XY Sense is a company.
XY Sense has raised $13.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Key people at XY Sense.
XY Sense has raised $13.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Key people at XY Sense.
XY Sense has raised $13.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
XY Sense's investors include Accel, Blackbird Ventures Australia, Felicis Ventures, Stewart Butterfield.
XY Sense is an AI-powered technology company that builds advanced workplace sensors delivering real-time occupancy intelligence, utilization analytics, and air quality insights to optimize office spaces.[1][2][4] It serves enterprise property teams, corporate offices, and facilities managers in commercial real estate, solving the problem of data scarcity in workplace planning by providing privacy-preserving, centimeter-accurate data on space utilization without capturing personal information.[1][2][4] The company has demonstrated strong growth momentum, including over 250% annual growth, customers in 27 countries, and $20M USD in funding, with recent expansions like wireless sensors for compact spaces and air-quality integration.[1][5]
Founded in 2016 and launched in 2020 after stealth R&D, XY Sense enables better ROI on real estate, enhanced hybrid workplace experiences, building sustainability, and agile space allocation based on verifiable data.[1][4]
XY Sense was founded in 2016 by CEO Alex Birch and CTO Luke Murray in Richmond, Australia, stemming from their prior experience in workplace SaaS.[1][2] Birch co-founded Serraview in 2005, a global workplace and relocation management platform that was later acquired, while Murray led engineering and product at Serraview, giving them deep expertise in real estate tech.[1]
The idea emerged from recognizing a "workplace data vacuum," where teams lacked precise utilization data for high-stakes decisions; after three years in stealth perfecting sensors using deep learning and computer vision, they launched in July 2020 with a $5M seed round from Blackbird Ventures and early customer pilots.[1][3] This engineering-driven approach addressed limitations of existing sensors, focusing on anonymous XY coordinates for sub-1m accuracy on low-power devices.[3]
XY Sense stands out in the occupancy sensor market through superior technology and deployment advantages:
These features have made it the choice for global enterprises, backed by Blackbird's endorsement of the founders' two-decade customer insight.[1]
XY Sense rides the hybrid work and smart buildings trend, capitalizing on post-pandemic shifts where companies right-size offices amid flexible models, reducing real estate costs while boosting engagement and sustainability.[1][4] Timing is ideal as return-to-office accelerates demand for data-driven space optimization, ESG compliance, and wellness—market forces like rising energy costs and carbon goals favor its integrations for heating/cooling/lighting.[4][5]
It influences the ecosystem by setting a new standard for non-intrusive IoT in proptech, competing with players like Sensiable and OpenSensors but leading via AI precision; this enables agile workplace strategies, potentially transforming commercial real estate from fixed to data-verified flexible models.[2]
XY Sense is poised for continued expansion with its platform enhancements, like air-quality and wireless sensors, targeting more compact hybrid spaces amid ongoing office evolution.[5] Trends in AIoT, ESG mandates, and proptech consolidation will shape its path, potentially driving further funding and acquisitions as enterprises prioritize verifiable utilization data.[1][5] Its influence may grow by powering industry-wide benchmarks for sustainable, high-ROI workplaces, solidifying its role in revolutionizing spaces people love—just as its founders envisioned from Serraview's legacy.[1][3]
XY Sense has raised $13.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $8.0M Seed in July 2022.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 1, 2022 | $8.0M Seed | Accel, Blackbird Ventures Australia, Felicis Ventures, Stewart Butterfield | |
| Jul 1, 2020 | $5.0M Seed | Accel, Blackbird Ventures Australia, Felicis Ventures, Stewart Butterfield |
