Drill baby drill, burn baby burn, what now for ESG?

It is common knowledge that President Trump has brought about a reversal in the Environmental, Social and Governance sectors of the US, which in turn influences the strategic thinking in most of the largest companies in the world. DRB will now replace ESG at least until the next election cycle, and that is for many in the property technology space a very big deal. 

As the Times put it recently, ‘”Drill Baby Drill!” The signature energy battle cry of Donald Trump has returned to center stage as he returns to the White House. His vision for American energy dominance is taking shape with the nomination of Chris Wright, a vocal advocate for fossil fuels, as his choice for Energy Secretary.

Wright, 60, made his position clear during his Senate confirmation hearing last week: “Previous administrations have viewed energy as a liability instead of the immense national asset that it is.” His appointment signals a dramatic shift from current energy policies, with a laser focus on expanding domestic production across multiple sectors.

The Liberty Energy CEO, who is expected to win Senate confirmation, brings a unique perspective to the role. “To compete globally, we must expand energy production, including commercial nuclear and liquefied natural gas, and cut the cost of energy for Americans,” Wright declared during his hearing. His stance represents a stark contrast to the Biden administration’s pause on LNG export approvals and restrictions on federal land drilling‘.

Let me rewind a little, ESG has been around in one form or another since the mid 1970’s and I can remember in the early 1980’s it was on my first year reading list when an undergraduate – an obscure tome -something about stopping the world from burning. In terms of investment there was a quiet uptick around 2012 to 2014, but it was Covid-19 that there was all of a sudden a rush within technology circles to get to green asap, preferably with a multi-million dollar round of funding. 

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Multi-family service raises further funding and more users  

100x is bringing together the brightest minds inside and outside the real estate and identity industries. It is ushering in a new framework to qualify potential renters, increasing security, trust, and efficiency in the rental process overall. It was created with a goal to educate major real estate players on the current fraud crisis in the industry, and how to stamp it out.

Multifamily operators representing more than 1 million units are already part of 100x, such as Pauline Houchins and Jenn Kloet from Asset Living, Ariel Hanson and Jill Hinton from GoldOller Real Estate Investments, and Allison Crawford from Knightvest Residential, signalling the industry’s commitment to mitigating rental fraud and driving a smarter and safer experience for both renters and operators.

Additionally, with multifamily operators rapidly embracing both 100x and 100’s fraud prevention platform, the company’s growing impact has also drawn the attention of leading investors. PropTech venture capital firm Camber Creek has joined as a strategic investor, bringing 100’s funding to $7.7M and signalling strong confidence in the company’s vision. 

“Camber Creek’s support signals a pivotal moment for the multifamily industry,” said Caren Maio, Co-Founder and CEO of 100. “Their belief in our mission, combined with the launch of 100x, underscores the magnitude of what we’re building. This isn’t just about a product — it’s a movement to create a universally trusted rental process.”

Within 90 days of the company’s launch, the company signed on over 100,000 units from a wide range of NMHC Top 50s and prominent operators in the multifamily space. Accordingly, 100 has set the stage for industry-wide transformation, putting it in a position to spearhead the 100x alliance.

“The technology behind 100 is the future of multifamily fraud prevention,” said Jeffrey Berman, General Partner at Camber Creek. “100 is breaking barriers and paving the way for a smarter, safer, and fairer rental process. We are thrilled to be a part of their journey and backing a team uniquely equipped to bring this solution to market.”

The company’s real estate technology platform revolutionizing the rental application and screening process for the multifamily real estate industry. Leveraging cutting-edge identity verification and fraud prevention technology, 100 is creating a new standard in the rental process that eliminates fraud, friction, and bias. Built and backed by some of the industry’s most successful operators, 100 flips the rental game on its head, making screening faster, easier, and more accurate than ever. For more information, visit get100.com.

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Rubberdesk launches 20 second workspace matching tool

Rubberdesk, an online marketplace for flexible office space, has launched an AI-powered tool using brand new proprietary technology that streamlines the search process—delivering businesses a curated shortlist of office options in just 20 seconds. This latest innovation in Proptech puts Generative AI at the core of office searching, enabling businesses to define their brief and receive a tailored list of the best-matched spaces.

The AI-powered shortlist includes live availability, transparent pricing, and key office details—eliminating the guesswork and inefficiencies traditionally associated with office hunting. Users have the flexibility to not only select from dropdown menus but can also provide detailed, freeform input about their requirements. The AI then intelligently analyses this information to refine and tailor the available options, ensuring a highly personalised experience.

From fragmented market to AI-powered transparency  This streamlined approach contrasts sharply with the traditionally lengthy and cumbersome office search process, which often involves weeks or even months of manual research, back-and-forth negotiations, and site visits. In the past, businesses had to sift through countless listings, contact multiple brokers, and navigate opaque pricing structures—all while struggling to find a space that truly met their needs. 

Historically, businesses relied on brokers to navigate an opaque and fragmented office market. Now, with AI-driven search capabilities, it takes office hunting to the next level, drastically cutting time spent reviewing unsuitable spaces. After generating the AI shortlist, businesses consult with a Rubberdesk office expert to refine their options and find the perfect workspace.

David Dale, CTO of Rubberdesk, explains: “We built Rubberdesk from the ground up to make it easy to find the right office space. Once we solved the problem of maintaining accurate and up to date inventory, integrating a Large Language Model to service enquiries was an obvious step. The success has been in how smoothly it’s become part of the search process and resulted in more engaged customers.”

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