A year like no other!
By David Abrams, Co-founder & CEO of HILO
2021 Highlights:
- New strains of Covid emerge
- Vaccinations become widely available
- Lockdowns give way to re-opening
- The movement for “Working from Anywhere” gains momentum
- Tenant Experience takes hold as demand increases, the competitive landscape intensifies and consolidation begins
- The debate between the “Return to workplace” and never coming back rages on
- Hybrid work-styles present opportunity to have the best of both worlds
- Flex space continues to change the office landscape
- The relationship between buildings, tenants and their employees becomes central to reimagining the workplace
- HILO’s growth continues to build momentum with new building partners, new cities, a growing team, and strategic product development
- VC’s make record levels of investment in PropTech, setting the stage for tremendous growth in 2022
With all that being said, I for one cannot wait for 2022.
The pandemic has caused a recalibration in the market, with the recognition that buildings are really places FOR PEOPLE. So, really, the market is just playing catch up to what the team at HILO has known for a long time.
We now need to connect people to buildings and communities no matter where they are. New spaces, services and amenities are emerging, requiring new ways to engage people in buildings. And so HILO was created to power the largest asset class in the world to deliver the best possible customer experience – helping to attract and retain tenants, boost revenues and streamline operations.
While Gen-1 technology viewed the building as the asset, HILO, the next generation tenant experience solution, built for the world of hybrid work, understands that PEOPLE are the real assets.
I am pleased to share with you some of what really excites me as we look to the future.xx
Thought leadership
Commercial real estate (CRE) has been turned on its head. The impact of Covid cannot be overstated. As I read, watch and listen to the commentary and opinions being expressed about the state of the industry, I marvel at the dichotomy in thinking.
To that end, the HILO team has been committed to tapping into the thinking of experts in CRE, as well as the everyday person who is craving for some sense of normalcy in how and where they work and live.
Season 2 of TEN (the Tenant Experience Network) featured an incredible roster of guests; experts in office, multifamily and industrial real estate, brokers and flex space operators, technology founders, and leaders in innovation, insight and wellness.
Check out our Season 2 Wrap up for a quick overview of key learning.
New this year, we created space_bar, a digital community for REAL people sharing REAL stories about their work/live experiences. In a time of polarizing proclamations, at both ends of the spectrum, I find these conversations refreshing and engaging, offering genuine insights into the reality of our situation. We would love to have you meet us at the space_bar and share your thoughts too. Interested?
Building partners
In addition to new building partners in Canada, including Epic Investment Services and Capitol Buildings, the HILO platform expanded into the U.S. with Avison Young in Texas, Crown Acquisitions and Paramount Realty in New Jersey and Connecticut, and Empire Management and Teresharan in New York.
HILO formed a partnership with the Downtown Yonge BIA in Toronto to engage their over 2,000 local businesses on our platform, laying the foundation for similar collaborations in other communities. As urban districts continue to recover from the impact of Covid, HILO can be an effective tool in reconnecting people to the businesses they need most to support them where they live and work.
We are finishing the year strong, with significant demand for our platform.
In addition to new building partners in Canada, including Epic Investment Services and Capitol Buildings, the HILO platform expanded into the U.S. with Avison Young in Texas, Crown Acquisitions and Paramount Realty in New Jersey and Connecticut, and Empire Management and Teresharan in New York.
HILO formed a partnership with the Downtown Yonge BIA in Toronto to engage their over 2,000 local businesses on our platform, laying the foundation for similar collaborations in other communities. As urban districts continue to recover from the impact of Covid, HILO can be an effective tool in reconnecting people to the businesses they need most to support them where they live and work.
We are finishing the year strong, with significant demand for our platform.
Technology
As commercial real estate continues to evolve, so too will HILO as a strategic partner to the industry – committed to developing what is needed most by building operators and their tenants.
HILO’s rapid deployment Tenant Engagement Platform for the Hybrid world, enables building operators to connect to their tenants whether they are at work, at home or anywhere in between.
Unlike complex and highly customized building apps that are costly and slow to deliver, HILO offers an automated and configurable solution that is affordable and easy to implement. HILO powers building operators to deliver unparalleled tenant experience, engagement, satisfaction and retention.
Team
2021 was an extraordinary year for expanding our team, adding bench strength in sales, marketing, customer success and software development. The energy, creativity, determination, resourcefulness and desire to win has been awesome to witness, and HILO has excelled because of their contributions.
Supporters
The journey to success is not without its challenges, and certainly can be less turbulent and lonely when you surround yourself with great supporters.
In addition to our early investors and Forum Ventures, we are proud to now be associated with these new strategic partners:
L-SPARK
MaRS Venture Services
CTA – Silicon Valley
BDC
IRAP
These partnerships are key to ensuring our future growth and are helping to fuel our rapid expansion and product development.
Gratitude
My thoughts would not be complete without sharing my gratitude to all those who have touched my life, or contributed to HILO’s growth, in the last year.
As the year comes to a close, the news is mixed and the impact of Covid continues to hurt many people. This weighs heavily on me, and I know it does the same for many others. I strongly believe that we have to continue to live our lives, connect with people, be productive, and find moments of joy, all while taking great care to stay safe and healthy.
We cannot live in constant fear and close ourselves off to being in the real world. Over the last several months I had the opportunity to travel in Canada and the U.S., and meet people in person. It was fantastic!
In 2022, I plan to forge ahead building our vision and the solution for how people live and work in a world with Covid.
I hope you will join me!
David Abrams
Co-founder & CEO of HILO
