What's New at Embue
Embue is thrilled to be a part of Third Derivative’s Latest Cohort.
Let’s GO!
Embue has been named to Third Derivative’s Cohort 24-1, the latest group of startups working on solving some of the world’s biggest climate issues.
Read more: Embue is thrilled to be a part of Third Derivative’s Latest Cohort.
In the Fight against Climate Change, a Hybrid Heat Source Strategy can Make Cents and Sense for Multifamily Owners and Operators
As the rate of electrification accelerates, the grid will experience peak electricity usage on a few of the coldest days of winter - typically seven days, or 2% of the year - and it may not be able to generate or supply sufficient electricity to meet demand.
Read more: Hybrid Heat Source Strategy can Make Cents
The time for Embue is right.
The last year has been remarkable for Embue. In November we announced a seed round of $2.3 million, and that, together with a new 3.8M debt financing facility that we recently secured through MassDevelopment, has enabled us to grow our talented team who are dedicated to developing our platform and furthering our reach into the multifamily market.
Read more: The time for Embue is right.
Berkadia Selects Embue to Join its BeEngaged Network
Embue joins BeEngaged as it defines the commercial real estate space through networking, mentorship, and collaboration
Read more: Berkadia Selects Embue to Join its BeEngaged Network
Embue Raises 2.3M Seed Round to Speed the Decarbonization of Multifamily Apartment Building Portfolios, Improve Energy and Operational Efficiency
Embue, the first whole building intelligence, monitoring, automation and control solution for multifamily apartment building portfolios, today announced that it has raised a 2.3M seed round led by Shadow Ventures.
Read more: Embue Raises 2.3M Seed Round
Embue Continues to Reap Accolades, Collects Honors in Three Recent Smart Building and Clean Tech Awards
Embue, the first whole building intelligence, monitoring, automation and control solution for multifamily apartment building portfolios, today announced that it has been honored in three recent award competitions. IoT Innovator recently named the company a finalist in the 2022 IoT Innovator Awards and The Mass Technology Leadership Council (MassTLC) named the company an honoree of its Tech Top 50 in the Clean Tech category. The 2022 BostInno Fire Awards named Embue an honoree in the earlier-stage software companies category.
Read more: Embue Continues to Reap Accolades
Embue Awarded “Affordable Housing Solution of the Year” By PropTech Breakthrough
Embue, the first smart building solution for multifamily apartment building portfolios, today announced that it has been selected as “Affordable Housing Solution of the Year” in the annual PropTech Breakthrough Awards program conducted by PropTech Breakthrough, a leading independent market intelligence organization that evaluates and recognizes standout real estate technology companies, products and services around the globe.
Read more: Affordable Housing Solution of the Year
Apartment Building Portfolios with Window and PTAC Air Conditioning Units Can Now Reduce Carbon Emissions, Improve Energy Efficiency With Embue
Embue, the first whole building intelligence, automation and control solution for multifamily apartment building portfolios, today announced that the Embue smart building platform has been extended to include the control of window air conditioning units and Packaged Terminal Air Conditioners (PTAC), paving the way for multifamily owners and operators to reduce carbon emissions, improve energy efficiency and to make existing buildings healthier and more comfortable for residents.
2Life Communities to Expand Use of Embue’s Smart Apartment Building Platform Across its Growing Senior Affordable Housing Portfolio
Embue, the first whole building intelligence, automation and control solution for multifamily apartment building portfolios, today announced that 2Life Communities will standardize on Embue for future development, renovation and retrofit projects across its growing senior and senior affordable housing portfolio to make the buildings more energy and operationally efficient, to reduce carbon emissions and to improve resident comfort.
Deep Energy Retrofits, Part 3
Embue has been working with a number of customers on deep energy retrofits and building electrification projects to boost energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. This the third part in a series where we look at the projects and the technologies behind them.
Here, we’ll explore some best practices for controlling energy use and comfort and learn why flexibility and working closely with residents and staff is an important part of any successful initiative.
Deep Energy Retrofits, Part 2
Embue has been working with a number of customers on deep energy retrofits and building electrification projects to boost energy efficiency and to reduce carbon emissions. This the second part in a series where we look at the projects and the technologies behind them. In part one of our series, we looked at what deep energy retrofits are and the reasons why they’re a huge investment opportunity.
