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Hey friends,
Nexus Lore unites us around the concept of a horizontal architecture—which will give building owners flexibility, control, cybersecurity, and the robust technology infrastructure required to enable the business outcomes they need.
But that view is missing the ecosystem required to reach that future state. Buildings (and the industry supporting them) are transformed by humans and organizations of humans.
Today’s newsletter is part 4 in our series about the humans we wrap around the tech stack to form the smart buildings ecosystem. Here’s a summary of the series:
---
The next topic in our series is how our buyers are buying smart building technologies.
Which categories of products and services are they looking for to get their jobs done better? And who are all the players that come together to bring those solutions to market?
Today, let’s walk through each category, starting at the bottom of the stack. Throughout this walkthrough, we’ll also highlight the early adopters of our Partner Program, which will formally launch in next week’s newsletter (the final part in this series).
The Device Layer is where the digital meets the physical world. It’s where the digital device controllers live—each with their own unique inputs, outputs, and life safety functions. Our devices have immense teamwork potential, but they often sit in silos.
🤝Nexus Labs Partners (Early Adopters): 75F (HVAC Control), Butlr (Occupancy Data)
To enable smart building technology, we need to allow remote access for administration, get data to the cloud, allow communication from the cloud to the device layer, and allow communication from device to device. The network layer should be converged, monitored, maintained, and have redundancy.
🤝Nexus Labs Partners (Early Adopters): None, yet!
The data layer sits on top of the device and network layers as the data infrastructure for any smart building software application. The applications need an ontology to understand all the data they're consuming, including all the underlying devices and how they fit together into a system of systems.
🤝Nexus Labs Partners (Early Adopters): Ace IoT (IDL), Buildings IOT (IDL), Project Haystack (Ontologies)
Applications sit on top of the data layer and provide outcomes to users through mobile apps, web apps, or process-based applications. Buyers need persona-specific, contextually integrated applications that are designed around digitizing and automating human workflows.
🤝Nexus Labs Partners (Early Adopters): Bueno (FDD), Clockworks Analytics (FDD), Facilio (Asset Management)
We talk a lot about the flashy new technology required for smart buildings. But we must always remember that when we're changing how things are done, people make it happen. Buyers recognize the importance of specialist roles—either on their staff or outsourced as members of their team of service providers. The Vital Roles are the service providers that buyers can’t do without.
🤝Nexus Labs Partners (Early Adopters): Altura (Commissioning), Montgomery Technologies (Network Manager)
Buildings will interact with the electric grid and third-party markets to capture the value of their demand flexibility and carbon emissions reductions. The sellers in this category are the aggregators, virtual power plants, and marketplaces that facilitate these transactions.
🤝Nexus Labs Partners (Early Adopters): WattCarbon (Marketplace)
Buyers use standardized certifications and rating systems to assess and score buildings on their intelligence, sustainability, and occupant experience. Then, buyers can track progress over time, compare buildings to each other, and prioritize investments when funds are limited.
🤝Nexus Labs Partners (Early Adopters): None, yet!
Talent and labor shortages will prevent the industry’s transition to decarbonized and digitized buildings–unless the workforce builders have something to say about it.
🤝Nexus Labs Partners (Early Adopters): Stacks & Joules, ASP
Institutional venture capital firms raise funds from investors and deploy them into startups that create innovative new technologies. Our VC partners are dedicated to the smart buildings space and are invested (literally) in getting across the chasm.
🤝Nexus Labs Partners (Early Adopters): None, yet!
Market transformation partners are working on permanently changing the business cycle by aligning incentives. These partners focus on policy development, R&D, education, outreach, financial incentives, technical assistance, and network-building.
🤝Nexus Labs Partners (Early Adopters): NYSERDA
As early adopters, these partners are tasked with helping us launch version 1.0 of our Partner Program. Together, we’re creating an ecosystem for a technology buyer to explore our website and content to get the information they need about who does what, who the leaders are, who are legitimate options for them, and more.
We’ll announce that next week!
—James Dice, Founder of Nexus Labs
P.S. To become a partner, fill out the application form on our Partners page!
👋 That's all for this week. See you next Tuesday!
Whenever you're ready, there are 4 ways Nexus Labs can help you:
1. Take our shortcut to learning the Smart Buildings industry here (300 students and counting)
2. Join our community of smart buildings nerds and gamechangers here (nearly 500 members and counting)
3. (NEW) Join the Nexus Labs Syndicate on Angellist for opportunities to invest in the best smart buildings startups that cross my desk each month.
4. (NEW) Our Partner Hub is launching soon. This is an opportunity to be featured on our website, get original content, and tap into the Nexus community. Visit our partner page. Email us at partners@nexuslabs.online
Hey friends,
Nexus Lore unites us around the concept of a horizontal architecture—which will give building owners flexibility, control, cybersecurity, and the robust technology infrastructure required to enable the business outcomes they need.
