Butlr
Butlr is a Burlingame-based physical AI startup that builds wireless thermal occupancy sensors and an API-first data platform, delivering privacy-first spatial intelligence to enterprise workplaces, senior-living communities, higher education campuses, and smart-building operators across 22+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersBurlingame, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Butlr does
Butlr is a Burlingame, California-based "physical AI" startup founded in 2019 that builds wireless, privacy-first thermal occupancy sensors and an API-first data platform for the built environment. Its Heatic sensor family (Heatic 2 wired/wireless, Heatic 2+ wireless with multi-year battery life, and Heatic Flex adapter) detects human presence and movement via body heat alone — no cameras, no PII — and feeds an AI/ML pipeline that runs on edge and cloud to produce spatial insights such as occupancy, desk-level utilization, gait speed, visit frequency, no-motion, time in bed, wandering, and zone enter/exit events. The Heatic sensors are exposed via a RESTful API and a Data Dashboard, and the platform is wrapped into verticalized solutions: Butlr Workplace, Butlr Care (senior living), Higher Education, Smart Buildings, Smart Cleaning, Retail, and Laboratory.
The company monetizes through three streams: hardware sales of the Heatic sensors (including 1,200+-sensor deployments at single enterprise campuses), recurring software/data subscriptions to the Butlr API and Data Dashboard, and partner-enabled revenue routed through channel and integration partners such as Ricoh Workplace, Disruptive Technologies, Lendlease Podium, Propstack (India), Cohesion, View Smart Building Cloud Marketplace, 9Solutions, and Notify. Pricing is quote-based enterprise; there is no public price list. Butlr operates direct enterprise sales from Burlingame, Cambridge, and Tokyo, reaching 200+ global enterprises with 30,000+ deployed sensors in 22+ countries covering 100M+ square feet. It has raised approximately $67M+ across disclosed rounds including a $20M Series A (Carrier Global, Tiger Global, Ray Stata and others), a $38M Series B led by Foundry in August 2024, and undisclosed corporate tranches from Ricoh (with a 2026 follow-on), Wistron, TGA, and Qualcomm Ventures. Recognitions include WEF Technology Pioneer, Fast Company Most Innovative Companies 2024, and multiple industrial design awards for the Heatic 2+ form factor.
Butlr firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Butlr
- Legal name
- Butlr Technologies
- Website
- https://butlr.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Butlr is a Burlingame-based physical AI startup that builds wireless thermal occupancy sensors and an API-first data platform, delivering privacy-first spatial intelligence to enterprise workplaces, senior-living communities, higher education campuses, and smart-building operators across 22+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Butlr industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Occupancy Analytics & Smart Building Sensor Software
- NAICS
- Automatic Environmental Control Manufacturing for Residential, Commercial, and Appliance Use (334512)
- SIC
- Auto Controls For Regulating Residential & Comml Environments (3822)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Customer Grid-Edge Enablement Services (HEMS/DR Device Integration, VPP Enablement) (EUAEANAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Residential Demand Response (Smart Thermostats, HVAC, Water Heating, Home Batteries) (EUAFAGAA), Customer Energy Engagement (In-Home Displays, Portals, Usage Insights) (EUADAFAH), Smart Thermostats & HVAC Controls Retail (CRAIAMAC)
Keywords
Where Butlr is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Burlingame
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Butlr business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Hardware sales (Heatic sensors): Sale of Heatic 2 and Heatic 2+ wired and wireless thermal occupancy sensors deployed at customer sites (e.g., 1,200+ sensors at a single Bay Area semiconductor R&D campus).
- Data platform / API subscription: Recurring access to the Butlr data platform and API (gait speed, visit frequency, activity patterns, dashboards) — described as recurring software and data-services revenue.
- Partner-enabled / integrated platform revenue: Recurring software and data-services revenue generated through integrations with partners such as Ricoh Workplace, Disruptive Technologies, Lendlease Podium, 9Solutions, and Notify.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | — | Quote-based enterprise pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels10 records
Butlr product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Butlr sells wireless thermal occupancy sensors (Heatic 2 and Heatic 2+) that detect body heat anonymously without cameras or PII, paired with an API-first data platform that converts raw thermal signals into real-time and historical spatial analytics (occupancy, presence, utilization, gait speed, visit frequency). Verticalized solution modules extend the platform into senior living (Butlr Care), workplace, higher education, smart buildings, smart cleaning, retail, and laboratory environments, delivered to enterprise customers through direct sales and a global partner network.