Here, we’ll look at why real-time building analytics and whole building intelligence are a crucial part of a successful deep energy retrofit project.
Read more: Understanding the “old” building and Monitoring the “new” building
Deep Energy Retrofits, Part 1
At Embue we are seeing more and more customers performing deep energy retrofits and building electrification projects at their properties.
In the next few blog posts, we’re going to dig into what these projects entail and what factors into getting our customers to net zero energy.
Believe it or not, about two thirds of today’s buildings will still be here in 2040, so performing deep energy retrofits on these buildings is essential in order to eliminate carbon emissions from building operations and to make the buildings more energy efficient. Renovating these buildings, rather than replacing them, also reduces carbon emissions that result from construction activities.
Getting People to Love Energy Efficiency
Let’s be honest, building energy efficiency is boring. People appreciate that saving money and reducing carbon emissions is a good thing; VPs of Sustainability and CFOs can get excited about it. But people rarely brag about energy savings, and never for very long.
There are two things going on here…
Why Aren’t Our Buildings More Like Our Cars?
Is it possible to get the energy benefits of a smart car in your building with the same ease of use? Yes!
Shadow Ventures Announces Multifamily Technology Accelerator Startups
Shadow Ventures, a boutique venture capital firm focused on investing in seed-stage technology companies disrupting the build environment, is excited to announce the five companies selected to participate in their first Multifamily Technology Accelerator cohort. The inaugural Multifamily Technology Accelerator cohort includes: Embue, a cloud-based service platform for portfolio-wide apartment building management based in Boston.
Multi-Housing: Why The Time Is Right For Whole-Building Intelligence
The timing is right for multi-housing to adopt smart building technology and services. Ironically, by coming later to the party than commercial real estate, multi-housing is in a good position to do it once and do it right: the right technology, the right infrastructure and the right software services, all integrated into an easy-to-adopt package.
Embue named winner of the NECEC Back to Work Challenge: Greenhouse Gas Reduction & Public Health Mitigation category
The Back to Work Challenge Awards recognizes companies who developed new best practices, innovations and partnerships during the COVID-19 global pandemic, and Embue was recognized for our work on the Newcastle Saranac Apartments, a 97-unit affordable housing community located in Boston owned and being renovated by The Schochet Companies, a real estate and development company based in Braintree, MA.
Mini Case Study: How Proper Monitoring and Alerts Kept One Property Out of Hot Water
Asset protection is important for any multifamily property owner - things like burst pipes in the winter and water leaks any time of the year can really wreak havoc on a building. Recently, an Embue customer averted disaster by getting alerted to a rapidly escalating issue that drives home the importance of alerts and proper monitoring of central equipment.
5 Steps to Ensure Safe Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in Multifamily Housing
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) has long been recognized as one of the most important elements in any building. There are five key steps all multifamily owners and property managers should take to ensure that IAQ is safe for residents.
Indoor Humidity and COVID-19
Customers have used the Embue platform to reduce overheating and raise humidity levels by instituting limits on how high residents can set their thermostat’s target temperature and by improving controls on the central heating equipment. This is both healthier and saves energy.
Conquering the Digital Divide in Multifamily
Embue’s hometown of Boston is like many other communities in the US. There’s been a lot of gentrification where new luxury housing displaces older buildings that served communities with less fortunate residents.
And while there are lots of societal inequities between the types of residents, one glaring example is in digital equity. Digital equity is a lot of things. In its purest sense, it occurs when people can’t access and effectively use the technology necessary to participate in society -- things like high speed internet -- which can put lower income residents and seniors at a disadvantage.
How Multifamilies Are Deploying Tech in Spite of COVID-19
Like the rest of the world, we’ve been grappling with questions about what it will look like when things get back to the “new normal,” whatever that means, and then the strangest thing happened: our customers realized that smart building technology not only still has a place in the new normal, but they want to accelerate rolling it out.
Embue and the COVID-19 Pandemic
At Embue, we’ve watched the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic unfold in multi-housing over the last couple of months and it’s given us the utmost respect for those in our own ecosystem.
We’ve all learned how essential housing is -- everyone needs a place to live, and now, that might be their place of business as well.
