From start-ups to Silicon Valley veterans and from contech to co-working with a conscience, as 2019 draws to a close we round up 10 technology stars you should be keeping an eye on in 2020 – and beyond.
1Laura Mack-Titelius, urban innovation manager, Bosch UK
Fuelling change and innovation from the occupier side, Mack-Titelius is dedicated to working on digital transformation from the inside out. Not only is she responsible for working on and advocating Bosch’s vast (and arguably under-publicised) portfolio of urban mobility projects, she is the head of London Connectory – the company’s future-focused workspace in London at Great Portland Estates’ 160 Old Street.
2Stuart Maggs, chief executive and co-founder, Scaled Robotics
An architect and designer, Maggs has been hailed as one of the leading lights in contech. His robotic-construction company is automating construction sites by outfitting them with mobile 3D-printing robots, with the ultimate goal of reducing waste and inefficiency. As digital transformation in real estate and environmental responsibility collide, Maggs is the man to know in 2020.
3Harri John, senior consultant, specialist advisory team, CBRE
An EG Rising Star this year for her work in co-founding CREation, a network for people starting their property careers, in November John joined Amanda Clack’s strategic advisory team at CBRE, where she will focus on a number of key industry-wide issues, including the impact of technology on the sector. Already a commentator on industry and wider issues, including mental health, John has made a significant impression within the first few years of her career. Definitely one to watch.
4Julian Barker, head of smart spaces, British Land
Working closely with the likes of connectivity ratings company WiredScore – indeed he was instrumental in leading British Land’s investment in the technology company – Barker is becoming well known for his work around smart buildings. His role at British Land has also seen him push the company forward as it edges closer to becoming a “smart developer”.
5Mihir Shah and Yishai Lerner, JLL Technologies
Fine, these guys are not rising stars by any stretch. You don’t get much more “risen” than a pair of Silicon Valley veterans who were early investors in Uber. But when it was announced in August that Shah (left) and Lerner (right), who initially came on board to head up JLL Spark, would join JLL’s global executive board after the launch of the new technology business division called JLL Technologies, everything changed. A massive, bold move by JLL, this is something we haven’t seen before. Ever. And all eyes should be on Shah and Lerner for the second time around as these two become “ones to watch” all over again.
6Paul Smith, associate director, Real Assets asset management team, Aviva Investors
Smith manages assets across the UK but has been singled out as going beyond the remit of everyday asset management. He has channelled considerable effort into establishing a platform for understanding and improving the technological capability of those assets throughout 2019. He has been billed as a fast-emerging rising star, both within and outside the business.
7Majed Chaaraoui, chief executive and co-founder, Insurami
Along with his co-founder Arnor Davidsson, Chaaraoui has created an alternative for office deposits. Insurami, which officially launched this year and is backed by Entrepreneur First, hopes to “fix” a problem that Chaaraoui believes impacts more than £20 trillion worth of commercial real estate worldwide. With over £200bn locked up in office deposits in the US and Europe alone, Insurami provides instant tenant vetting via “exclusive access to proprietary landlord data” along with deposit guarantee, resulting in the same level of security for landlords while allowing their tenants to save up to 90%.
8Jess Ford, chief executive and co-founder, Herddle
From finance to founder, former investment banker Jess Ford gave up her job in September 2017 to launch Herddle, a property management business that streamlines the renting process from individual leases right through to institutional portfolios. Ford and her co-founder James fforde have spent the past two years trialling the platform in an estate agency in Plumstead, south-east London, after acquiring the business to use it as a test bed. The business launched officially last month and is set to be rolled out across London and the South East in the first instance.
9Rupert Dean, chief executive and co-founder, X and Why
After a decade spent working as a lawyer, Dean has now directed his attentions towards co-working with a conscience. X and Why is an east London-based workspace “dedicated to supporting better business”. A community of purpose-driven businesses, tenants do not have to be charities or not-for-profits to join, but they do have to demonstrate “a more impactful and positive way of working”. Not strictly a tech entry but, with both SAAS and a general commitment to simply being better on the rise, anyone this dedicated to addressing both is a worthy addition to the list.
10Bill Hughes, head of real assets, Legal & General Investment Management
Being one to watch in tech doesn’t mean bursting onto the real estate scene seemingly out of nowhere. Hughes might be an industry stalwart, but he is also proof that long-standing property professionals can also be rising stars – simply by focusing their attention on a new way of thinking. We say “simply”, but digital transformation is hard work. Hughes has been instrumental not only in repositioning LGIM to become more tech focused, but in leading the charge in terms of investing in tech companies, and has raised awareness within real estate as to how crucial embracing change really is.
To send feedback, e-mail emily.wright@egi.co.uk or tweet @EmilyW_9 or @estatesgazette
