TECH TALK RADIO

On this week's Tech Talk Radio, EG tech and global reporter Lucy Alderson sat down with AshbyCapital property director Tom Smithers and Smart Spaces chief executive Dan Drogman to talk about Slough's first smart building: The Future Works.

The Future Works is a 100,000sq ft office scheme, and part of a wider £200m investment into Slough to create a total of 350,000sq ft of new office accommodation. The Future Works has used Smart Spaces technology to becomes Slough’s first smart office building, and Smithers talks about how the company believes tech like this is critical to futureproofing the office.

It's also been a busy year for Drogman, who has seen a 400% increase in demand for smart building technology compared to the year before. He talks about how Covid has played a role in accelerating this demand and what the challenges for the offices sector are.

On this week’s Tech Talk Radio, EG tech and global reporter Lucy Alderson sits down to talk about the launch of a tool that automates the transactions process with Hogan Lovells partner Nicholas Roberts, BNP Paribas property management director Emma Orford and Integra Ledger chief executive David Fisher.

The tool has been launched to solve a longstanding obstacle that stands in the way of the transactions process: quite simply, it takes too long and it’s inefficient. The real estate heavyweights have therefore banded together, bringing in Integra Ledger, to develop a tool that uses blockchain to automate the process.

The trio talk to Alderson about how exactly blockchain is used, and the big plans they have for rolling the tool out across real estate – and maybe in further afield.

On this episode of Tech Talk Radio, EG tech and global reporter Lucy Alderson attempts a drum roll and outlines why you can't miss this year's list of EG Rising Stars.

In fact, tap here for a link to the piece so you can read all about it. But before you get to know this year's talented bunch, listen to Alderson sit down with Knight Frank head of EMEA and APAC data centres Stephen Beard to discuss all things data centres, following the agent's report on how investment into the sector has boomed over H1 this year.

Beard outlines why investment into data centres is on the rise, where the hotspots are in Europe, and why he thinks that despite the asset class' energy guzzling reputation, data centres could actually be a "beacon" for sustainability.

It's another Tech Talk Radio, and EG tech and global reporter Lucy Alderson starts by outlining the biggest property and tech headlines since last week's episode, including the biggest tech blooper of the week.

Alderson then sits down with JPES Partners head of property Duncan Lamb to talk about the launch of Evaluate|Locate, a new platform that tracks the economic health of more than 2,800 locations across the UK to help investors and developers make investment decisions.

Over 4,000 lines of code and two years later, Lamb talks about the arduous process of putting Evaluate|Locate together, and gives some data-backed insights into investment trends around the regions during the covid-19 crisis. Could we see investment shift away from cities to satellite towns and regions? Alderson finds out.

There have been some major proptech news that has broken since last week’s episode of Tech Talk Radio, so EG tech and global reporter Lucy Alderson recaps on the juiciest stories from the past week, including: EG’s talk with EDGE chief executive and founder Coen van Oostrom about his plans to take EDGE global; Fifth Wall’s first European proptech fund launch; and tech unicorn Octopus Energy making Manchester the location for its UK tech hub as it launches an expansion programme.

Alderson also sits down with Guy Battle, founder and chief executive of proptech start-up Social Value Portal, and Beringea investment director Maria Wagner, to talk about Social Value’s latest fundraise.

Beringea has invested £3m into the start-up, and the trio discuss how covid-19 has put the spotlight on the importance of the property industry’s social impact work, as well as the global venture capitalist investment landscape and what sectors are whetting VC appetites.

On this week’s episode of Tech Talk Radio, tech and global reporter Lucy Alderson asks the hard and pressing question: does anyone else feel Christmassy now that summer is over?

She also sits down with YourParkingSpace co-founder and chief executive Harrison Woods to discuss the start-up’s latest fundraising round, which saw Pelican Capital back the business with £5m.

With money in his pocket to burn, Alderson asks Woods what his plans are for growing the business and tips he can share with listeners for securing funding during a tougher investment climate.

Woods also digs into the data, and shares some fascinating insights about how motorists’ movements have changed during the pandemic. How will these movements change in a post-pandemic future – and how can property owners use this information to drive footfall to their assets?

Another week, another Tech Talk Radio episode hosted by tech and global reporter Lucy Alderson, who sits down (virtually) with Triadic Labs founder and director James Spooner and commercial director Alex Tozzi to talk about the launch of the start-up’s virtual viewings platform for off-plan properties.

Triadic Dash allows people to view properties which haven’t been built yet, and Alderson asks how the platform has been received in the market at a time when appetite for physical viewings has fallen during the pandemic.

The duo also talk about the power of data, how to boost the housing market during the pandemic, going global, and why Spooner thinks Triadic Dash is the virtual viewings market equivalent to the first iPhone.

It's the first Tech Talk Radio since EG's Tech Awards, and tech and global reporter Lucy Alderson outlines just how much you missed out on if you couldn't join the virtual extravaganza last week. But don't fret: you can catch up on the list of winners and highlights from the night on https://www.egi.co.uk/halo/

 

MediaCityUK property director Chris Reay is this week's Tech Talk Radio guest to talk what it takes to become one of the most connected schemes in the world. In April, the development became a Wired Certified Neighbourhood by WiredScore, the only scheme to have been awarded this rating aside from New York’s sprawling 28-acre Hudson Yards.

 

Reay also talks about how connectivity could be key in helping the return to work movement gain momentum, and Manchester's tech boom.

It's back to school this week, and what better way to get back into the swing of things than with EG's tech and global reporter Lucy Alderson, who this week sat down with Irish proptech start-up Offr's co-founder and chief executive Robert Hoban to discuss the company's covid-busting fundraise. 

The start-up recently secured nearly €3m in its latest seed fundraise led by Barclays, which was much higher than its original target of €1m. In a climate where proptech companies are finding it increasingly difficult to raise capital while investors scale back deals, Hoban shares his own experience and tips for start-ups looking to fundraise in the middle of a pandemic.

Hoban also shares more detail about Offr's plans to expand into the UK and Australia, and reveals which other countries the company is eyeing up to launch into at some point in the future.

Tech Talk Radio is back after a week-long summer holiday break with tech and global reporter Lucy Alderson, who is joined by British Land's head of strategy, digital & technology Sally Jones to discuss the launch of the landlord's new digital engagement app.

The app will first be rolled out at British Land's Broadgate campus, and is designed to help people working and visiting the area make the most of the amenities, facilities and events. 

It will also play a key role in helping the 26,000 workers based at the campus return back to the office, Jones explains, providing information on lobby traffic, occupancy, air quality, and booking access to meeting rooms.

Jones outlines the key aims of the app, how the landlord will roll out the app to its other London campuses, and how will the app fits into a post-covid future at British Land's schemes.