

Founded: 1985

 

Furniture Systems

16. DIRTT

DIRTT combines a proprietary 3D design, configuration, and manufacturing software with in-house manufacturing of prefabricated interior construction solutions.

Headquarters: Calgary, Canada

Founded: 2005

 

Roof Systems

17. Sunrun

Sunrun creates customizable solar solutions tailored to the user’s building or home.

Headquarters: San Francisco, CA

Founded: 2007

18. SolarCity

SolarCity panels are used to maximize energy production and reduce costs on residential, government, and commercial buildings.

Headquarters: San Mateo, CA

Founded: 2006

19. Sun Number

Sun Number increases the public’s awareness of the solar potential of buildings through their Sun Number scores, which helps streamline a solar installer’s customer acquisition process.

Headquarters: Minneapolis, MN

Founded: 2012

 

Building Management

20. WeWorkOS

Coming out of WeWork’s acquisition of FieldLens, WeWorkOS is a (still under wraps) platform for users to source, design, manage, and operate their spaces and facilities using IoT technology.

Headquarters: New York City

Founded: 2017

21. Site 1001

Site 1001 is a facilities management platform that uses core building information, building systems and sensor data, and artificial intelligence.

Headquarters: Kansas City, MO

Founded: 2016

22. Bractlet

Bractlet uses automated software solutions to improve building performance and decrease energy spend.
Headquarters: Austin, TX

Founded: 2012

23. OpenEE

The software company’s OpenEEmeter allows private companies, utilities, and regulators to calculate the same level of savings for a given set of building efficiency projects.

Headquarters: Chicago

Founded: 2015

24. Root3 Technologies

Root3 is a cloud-based software that runs multi-factor engineering analysis to provide real-time energy management recommendations.

Headquarters: Chicago

Founded: 2011

25. Augury

Augury connects vibration and ultrasonic sensors to smartphones to detect machine malfunctions before they happen.

Headquarters: New York City

Founded: 2012

26. Senseware

Senseware uses IoT to access control systems on or off site, which allows building managers to interact with facility data through one integrated dashboard.

Headquarters: McLean, VA

Founded: 2013

 

Building Structures/Systems

27. FullStack Modular

FullStack Modular produces prefabricated modular buildings, manufactured in a controlled environment.

Headquarters: Brooklyn, NY

Founded: 2016

28. Prescient

Prescient is an integrated design, engineering, and construction solution that uses proprietary software and a patented framing system.

Headquarters: Durham, NC

Founded: 2007

29. Infinity Structures

Infinity Structures is a structural framing system supplier that specializes in the Epicore MSR Composite Floor System on pre-panelized load-bearing metal stud walls.

Headquarters: Alpharetta, GA

Founded: 1986

30. Branch Technology

Branch Technology is a 3D printing and cellular fabrication platform that provides design services and uses proprietary algorithms to turn 3D models into robotic code, which they can then manufacture, using their freeform 3D printers, and install.

Headquarters: Chattanooga, TN

Founded: 2014

31. Contour Crafting

Contour Crafting is a building printing technology that uses a computer-controlled machine to build structures rapidly and efficiently with less manual labor than traditional means.

Headquarters: El Segundo, CA

Founded: 2014

32. RENCA

RENCA develops high-tech, eco-friendly construction materials such as geopolymer concrete and cement, used for traditional construction and 3D printing.

Headquarters: Chelyabinsk, Russia

Founded: 2016

 

Water Systems

33. Intellihot

Intellihot produces commercial, tankless water heaters that track usage patterns and adapt to reduce the cost of water heating.

Headquarters: Galesburg, IL

Founded: 2006

34. AquaGen Infrastructure Systems

AquaGen partners with communities to implement their systems, which use algae to turn wastewater into a renewable resource platform.

Headquarters: Yarmouth, MA

Founded: 1985

35. Swiss Invent AG

Swiss Invent produces water-saving, modular, IoT-driven smart urinals that can be retrofitted to existing water systems.

Headquarters: Aathal, Switzerland

Founded: n/a

 

Safety/Security

36. Soloinsight

Soloinsight provides IoT solutions via an identification platform of integrated software and sensors that helps customers manage security, personnel, assets, and visitors.

Headquarters: Chicago

Founded: 2013

37. Doorport

Doorport is a modern, touchscreen spin-off of the traditional apartment intercom.

Headquarters: New York City

Founded: 2016

38. Photosynth

IoT hardware and software firm Photosynth’s Akerun is a smart lock that enables people to use smart phones, PCs, and wearable devices to open doors.

Headquarters: Tokyo

Founded: 2014

39. ALICE

ALICE Receptionist is an automated visitor management solution that allows visitors to be greeted, register, and notify the correct employees.

Headquarters: Las Vegas

Founded: 2010

 

Mobility

40. ParqEx

ParqEx is a private parking marketplace that connects underutilized parking spaces with motorists looking for parking.

Headquarters: Chicago

Founded: 2014

41. WeSmartPark

WeSmartPark is an automated parking management system that uses parking space sensors that help users monitor availability in real-time.

Headquarters: Barcelona, Spain

Founded: 2013

42. ChargePoint

ChargePoint is an open electrical vehicle-charging network that helps drivers find charging ports via a mobile app.

Headquarters: Campbell, CA

Founded: 2007

43. SpotHero

The SpotHero app allows users to find open parking spaces in urban areas and compare them by distance and price.

Headquarters: Chicago

Founded: 2011

44. Boni

Boni is a wayfinding, discovery, and object-level attribution for indoor environments that uses mapping and routing algorithms to help prevent risk and ensure safety.

Headquarters: Istanbul

Founded: 2011

 

Foundations/Pavement

45. Arx Pax

Arx Pax provides a flexible three-tiered foundation system that allows structures to be protected from disruptive events such as flooding and earthquakes.

Headquarters: Los Gatos, CA

Founded: 2012

46. Solar Roadways

Solar Roadways produces intelligent solar panels made of specially formulated tempered glass that can be walked and driven upon.

Headquarters: Sandpoint, ID

Founded: 2006

47. Lightspeed Road Solar

Lightspeed’s in-road solar powered lighting is an environmentally friendly and maintenance-free product that does not require cables, trenching, or electrical connections to create lines and signage along roads.

Headquarters: Aurora, CO

Founded: 2008

48. PaveDrain

The PaveDrain system is a permeable articulating concrete block (P-ACB) that creates a performance pavement for stormwater management.

Headquarters: Milwaukee, WI

Founded: 2011

49. Tarmac Topmix Permeable

Topmix Permeable is a fast draining concrete pavement solution that directs stormwater off streets, parking surfaces, driveways and walkways.

Headquarters: United Kingdom

Founded: 2015

50. Pavegen

Pavegen is a commercial flooring tile solution that converts wasted kinetic energy from footsteps into renewable electricity.

Headquarters: London

Founded: 2009

 


Download the interactive version with all 50 companies linked: