Butlr secures $38M in Series B Funding

Burlingame, Calif. – August 26, 2024 – Butlr, a physical AI (PAI) startup, today announced $38M in Series B funding to meet the increasing demand for its sensors and anonymous data that can be used in any building to better understand how humans interact in a space. This results in more collaborative, energy efficient and safer buildings where people work and live. Butlr’s primary customers are in senior living communities and workplaces, with a growing interest among brick-and-mortar retailers. To date, the company has raised $68 million with Foundry as the lead investor for Series B.  

An MIT Media Lab spinout, Butlr has patented the combination of body heat sensing technology and machine learning in the form of sensors that magnetically mount to the wall or ceiling and provide insight into how a building’s interior space is used for working and living. With a commitment to 100% anonymity, Butlr sensors are designed to make it impossible to capture any personally identifiable information. The only raw data the Butlr platform captures is temperature, which is translated into body posture, indoor location, and occupancy.

Butlr’s sensors and data are used by the world’s largest employers, hospitality companies, retailers, and senior living communities to identify patterns and behaviors that inform decisions about real estate investment planning, asset management, occupancy, health, and energy efficiency. Companies including Qualcomm, 9solutions, Carrier, Shell Point, and Verizon choose Butlr to support their businesses. The additional funding enables Butlr to expand its presence in senior care communities.

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 “With the ability to better understand how people use interior spaces, we can imagine a not too distant future where Butlr sensors and data are the essential nerve system for buildings throughout the world,” said Honghao Deng, CEO and co-founder, Butlr. “Our focus for this strategic funding is to continue to support enterprise customers and meet the strong demand for our technology in senior care.”

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Butlr Supports Faster Emergency Response and Early Healthcare Interventions

The U.S. Census Bureau reports the number of Americans aged 65 and older is projected to increase from 58 million in 2022 to 82 million by 2050, an unprecedented 47% increase. Meanwhile, the industry is faced with a persistent labor shortage.

Butlr helps fill the gap with technology that identifies subtle changes in movement. The Butlr Care solution for senior care communities including Shell Point, and Sweden Halmstad City’s acute care, provides administrators and staff with a privacy-based approach to safety that goes beyond wired wristbands and monitors.

The sensors and data are used for emergency response to falls and wandering, as well as identifying potential long-term health issues such as frailty. Butlr insights enable care teams to respond faster, mitigate the impact of acute health risks, and ensure compliance while helping address the labor shortage through more efficient use of staff. Combining Butlr insights with predictive care data allows health professionals to identify new or changing conditions earlier, enabling them to proactively revise care plans.

“Senior care communities are in the midst of massive change. The population around the world is growing older and the shifting demographics demand innovation to support the needs of residents,” said Sami Herrala, deputy CEO, 9Solutions. “We selected Butlr based on its strategic vision and ability to execute. It’s clear their offerings address the unmet needs of a global customer base, specifically in senior care, to support safety, longevity and early healthcare interventions.”

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Ultra-Long Battery Life and Open API Platform Transforms Common Spaces Into Innovative Places

Butlr’s new sensors feature an ultra-long multi-year battery life. They remain easy to install within minutes and feature a sleek, unobtrusive and award-winning design.

The API-first platform makes it easy for customers to integrate various data sources with nurse call systems and emergency response apps. This results in more collaborative, safer, energy efficient, and inviting spaces for working and living.

“We are successfully building a loyal customer base because our technology provides the insights to support strategic decisions that were previously based on outdated practices or opinions,” said Jiani Zeng, co-founder and chief product officer. “The infusion of funding and the release of our new products enables Butlr to strategically scale and respond to customer demand across a variety of industries, most notably senior care.”

About Butlr

Butlr is an MIT Media Lab spinout that fuses artificial intelligence with body heat sensing technology to build patented sensors and an anonymous people-sensing platform. Using thermal insights, Butlr technology understands subtle movements in a space, accurately discerns activity, occupancy, indoor location, and body posture yet is purposely designed to be incapable of capturing personally identifiable information. Butlr spatial insights are used by some of the world’s largest companies in hospitality, senior living, health care, commercial real estate, retail, and public transportation to inform decisions regarding space occupancy and utilization, user experiences, patient safety, compliance, staffing, and ensuring buildings are operating with high efficiency and sustainability. These customers include Verizon, Netflix, Carrier, Microsoft, and CBRE. For more information, visit www.butlr.com

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