Tech Talk Coming Soon! The Value of Innovation Featuring Will O’Donnell

Will O’Donnell, Managing Partner of Prologis Ventures, addresses what types of technology solutions are most important to him, how innovation is a key component to his success, and what he’s most excited about for the future of real estate technology.

Digital Leasing Startup Lands Partnerships With JLL, Colliers, Lincoln Property

One month before the coronavirus pandemic began, proptech startup Swivel raised $8M to launch its digital office leasing platform nationwide.  The start of the crisis in March stunted the company’s expansion as office landlords cut back on spending, Swivel CEO Scott Harmon told Bisnow, but the startup has now landed three new partnerships that he says will help it take off….

essensys reports strong US growth despite Covid headwinds

Flexible workspace software provider essensys saw strong growth in its US business in the six months to January despite the pandemic’s impact on parts of its operations, the company said in a trading statement.

Savills-Owned Project Management Firm Macro Taps DeVon Prioleau as Director

Project management firm Macro Consultants, which Savills bought last year, has tapped DeVon Prioleau to join its management team as a director. Prioleau most recently worked as a director for consultant Ferzan Company and joined Macro last week, the company said….

Lucid Motors strikes SPAC deal to go public with $24 billion valuation

Lucid Motors reached an agreement to become a publicly traded company through a merger with special-purpose acquisition company Churchill Capital IV Corp., in the largest deal yet between a blank-check company and an electric vehicle startup.

Making sense of real estate’s SPACe race

Within three weeks, it upsized the offering — twice — before the new blank-check firm closed its $345 million IPO on Feb. 9. “There was a lot of public demand,” a euphoric-looking Brendan Wallace, the venture firm’s co-founder, said during a video call after the IPO.  …

The Great Workplace Migration: McKinsey Report Shows 25% Of Workers May Need To Switch Jobs Post-Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated workplace changes, such as the acceptance of remote work, but a more fundamental shift may be occurring that will displace low-wage workers in record numbers, according to a new report by McKinsey & Co. …

In $1B deal, Autodesk acquires water infrastructure software firm Innovyze

More than 2 billion people across the world lack access to safe drinking water at home, and by 2025 more than two-thirds of the plant’s population will reside in water-stressed areas, the announcement said.

New on CREtech+ Next Week: Harnessing Tech for Affordable and Equitable Housing

Carol Galante, Faculty Director at the Terner Center at UC Berkeley, sheds light on how technology can and should be used to create new and innovative solutions in affordable and equitable housing.

Accelerating climate action: learning from sustainable city leaders