Three Ways IoT (Internet of Things) is Transforming Apartment Buildings...and What’s Coming in Second Generation Solutions
The Internet of Things, or IoT, is changing the way we live, the way we work and the way we manage our lives. IoT refers to a wide range of internet-connected devices that can communicate with other networks and devices that link to the real world. Most of us are already using IoT devices in our daily lives -- we use smart TVs to stream content, connected doorbells to see who is knocking at our doors and smart thermostats to control and automate the temperature of our homes.
It’s 2020. Is multifamily late to the technology party?
It’s no secret that multifamily has been a slow adopter of building technology. For years, the commercial real estate market has embraced building tech, but multifamily has lagged behind due to its lower revenue per square foot, smaller tenant footprint and the fact that each tenant requires his or her own comfort control.
Sure, there’s been lots of buzz about smart apartments, tenant experience platforms and the like, but for much of the multifamily market, including senior and affordable housing, those solutions haven’t necessarily made sense, so it’s easy to think that technology has passed parts of the market by.
But 2020 could be the year that all changes, and ironically, coming late to the party could benefit multifamily.
Embue Named a Winner of Commercial Real Estate Tech Award
Embue, the apartment building intelligence and automation startup, celebrates achievement in the Real Estate Tech Awards (#RETAS)
Boston, Mass. -- September 5, 2019 – Embue, a leading provider of apartment building intelligence and automation solutions, today announced that it has been named a winner of the Sixth Annual Real Estate Tech Awards (#RETAS) in the Built World, Smart Property category. The award was presented by CREtech (cretech.com), the largest event, data and content platform in the commercial real estate tech industry.
The Top 4 Ways Technology Can Help Reduce the Load on Your Multifamily Maintenance Team
Are you maximizing your maintenance team?
In the multifamily business, your team has to do a lot, from solving resident issues to checking on the heating and cooling systems to keeping everything clean and responding to emergencies -- and that’s just the beginning. The tasks can be routine and monotonous, but they’re absolutely critical to the health of the building and are the keys to resident satisfaction.
The good news is that implementing affordable, cutting-edge technology just might be the answer.
Are Dumb Window Air Conditioners Freezing Your Building Out from Savings?
So you’ve started to think about moving toward making your multifamily building smart -- but how can window air conditioning units fit into the equation? As it turns out, traditional window and through the wall AC units have much more to offer towards creating an intelligent system than most realize.
Up to now, users had to make the decision between leaving the AC on all day when no one is there, or coming home to a hot apartment and waiting hours for it to cool down. Which do they choose, comfort or waste?
Why Stop at Smart Thermostats?
There’s no question that smart thermostats are great for residents. The ability to control temperatures remotely, set schedules easily through a smartphone app, and access data history are just a few of the reasons why every multifamily building should be equipped with them.
However, our customers have found that the real value comes from behind the thermostat -- that’s where, for property owners and managers, the magic happens…
Happy Customers are Repeat Customers
At Embue, we’re technologists who not only have a passion for, well, technology, but also for buildings. And we’re a startup. Which means that we work hard, work closely and hand-in-hand with our customers to build a product that solves real problems and delivers strong ROI.
And sometimes we’re so heads-down working with customers that it’s hard to see the progress we’ve made.
But that changed last Thursday…
Embue’s Robert Cooper Interview on Shadow Ventures
Shadow Ventures’ mission is to help grow the technology companies poised to transform AEC, commercial real estate, and beyond.
Featured article: Embue Brings IoT to a Market Ripe for Disruption
Robert Cooper is a serial entrepreneur whose first startup, a spinout from Cornell University, was acquired for 24X. Let’s just say, he was hooked, and he’s been building companies ever since.
His latest venture, Embue, is a member of Shadow’s CRE Lab and blends Cooper’s passion for sustainability and the built environment with a newfound interest in the multifamily industry.
With a Ph.D. in computer science from Cambridge and a master’s in sustainability from Harvard, Robert said, “Embue combines two things I am passionate about: making buildings more comfortable and efficient and delivering products that customers can depend on.”
We caught up with Robert to discuss hard-won lessons and his vision for the future of multifamily…
Embue on The Hot List
Embue was named to 6 HOT #CREtech Companies to Follow List.