But that view is missing the ecosystem required to reach that future state. Buildings (and the industry supporting them) are transformed by humans and organizations of humans.
Today’s newsletter is part 4 in our series about the humans we wrap around the tech stack to form the smart buildings ecosystem. Here’s a summary of the series:
---
The next topic in our series is how our buyers are buying smart building technologies.
Which categories of products and services are they looking for to get their jobs done better? And who are all the players that come together to bring those solutions to market?
Today, let’s walk through each category, starting at the bottom of the stack. Throughout this walkthrough, we’ll also highlight the early adopters of our Partner Program, which will formally launch in next week’s newsletter (the final part in this series).
The Device Layer is where the digital meets the physical world. It’s where the digital device controllers live—each with their own unique inputs, outputs, and life safety functions. Our devices have immense teamwork potential, but they often sit in silos.
🤝Nexus Labs Partners (Early Adopters): 75F (HVAC Control), Butlr (Occupancy Data)
To enable smart building technology, we need to allow remote access for administration, get data to the cloud, allow communication from the cloud to the device layer, and allow communication from device to device. The network layer should be converged, monitored, maintained, and have redundancy.
🤝Nexus Labs Partners (Early Adopters): None, yet!
The data layer sits on top of the device and network layers as the data infrastructure for any smart building software application. The applications need an ontology to understand all the data they're consuming, including all the underlying devices and how they fit together into a system of systems.
🤝Nexus Labs Partners (Early Adopters): Ace IoT (IDL), Buildings IOT (IDL), Project Haystack (Ontologies)
Applications sit on top of the data layer and provide outcomes to users through mobile apps, web apps, or process-based applications. Buyers need persona-specific, contextually integrated applications that are designed around digitizing and automating human workflows.
🤝Nexus Labs Partners (Early Adopters): Bueno (FDD), Clockworks Analytics (FDD), Facilio (Asset Management)
We talk a lot about the flashy new technology required for smart buildings. But we must always remember that when we're changing how things are done, people make it happen. Buyers recognize the importance of specialist roles—either on their staff or outsourced as members of their team of service providers. The Vital Roles are the service providers that buyers can’t do without.
🤝Nexus Labs Partners (Early Adopters): Altura (Commissioning), Montgomery Technologies (Network Manager)
Buildings will interact with the electric grid and third-party markets to capture the value of their demand flexibility and carbon emissions reductions. The sellers in this category are the aggregators, virtual power plants, and marketplaces that facilitate these transactions.
🤝Nexus Labs Partners (Early Adopters): WattCarbon (Marketplace)
Buyers use standardized certifications and rating systems to assess and score buildings on their intelligence, sustainability, and occupant experience. Then, buyers can track progress over time, compare buildings to each other, and prioritize investments when funds are limited.
🤝Nexus Labs Partners (Early Adopters): None, yet!
Talent and labor shortages will prevent the industry’s transition to decarbonized and digitized buildings–unless the workforce builders have something to say about it.
🤝Nexus Labs Partners (Early Adopters): Stacks & Joules, ASP
Institutional venture capital firms raise funds from investors and deploy them into startups that create innovative new technologies. Our VC partners are dedicated to the smart buildings space and are invested (literally) in getting across the chasm.
🤝Nexus Labs Partners (Early Adopters): None, yet!
Market transformation partners are working on permanently changing the business cycle by aligning incentives. These partners focus on policy development, R&D, education, outreach, financial incentives, technical assistance, and network-building.
🤝Nexus Labs Partners (Early Adopters): NYSERDA
As early adopters, these partners are tasked with helping us launch version 1.0 of our Partner Program. Together, we’re creating an ecosystem for a technology buyer to explore our website and content to get the information they need about who does what, who the leaders are, who are legitimate options for them, and more.
We’ll announce that next week!
—James Dice, Founder of Nexus Labs
P.S. To become a partner, fill out the application form on our Partners page!
👋 That's all for this week. See you next Tuesday!
Whenever you're ready, there are 4 ways Nexus Labs can help you:
1. Take our shortcut to learning the Smart Buildings industry here (300 students and counting)
2. Join our community of smart buildings nerds and gamechangers here (nearly 500 members and counting)
3. (NEW) Join the Nexus Labs Syndicate on Angellist for opportunities to invest in the best smart buildings startups that cross my desk each month.
4. (NEW) Our Partner Hub is launching soon. This is an opportunity to be featured on our website, get original content, and tap into the Nexus community. Visit our partner page. Email us at partners@nexuslabs.online
Head over to Nexus Connect and see what’s new in the community. Don’t forget to check out the latest member-only events.
Go to Nexus ConnectJoin Nexus Pro and get full access including invite-only member gatherings, access to the community chatroom Nexus Connect, networking opportunities, and deep dive essays.
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