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It may not be the sexiest topic, but facilities management is fundamental to any company with a physical headquarters – the larger this space becomes, the more complex it becomes.
Portuguese startup Infraspec We set out to address this with a comprehensive platform that provides facility managers and associated service providers with insights and operational control into everything going on at a given site.
Founded in 2015, Infraspeak has so far raised around $20 million in funding, landing big-name clients like KFC, Intercontinental and Primark. To drive its next phase of growth, the Porto-based startup said Monday it has raised an additional 18 million euros ($19.5 million) in Series B funding.
Many moving parts
Take, for example, a healthcare company with countless departments, equipment and contractors working in various specialties such as maintenance and cleaning – much of which needs coordination and management.
“Managing all these moving parts is difficult, and the risks are very high,” said Infraspeak co-founder and CEO. Felipe Avila da CostaTechCrunch said. “They (facility managers) must track everything from preventive maintenance schedules to work orders, cleaning tasks, contractor communications, air quality management, service level agreements, room preparation, and performance reports – all while ensuring compliance with health and safety standards.”
Of course, companies managed all of this long before the digital age, but the task still required significant manual processes and disjointed systems that were vulnerable to human error. Even more recently, companies have been able to combine spreadsheets with different programs designed for specific tasks.
This gets to the heart of what Infraspeak is building: a central channel that connects the dots between systems and processes, allowing all stakeholders to collaborate in one place.
This is made possible through Dubbed Coworking Space Infraspec Network. In addition to allowing facilities managers to manage internal work such as building processes and connecting teams, the workspace also connects directly to external service providers – allowing managers to request quotes from suppliers, engage them, assign work orders, and track progress. Meanwhile, service providers can use Infraspeak to send quotes, communicate with customers, share operational data, and more.
“As a collaborative facilities management platform, Infraspeak allows facilities teams to cohesively manage the entire process – it allows facility managers, employees and contractors to collaborate in a shared digital workspace,” Da Costa said. “Whether it’s sharing real-time data, managing work orders, or tracking task execution, all stakeholders are connected, reducing miscommunication and bottlenecks.”
With the advent of remote work, it would be easy to assume that the demand for technology to help manage commercial buildings may not be as high as it once was. Ignoring the fact that many companies are asking workers to return to their offices, the reality is that there are countless facilities that need to be managed apart from office buildings – from shopping malls and hospitals to airports and factories.
“The remote work trend has not significantly impacted our business,” Da Costa said. “If anything, it’s that remote working has made cloud-based facility management software more important – it enables operations managers to control multiple facilities without being on-site constantly. One of the key factors that has driven the remote working trend is After a pandemic, the importance of this type of software becomes more apparent, as it enables building occupancy to be managed, health and safety protocols enforced, or cleaning schedules adjusted based on space usage.
Complications
Infraspeak competes with other startups Like Maintinxmaintenance, and Vasiliuall of which have led to project investments increasing significantly in recent years – indicating a growing demand for better facilities management tools. Da Costa also pointed to a number of factors that could drive this demand, including the increasing complexity of building management because there are more devices and data flowing through them now than ever before.
In parallel, companies have come under increasing pressure to improve operations to meet stringent sustainability and environmental, social and governance targets.
“In general, buildings now tend to have more advanced systems, more stringent regulations, large networks of suppliers, increased concerns about sustainability, and pressure to be cost-effective and transparent to building users,” da Costa said.
Infraspeak has around 182 employees (or “Infraspeakers”, as you call them…) across offices in Porto, London, Barcelona and Florianópolis, with some working remotely elsewhere in South America and Europe. With a new $19.5 million in the bank, the company plans to increase its headcount by an additional 100 people in 2025, including C-level positions such as chief revenue officer.
Europe remains Infraspeak’s primary focus for now, but the startup is also expanding into South America and Africa. Although the company does not officially operate in the US market, it claims a “small number” of customers in the US, which could serve as the basis for expansion later – and may need to raise more funds for that.
“We plan to raise the C Series by 2025, and entering and conquering the US market will definitely be the plan by then,” Da Costa said.
Infraspeak’s Series B round was led by Endeit Capital, with participation from Bright Pixel Capital, Caixa Capital, Innovation Nest, and Indico Capital Partners.
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