“It begins with smart apartment + changes everything about how apt. buildings are operated. Delivered by the team that knows buildings, networks + data analytics.”
Using Embue Technology to Monitor Winter Construction Conditions
I’ve always found that one of the most fascinating things about working for a technology company is discovering the different and innovative ways customer use your products.
At Embue, the typical use case for our product is to combine IoT devices (sensors, thermostats, outlets and the like) with our cloud-based platform to monitor, manage and control the temperature in apartment units.
And that’s the way most customers use our product.
One of our customers, Maloney Properties, is in the middle of large, $34 million renovation project at Franklin Highlands…
An Exciting Time to be a Proptech Company
It’s an exciting time to be a proptech company, and we’ve noticed a real change in the customer mindset. Over the past year, we’ve seen multifamily owners move from “why should I…” to “how do I…,” and as more buildings become technology enabled, owners, managers, maintenance staff and residents all benefit. But, more on that in another post. In this post, we we’d like to talk about customer adoption and how we’re evolving to meet the needs of this rapidly growing market….
Embue named to MassCEC DeployMass Commercially Ready Technology List
Great news!
Massachusetts has long been a leader in clean energy – in fact, check our scorecard). The clean energy scene here is booming, and Boston is rapidly becoming a hub for building technology startups. It’s an exciting time, for sure.
That’s why we’re pleased to announce that Embue was recently been named to The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center’s (MassCEC) DeployMass Commercially Ready Technology (CRT) List. The DeployMass program is a leader in the nation and was developed to support the commercialization of new clean energy technologies like Embue. How? DeployMass lowers the risk associated with new technologies by buying down the price of deploying them in both the public sector and in public interest entities. The DeployMass List is a select group of validated, commercially ready technologies that are eligible for funding from MassCEC.
We’re grateful to MassCEC -- it’s a generous program and we’re looking forward to working with our Massachusetts customers and prospects on getting financial assistance to make multifamilies more energy efficient, easier and more cost effective to operate and more comfortable for residents.
If you’re interested in learning more, send me a quick email at robert@embue.com.
Temperature Control 3,000 miles from Home
True story: I recently used Embue Super while drinking a pint at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin. And, also true: I prevented a major problem back home.
Our family was on vacation in Ireland and while we were visiting the #1 tourist spot in Dublin, I got a low temperature alert from Embue on my phone. (I've got Embue installed in my house) Somehow we'd left a couple of thermostats in the Off position. Now, we were 3,000 miles away and it was going to be 10F overnight back in Boston. So I used the Embue Super app on my phone to turn the heat on and check the target temperatures. And then got back to my pint.
This same use case is key for our customers as we head into winter.
Case Study: Mason Place
The dog days of August are behind us, but at Embue things are really heating up. We recently installed Embue in a 127-unit affordable senior housing complex in downtown Boston and we’ve already seen some impressive results. In the first two months of the heavy cooling season, Embue has saved 25% on total electricity usage (kWh) and has reduced the building’s peak demand charge by 25% as well.
Here in Boston, it’s a familiar story. The building is not unlike many buildings in the city – masonry, built in 1918 and approximately 135,000 sq. ft. The apartments had outdated thermostats mounted directly on Whalen fan coil units so temperature readings were never accurate, leading to severe overheating and over cooling, and residents compensated by opening and closing windows throughout the year to make their apartments livable. The result was wasted energy, wide temperature oscillations, extremely low humidity in the winter and high humidity in the summer.
Just a few months ago, a team from Embue and Building Energy Services in Chelmsford, MA installed new intelligent thermostats in each unit and Embue’s building intelligence system in the building.
Read the Full Story and Case Study
Embue Featured on BuiltTech Podcast
May 01, 2018
BuiltTech Podcast
Introduction to Embue: In this episode, we chat with Robert Cooper of Embue about "Smart" apartments and the IoT technology that is changing the multifamily industry.
Embue Featured on 'Talk Clean to Me' Podcast
May 2018
Smart homes? Everybody is doing it! But what about smart apartment buildings? Listen to our CEO, Robert Cooper, in conversation with Joe and Chloe from Talk Clean To Me as they explore tackling a unique challenge that requires unique solutions. Along the way you’ll also hear about the founding of Greentown Labs - from humble (and mildly hazardous) beginnings to the successful cleantech incubator it is today.
