Digital Twin

92% of commercial real estate (CRE) firms are now piloting artificial intelligence (AI). 5% say they have achieved what they set out to do (Source: JLL). Gaps like this have a history, and the Cisco smart buildings story is a good example of one. Between 2005 and 2012, the world’s largest networking company built a […]

In this Research Note, we explore one of China’s emerging startups in the smart buildings space. Incubated by Arup in 2018 and backed by seed investment from Venturous Group, Neuron Digital solutions are now deployed in over 800 buildings across 9 Asian cities in 6 countries. This article updates our previous coverage of the company […]

This Research Note examines the recent transition of Brightly Software to Siemens Asset Management Software.  We highlight the strategic integration into the Siemens portfolio as the foundation for asset health and management, explore the software expansions, recent AI enhancements, and analyse the impact of the acquisition on Siemens SI digital software capabilities and Building X. […]

This Research Note explores Delta Building Canvas, an AI-driven engineering platform from Delta Intelligent Building Technologies (DIBT) that leverages digital twin technology to enable more efficient planning, configurations, simulations, and optimization of building systems. This article is based on a June 2026 webinar on the future of buildings and our view of Delta IBT’s AI […]

Digital twin and AI startups are trying to redraw the technology map of the commercial building. For years, that map was drawn along clean lines: architects and engineers used one set of tools, contractors used another, facilities managers a third. Each phase had its own software vendors, its own data, its own logic, and the […]

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 […]

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 […]

This Research Note examines the May 2026 acquisition of MaintainX by Autodesk, the $7.2 billion architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) software giant.  We highlight the transaction details, the strategic rationale of the acquisition and a profile of the CMMS startup before commenting on our view of this deal. Transaction Details Autodesk, Inc. entered into a definitive […]