“Artificial intelligence of things” startup Butlr Technologies Inc. today disclosed that it has raised $20 million in new funding to support customer growth and has signed an agreement with Carrier Global Corp. for the use of its technology.

The Series A round was led by Tiger Global, Ray Stata and Primetime Partners. Carrier Group, E14, Unionlabs, Hyperplane and Tectonic Ventures also participated in the round.

Founded in 2019 as a spinoff from the MIT Media Lab, Butlr offers a people-sending platform that uses body heat to detect occupancy, headcount, body posture and activity. This data can be used to generate accurate, real-time and historical spatial insights.

Butlr’s Heatic sensors and software platform provide data and insights on space occupancy, utilization and activity while it’s physically incapable of collecting any personal information. Commercial real estate and senior living are said to be the first two industries to embrace Butlr’s technology and the company is exploring opportunities for people sensing in additional markets.

One use case for the technology is in measuring workplace usage. Butlr argues that with the rise of hybrid workforces and varying employee preferences, some teams work collaboratively in open spaces, while others require private meeting rooms for deep work and one-on-one discussions. Corporate office occupiers and landlords have been using Butlr’s people-sensing technology for private, accurate insights on workplace usage.

“Employers are thinking hard about how to support the different needs of employees so they can use the office for maximum effect,” Ibrahim Yate, senior analyst at advisory firm Verdantix Ltd., said in a statement. “Butlr is at the forefront of innovation for the hybrid workforce. Its technology can help establish working policies based on how the office is used, such as meeting rooms and focus areas, while enabling managers to pinpoint the types of office space most suitable for their staff.”

Butlr’s real-time and historical occupancy and space utilization insights support CRE asset strategy and workplace planning including layout and leasing decisions. The technology also affects the tenant experience, such as conference room bookings, wayfinding and desk hoteling. And it supports building operations and facility management with smarter, healthier buildings while providing alerts on unusual activities.

The deal with Carrier Global will see Butlr’s body heat sensing technology embedded into Carrier’s Abound cloud-based digital platform. The companies says the combination will make buildings more energy-efficient while lowering their carbon footprint.

“Butlr’s technology, when integrated with Abound will present building owners and operators with additional real-time insights to make confident decisions to improve energy efficiency while ensuring occupant wellness,” said Jennifer Anderson, senior vice president of strategy and business development and chief sustainability officer at Carrier. “Together, we’ll further improve to ensure smarter proactive building management and deliver on our customers’ expectation that their buildings are healthy, safe, sustainable and intelligent.”

Including the new funding, Butlr has raised $28 million to date, according to data from Crunchbase.

Image: Butlr