Apple buys a VR company that put real faces on virtual avatars

Cosmose, a platform that analyzes foot traffic in physical stores, gets $15 million Series A

Cosmose tracks foot traffic in brick-and-mortar stores to help predict customer behavior, providing data that is increasingly important as companies try to weather COVID-19’s economic impact. Today the startup announced it has raised a $15 million Series A. The round was by Tiga Investments, with participation from returning investors OTB Ventures and TDJ Pitango, who co-led Cosmose’s seed round last year….

Dumb Buildings are the Real Losers in a post-COVID World

COVID-19 is one of the most disruptive events human society has experienced in the last 75 years. Beyond the struggles of 2020, this harsh reminder of the biological threats we face will go on to reshape the way we live for years to come. At the center of this debate is commercial real estate (CRE) — the indoor environments where people of different households gather — where 50% to 100% drops in occupancy levels have been common for months. CRE must now adapt to a post-COVID world that will crea…

Drone Delivery? Amazon Moves Closer With F.A.A. Approval

Amazon has received federal approval to use drones to deliver packages, bringing the retailer a critical step closer to its goal of shortening delivery times to 30 minutes or less.

2020 Is A Tipping Point For Construction Tech; Execs Say There Is No Turning Back

Blackstone Gets Back Into Rental Houses With Tricon Deal

Blackstone Group Inc., which led Wall Street’s initial foray into the single-family rental business, is making a new investment in suburban houses at a time when the Covid-19 pandemic is pressuring traditional commercial real estate.

Now Available On Demand: Why CIOs Need Proptech Now More Than Ever

The pandemic has challenged business leaders to rethink operations and how work gets done, and in this new world, technology is key to facilitating safe spaces where employee experience remains a priority. Historically, CIOs have been responsible for implementing and managing technology; proptech is important for CIOs to execute heightened safety measures and govern office spaces with a truly holistic vision.

Fly on the Wall Ep. 24: Conor Flynn, Kimco Realty Corporation + Brendan Wallace, Fifth Wall

In episode 24 of Fly on the Wall, Fifth Wall’s Brendan Wallace sits down with Conor Flynn, CEO, Kimco Realty Corporation, who shares lessons from navigating the COVID-19 crisis with a portfolio that consists of both essential and non-essential retailers. Conor reveals the technology that Kimco Realty Corporation has developed to help non-essential retailers as they look to reopen storefronts, how landlord-tenant relationships have evolved during this period, and even touches on the company’s gre…

Carney Joins Brookfield to Lead Firm’s Expansion Into ESG Funds

The mystery of Mark Carney’s next job is solved. Brookfield Asset Management Inc., the global investment firm with about $550 billion in assets under management, has hired the former Bank of England governor to lead an ambitious expansion into environmental and social investing. The Toronto-based company plans to develop a group of funds that try to marry positive social and environmental outcomes with strong investment returns. Carney will join Brookfield as vice chairman and steer its environm…

Pinterest cancels huge SF office lease in unbuilt project, citing work-from-home shift

Pinterest terminated a massive 490,000-square-foot lease at San Francisco’s unbuilt 88 Bluxome project, citing a shift toward more remote work amid the coronavirus pandemic. The company will instead continue leasing four existing San Francisco offices, including 651 Brannan St., and pay a one-time fee of $89.5 million to cancel the Bluxome lease. The cancellation is the strongest sign yet of how the coronavirus is reducing the tech sector’s once-voracious appetite for office space….