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Employee onboarding in the smart building tech sector presents significant challenges. New hires can arrive with IT backgrounds but lack industry-specific knowledge about the stakeholder ecosystem, market dynamics, and different commercial building types and their specific requirements. But what if your next hire could master smart building fundamentals in weeks, not months? What if they never had to interrupt your team with “basic questions” because they had an AI mentor? Our latest subscriber-only tutorial demonstrates how smart building companies can build custom AI agents that automate the employee onboarding process. Using workflow automation tools and Memoori research data, businesses can create personalized, scalable training programs that make new employees productive faster while reducing the burden on existing team members for training and advice. The Challenge: Smart Building Industry Knowledge Gaps The smart building technology market involves complex stakeholder ecosystems spanning architects, engineers, facilities managers, property owners, and technology integrators. New employees, regardless of their technical […]

This Research Note examines the acquisitions and divestments that Trane Technologies has completed over the last 11 years in the smart buildings space.  We have classified these transactions by technology, business model and strategic rationale. This article is intended as a non-exhaustive indicator of Trane’s strategic direction, updating our September 2022 analysis. Acquisition Mapping of Trane’s Smart Buildings Business 15 acquisitions and 1 divestment were completed by Trane Technologies and Ingersoll-Rand in the smart buildings space from 2013 to 2024.  We have grouped them by technology and business model on the chart and in this Research Note, have segmented them further, according to strategic rationale, providing a fully sourced analysis of Trane Technologies’ inorganic growth priorities in their respective business areas. Augmenting Software Capabilities in Building & Energy Management In December 2024, Trane acquired Brainbox AI. Founded in 2017, BrainBox AI’s HVAC technology leverages autonomous AI to make buildings more efficient. Their technology is deployed […]

In episode 39 of Sh*t You Wish Your Building Did, we dive deep into the unvarnished realities of running a PropTech startup with Michael Grant, founder of Metrikus and co-creator of Smart Building Bootcamp. Michael shares hard-earned insights from 6 years in the trenches, covering everything from the brutal truth about fundraising in 2025 to […]

This live stream provided a comprehensive and independent analysis of the practical applications of drones for commercial real estate. The session covered how three converging forces (technology maturity, regulatory clarity, and urban permitting) are making drone programs scalable in 2025. In this research note, you will find a summary of the live stream, along with access to the slides for subscribers. Why Drones Are Ready for Mainstream Adoption Three converging forces are creating unprecedented opportunities for applications in commercial real estate: Technology Maturity: Autonomous flight capabilities, advanced thermal and LiDAR sensor payloads, and AI-powered analytics have reached commercial viability. Modern drones can execute complex inspection missions with minimal human intervention while delivering actionable data. Regulatory Framework: The FAA’s Remote ID requirement, enforced since March 2024, provides the foundation for advanced operations. Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) waivers are becoming more accessible, enabling expanded operational scope. Urban Permitting Progress: Major cities like New York now […]

In this Research Note, we examine EMCOR, one of the largest mechanical and electrical contractors in the United States and its building services business, which accounts for 24% of the group’s 2024 revenues of $14.6 billion.  Based on their 2024 Annual Report and Corporate Overview Presentation, this analysis covers the Building Services financial highlights for its US and UK operations, acquisitions and 2025 outlook. This note updates our previous coverage from last year. Emcor Corporate Overview Presentation, 31 July 2025 EMCOR Building Services With 60 regional operations in the USA providing local service, the full range of capabilities offered by EBS companies is as follows: Mechanical construction, renovation, and retrofits Energy services Mechanical services Site-based commercial facilities services Government facility services Interior and exterior maintenance services National multisite maintenance and trades Clients of their building services business include federal and state governments, institutional organizations, utilities, healthcare providers, and major corporations engaged in information technology, telecommunications, […]