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 capital went and why. The short answer: decarbonization has moved from corporate talking point to investable infrastructure, and Europe is leading the charge. Europe’s Energy Management Advantage Of the 57 energy management rounds this half, 31 – a full 54% – went to European startups. That’s no accident. Europe now hosts 42.8% of all smart building startups founded since 2014, some 641 companies, more than any other region in the world. The continent’s regulatory push on decarbonization, energy efficiency, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) optimization, and grid-interactive buildings has created both the demand and the talent pool. The headline […]