Embue's CTO, Larry Genovesi
New Chairman of the Board
August 16, 2017
Worcester CleanTech Incubator Elects Genovesi Chairman of the Board
Green Builder Editors' Choice Award
Apr 14, 2017
Embue is among the Green Builder 2017 Editors' Choice Awards
From the article:
The Embue Sensor replaces the home thermostat and can adjust household temperature according to weather, humidity, occupancy and energy use patterns. This can cut a monthly bill by up to 25 percent, by not supplying energy where, or when, it’s not needed.
Photo by: Sam Oberter
Winners of the 2017 AIA Housing Awards
April 13, 2017
Roxbury E+, in Boston, by ISA–Interface Studio Architects (with associate architect Urbanica) is one of three winners of the ‘One and Two Family Production Housing Category’. The AIA describes this category as recognizing "excellent design of homes built for the speculative market."
Embue is the energy consulting partner of this project amongst several other partners included in this award.
National Level Award
Our E+//226-232 Highland Street Townhouses received a national level ‘Top Ten Projects’ award from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Committee on the Environment 2015.
Leveraging Data
November 23, 2016
MHN Multi-Housing News
From the article:
For companies seeking insights from current properties when planning new ones, data on usage of building amenities is very helpful. So said Robert Cooper, president & CEO of Embue, a Boston-based smart technology platform specifically for multifamily communities. “You can get real usage data by putting in building sensors, possibly tied to door locks, helping you devise security for these spaces by getting a sense of how they’re being utilized,” he said. “You can determine how many different people are going into the gym, when they’re using it and how many are there at any one time.”
Embue Among NMHC’s Top Ten
October 18, 2016
Embue included in National Multifamily Housing Council’s 2016 Launch Pad top ten semifinalists.
Launch Pad is the multifamily industry’s leading tech start-up competition and premier showcase of new and innovative multifamily technology solutions.
3. Embue
Embue delivers smart apartments for residents and building intelligence for owners through its portfolio-wide dashboard and in-building network. Embue smart home technology automates management tasks, optimizes resource use and protects against loss.
Turn Any Residence into a Smart Home with Embue
October 10, 2016
Housely
From the article:
Thanks to Embue, it is now possible to control electronic home heating and cooling devices from a single location. It’s a new type of single source property management tool for the multifamily market. It offers property managers a bird’s eye view of the levels efficiency of the properties they’re responsible for monitoring.
Smart Property Management with Embue
September 23, 2016
Real Estate Tech News
From the article:
The demand for smart home technology is on the rise in all market segments. Cost and a willingness to install are barriers to the technology’s use. Embue’s standardized system removes these barriers by being cost-effective and easy to install. Residents appreciate the improved comfort and energy savings provided by Embue.
Embue on Real Estate Radio Boston
October 29, 2016
Hosted by Rick Scherer and Ali Alavi
Interview with Robert Cooper, President, CEO and Founder of Embue
Driving the Adoption of Smart Home Technology
August 12, 2016
Property Manager Insider
From the article:
“The industry will be surprised by just how the smart apartment will become common place in the coming three to five years,” says Embue President and CEO Robert Cooper, whose company is on the leading edge of networking the devices for better operational efficiency. “The competitive drive to keep residents is what will incent them to install smart apartment platforms that match the expectations of today and tomorrow’s renters.”
Building the Smart Apartment Home of the Future
August 3, 2016
Property Manager Insider
From the article:
“Now you have companies like Embue … that are kind of turn-key solutions,” he said. “They’ll come in and manage it, they do the analytics, they provide you with the data and you don’t have to be an engineer to understand it.”
Get "Smart" in Your Apartment Home Technology
July 11, 2016
Property Manager Insider
From the Article:
“There are a number of areas that require thought, understanding, and planning to deliver a great [smart] solution,” Cooper says. “Operating an apartment home is becoming a team sport in that the owners, managers and residents need to have the ability to work together to instantly operate an apartment home,” says Behr. Cooper suggests that “smart managers” do their homework and seek out experts and vendors capable of providing a smart solution that fit the needs of each, whether that be for turnovers, emergency or routine maintenance, or to simply assist a resident locked out of their apartment.