Product overview
Butlr delivers a thermal AI platform for intelligent spaces, centered on the Heatic family of occupancy sensors (Heatic 2 wired/wireless, Heatic 2+ wireless, and Heatic Flex adapter) that pair with an API-first Data & Insights platform and Data Dashboard. Built on the "Thermal AI Layer for Physical Spaces," the platform processes 100% anonymous heat-based occupancy sensing into real-time and historical spatial analytics. The offering is a platform-plus-modules architecture: the Heatic sensor hardware and Data & API platform form the core, while verticalized solution modules (Butlr Care for senior living, Workplace, Higher Education, Smart Buildings, Smart Cleaning, Retail, and Laboratory) extend the platform into specific environments, and integrations with partners (e.g., Disruptive Technologies, Ricoh Workplace, Envoy, Lendlease Podium, 9solutions) expand its reach into broader building intelligence ecosystems.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Butlr Care: Ambient monitoring solution for senior living communities using thermal sensors to deliver real-time health insights and safety alerts without cameras or wearables.
- Heatic
Products and services
- Heatic 2 Sensor (Wired & Wireless) Ceiling-mounted low-resolution thermal sensor paired with AI that detects human presence and movement via body heat without capturing images or personal data; available in wired and wireless variants for senior care and workplace applications.
- Heatic 2+ Sensor (Wireless) Latest wireless thermal occupancy sensor with multi-year battery life; combines AI with body-heat-sensing to deliver accurate, anonymous, and privacy-safe occupancy intelligence for multi-building, multi-phase, or retrofit deployments.
- Butlr Data & API Platform API-first data platform that processes raw thermal sensor data into real-time and historical occupancy insights, alerts, and spatial analytics for enterprise integration via RESTful API, documented at docs.butlr.io.
- Butlr Data Dashboard Dashboard interface for visualizing Butlr's real-time and historical occupancy, utilization, and spatial analytics data.
- Butlr Care Ambient monitoring solution for senior living that delivers real-time health insights and safety alerts (room/zone entry/exit, no-motion, time in bed, wandering, night activity) using privacy-first thermal sensors without wearables or cameras.
- Butlr Workplace Solution
- Butlr Higher Education Solution
- Butlr Smart Buildings Solution
- Butlr Smart Cleaning Solution
- Butlr Retail Solution
- Butlr Laboratory Solution Corporate lab-focused solution that combines AI and body-heat-sensing technology for anonymous monitoring of utilization, compliance, and building management in laboratory environments such as semiconductor R&D campuses.
- Butlr Wired AI Sensor for the Built Environment Wired AI sensor variant of Butlr's thermal occupancy sensor family, targeting the built environment for senior care and workplace deployments.
Quantifiable outcome
- Bay Area semiconductor R&D campus: 1,200+ sensors, 28% underutilized space uncovered, $18M expansion deferred
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Butlr
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Butlr technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration11 records
AI capability9 records
Feature6 records
Butlr partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship technology partner, core integration partner, integration partner, marketplace partner, regional channel partner, senior-care integration partner and senior-care channel partner.
- Disruptive Technologiesflagship technology partnerStrategic partnership to deliver privacy-first building intelligence. Butlr's thermal occupancy sensing integrates with Disruptive Technologies' wireless sensor network into a unified building intelligence platform providing occupancy, asset maintenance, temperature, water, and proximity data. Joint go-to-market initiatives optimize workplaces, streamline building operations, and reduce energy costs.
- Ricoh (Strategic / Technology)flagship technology partnerRicoh and Butlr formed a capital and business alliance through the RICOH Innovation Fund to strengthen workplace-experience solutions. Butlr's thermal sensing is integrated with Ricoh Workplace offerings; the alliance is intended to scale Butlr's technology and extend distribution through Ricoh.
- Lendlease Podiumcore integration partnerLendlease Podium selected Butlr to provide occupancy data for Podium Property Insights, enabling accurate, anonymous real-time and historical insights on occupancy and utilization for Lendlease Podium's customers. The API-first approach enables seamless integration.
- Cohesionintegration partnerCohesion and Butlr partnered to help people understand how spatial change affects the workplace and office, offering dynamic occupancy and space-utilization solutions and data.
- View (View Partner Marketplace)marketplace partnerButlr joined the View Partner Marketplace as an official vendor in the Smart Building Cloud ecosystem; customers can deploy Butlr via the marketplace with a single click to accelerate digital transformation of real estate.
- Propstackregional channel partnerButlr Technologies announced a partnership with Propstack, India's leading real estate technology and data company, for occupancy sensing in India.
- Relogixintegration partnerButlr joined forces with Relogix to bring the most complete occupancy analytics platform to the hybrid workplace.
- Infogridintegration partnerButlr joined forces with Infogrid to deliver truly smart buildings; Infogrid's Smart Building solutions incorporate Butlr Heatic sensors and the data they capture via API.
- Envoyintegration partnerButlr is an official member of Envoy's integrations, making desk reservations and workplace experience easier.
- 9Solutionssenior-care integration partner9Solutions integrates Butlr's thermal API to deliver reliable, scalable senior-care alerts and data to care staff. CTO Sami Herrala describes Butlr's thermal approach as 'more reliable, scalable, and accurate than the other technologies we have seen.'
