Articles

This Research Note examines a potential acquisition of Shelly Group, a European public company based in Bulgaria that provides IoT and smart home solutions, by Schneider Electric.  We explore the target company, its market, financial performance, and fit with Schneider Electric. This Research Note updates our previous coverage of the group in January 2025. Reported Tender […]

Follow the money in smart buildings this year and it leads, overwhelmingly, to one place: energy. Building energy management startups captured 49% of all investment value in the sector in H1 2026, over $2.6 billion across 57 funding rounds In our new report, Startups in Smart Buildings H1 2026, we break down exactly where that […]

This Research Note examines learnd UK & Ireland BMS integration and service business, after their strategic MBO in September 2025. We review 2025 and Q1 2026 financial highlights, based on AnchorCore SE announcements, before commenting on their strategy to date. learnd UK Profile learnd Ltd addresses the growing market for intelligent, energy-efficient building management in […]

This Research Note examines the announcement on 23rd July 2026 that Carrier Global has acquired 75F, a Minnesota-based provider of IoT building management systems.  We draw on our previous coverage of 75F in February 2025 and our analysis of Carrier’s digital buildings and AI strategy in our 2026 Startups and AI Reports. Strategic Rationale of […]

In the first half of 2026, 23% of strategic investments in smart building startups involved a major industry player, participating either as sole investor or as part of a funding round. The incumbents are no longer observing the startup ecosystem from a safe distance. They are actively shaping it. Our new report, Startups in Smart […]

This Research Note examines investment trends across the Architecture, Engineering & Construction (AEC) lifecycle, drawing on our Startups in Smart Buildings Report H1 2026, which analyzed early-stage AEC startups developing AI-powered platforms for workflows, productivity and evidence-based decision-making. A Software Landscape in Transformation The AEC software landscape is being reshaped by a wave of early-stage […]

This Research Note examines Albireo Energy, the largest independent building control systems integration and energy services company in the U.S. We explore their 2025 financial highlights, their strategy, and their latest acquisition, PASCO Building Automation Systems.  This article updates our July 2025 Research Note on the company. Albireo Energy Profile Founded in 2014, Albireo Energy, […]

Smart building startups are back in favor with investors. In the first half of 2026, we tracked 169 funding rounds worth more than $5.3 billion flowing into young companies serving the commercial buildings sector. That represents a 71% jump in value compared with the same period last year, and 34% more deals. After three years […]