- Notify (Notify Nurse Call)senior-care channel partnerNotify partnered with Butlr to bring ambient monitoring to senior-living communities; GM Greg Robertson quote: 'We're proud to partner with Butlr to bring the benefits of ambient monitoring to communities across the country.'
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Butlr competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- VergeSense: VergeSense provides an occupancy intelligence platform combining sensors, an AI-based 'vision' layer, and an analytics platform for workplaces and CRE. It is a direct competitor in anonymous occupancy sensing and was named explicitly by Butlr in its own comparison page.
- Density: Density builds anonymous people-counting and occupancy sensors for enterprises. It is a direct peer to Butlr in workplace and CRE occupancy analytics and competes on accuracy, privacy, and dashboarding.
- XY Sense: XY Sense offers workplace occupancy sensors and analytics focused on desk and meeting-room utilization. It is a direct competitor to Butlr in the enterprise workplace sensor category and is named on Butlr's head-to-head comparison page.
- PointGrab: PointGrab provides smart-building sensor solutions for occupancy, people counting, and activity detection. It is a direct peer to Butlr in building-analytics sensing, particularly for smart-building and CRE operators, and appears in Butlr's own competitive set.
- Occuspace: Occuspace delivers occupancy and space-utilization analytics for workplaces and higher education, using anonymous sensors and APIs. It is a direct peer to Butlr and is named on Butlr's own comparison page.
- Avuity: Avuity is a workplace occupancy and utilization analytics provider serving enterprise CRE and facilities teams. It is a direct peer to Butlr in occupancy intelligence and is named on Butlr's comparison page.
Emerging players
- Disruptive Technologies: Disruptive Technologies is a wireless IoT sensor provider for smart buildings; Butlr signed a strategic partnership in 2026 to integrate its thermal sensors with DT's broader wireless sensor network. It is an emerging/adjacent player whose partnership makes it a partial competitor and a key channel for Butlr.
Broad incumbents
- EnOcean: EnOcean is an established wireless sensor and building-automation provider focused on energy-harvesting IoT for smart buildings. It is a broad incumbent offering overlapping sensing capabilities as part of a wider portfolio, but does not specialize in Butlr's thermal occupancy niche.
- Carrier: Carrier Global Corporation is an HVAC and building-systems OEM that is both a Series A investor in Butlr and a customer. As a broad incumbent with its own building-controls and sensor offerings, it is a comparable — and strategically important — incumbent in the same space.
- Ricoh: Ricoh is a global workplace-solutions provider and a strategic investor and channel partner of Butlr. Its Ricoh Workplace offering integrates Butlr's sensors into a broader workplace-experience portfolio, making it an incumbent partner in the same space.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Butlr social profiles
Digital presenceButlr financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Butlr leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Butlr funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds8 records
Investors30 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Butlr M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Butlr
What does Butlr do?
Butlr sells wireless thermal occupancy sensors (Heatic 2 and Heatic 2+) that detect body heat anonymously without cameras or PII, paired with an API-first data platform that converts raw thermal signals into real-time and historical spatial analytics (occupancy, presence, utilization, gait speed, visit frequency). Verticalized solution modules extend the platform into senior living (Butlr Care), workplace, higher education, smart buildings, smart cleaning, retail, and laboratory environments, delivered to enterprise customers through direct sales and a global partner network.
Is Butlr a public or private company?
Butlr is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Butlr founded?
Butlr was founded in 2019. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Butlr based?
Butlr is headquartered in Burlingame, United States, in the North America region.
How does Butlr make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Hardware sales (Heatic sensors) is the primary driver. The others are data platform / API subscription and partner-enabled / integrated platform revenue.
Who are Butlr's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are VergeSense, Density, XY Sense, PointGrab, Occuspace and Avuity. Disruptive Technologies is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are EnOcean, Carrier and Ricoh.
Does Butlr have an API?
Yes. Butlr offers an API-first, RESTful data platform that delivers real-time occupancy data, historical spatial analytics, and alerts (e.g., room entrance/exit, zone entry/exit, no motion, time spent in bed, wandering events, gait speed, visit frequency, and unusual activity patterns). The API is designed to integrate with workplace management systems, Building Management Systems (BMS), space booking applications, and partner platforms. A RESTful API allows raw thermal data to be processed into meaningful insights for clients. Developer documentation is at docs.butlr.io.
What industry is Butlr in?
Butlr's product category is Occupancy Analytics & Smart Building Sensor Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAEANAL, Customer Grid-Edge Enablement Services (HEMS/DR Device Integration, VPP Enablement), with a secondary code of EUAFAGAA, Residential Demand Response (Smart Thermostats, HVAC, Water Heating, Home Batteries). Its NAICS code is 334512 and its SIC code is 3822.