R-Zero
R-Zero is a San Francisco smart building technology company that uses its Physical AI Platform — wireless occupancy sensors, IAQ monitors, and BACnet-integrated AI control — to deliver 20-40% HVAC energy savings to commercial real estate, healthcare, and education customers via a performance-based Efficiency-as-a-Service model.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What R-Zero does
R-Zero (legal entity R-Zero Systems, Inc.) is a San Francisco-based smart building technology company that sells a Physical AI Platform for Buildings to commercial real estate owners, healthcare facilities, and educational institutions. The platform combines proprietary wireless occupancy sensors (an on-device computer-vision Entry/Exit Counter and a 10-year-battery PIR WorkPoint sensor), a multi-parameter IAQ Monitor, and a cloud-based analytics layer (Connect) that ingests zone-level occupancy and environmental data, runs AI models to compute optimal HVAC ventilation setpoints against ASHRAE 62.1 guardrails, and issues control signals directly to the customer's existing Building Management System over BACnet. This closed-loop Occupancy-Driven Demand Control Ventilation (O-DCV) is designed to retrofit into incumbent infrastructure without rip-and-replace and is the technical foundation for the company's reported 20-40% HVAC energy savings. The September 2024 acquisition of SecureAire extended the portfolio into patented electrically-enhanced HVAC filtration, and the company has built a separate analytics franchise in Prospector AI (with a New York-specific ProspectorNY edition) that models energy savings and Local Law 97 compliance exposure across more than 32,000 US buildings.
R-Zero firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- R-Zero
- Legal name
- R-Zero Systems, Inc.
- Website
- https://rzero.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- R-Zero is a San Francisco smart building technology company that uses its Physical AI Platform — wireless occupancy sensors, IAQ monitors, and BACnet-integrated AI control — to deliver 20-40% HVAC energy savings to commercial real estate, healthcare, and education customers via a performance-based Efficiency-as-a-Service model.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
R-Zero industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Smart Building Technology
- NAICS
- Automatic Environmental Control Manufacturing for Residential, Commercial, and Appliance Use (334512), Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (3334), Industrial and Commercial Fan and Blower and Air Purification Equipment Manufacturing (333413)
- SIC
- Auto Controls For Regulating Residential & Comml Environments (3822), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Building Thermal Controls & Building Management Systems (HVAC BMS) (IMAHAKAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Smart HVAC, IAQ & Energy Optimization (HSAPAPAB)
Keywords
Where R-Zero is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
R-Zero business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Performance-Based / Efficiency-as-a-Service Fees: Outcome-based revenue model: R-Zero deploys AI-powered occupancy-driven ventilation and earns a share of verified energy savings only after reductions are delivered against agreed baselines. No capital investment required from the customer; no payment if performance is not achieved.
- Hardware Sales (Sensors, IAQ Monitors, Filters): One-time sale of proprietary R-Zero hardware including Entry/Exit Counters, WorkPoint sensors, IAQ Monitors, and SecureAire electrically-enhanced HVAC filters, governed by a separate Product Purchase Agreement and Limited Warranty.
- SaaS Subscription (Connect platform / Prospector AI analytics): Recurring software subscription revenue for the Connect analytics platform, Portfolio Insights, and Prospector AI data analytics, including room-level, floor-level, and portfolio-level occupancy and energy analytics.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Outcome Based/ Performance | Multi-year contract | Efficiency-as-a-Service (Performance-Based) — share of verified energy savings; no upfront cost |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Prospector AI — free custom building energy audit; full pricing not publicly disclosed |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Hardware — one-time purchase under separate Product Purchase Agreement |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels10 records
R-Zero product offering
Product offeringCore offering
R-Zero operates a Physical AI Platform for Buildings that uses wireless occupancy sensors, IAQ monitors, and cloud-based AI to dynamically control HVAC ventilation and lighting in real time, delivering 20-40% HVAC energy savings under a performance-based "Efficiency-as-a-Service" commercial model. The platform integrates with existing building management systems via BACnet and is sold alongside proprietary hardware sensors (Entry/Exit Counter, WorkPoint), IAQ Monitors, and acquired SecureAire filtration, plus a data analytics product (Prospector AI) for portfolio-level energy savings and regulatory compliance opportunity identification.
Product overview
R-Zero's offering is a platform-plus-modules architecture built around its Physical AI Platform for Buildings, surfaced through the Connect dashboard. The core platform ties together four product modules — AI Energy Efficiency (Occupancy-Driven Demand Control Ventilation), Occupancy Analytics, Portfolio Insights, and IAQ Monitoring — supported by proprietary hardware sensors (Entry/Exit Counter and WorkPoint). On top of the core, R-Zero layers Prospector AI (with the New York-specific ProspectorNY edition) as a portfolio-wide analytics product for identifying energy savings and compliance opportunities, and the more recently launched Room Intelligence capability, which unifies room-level occupancy data into operational intelligence inside Connect. Through its 2024 acquisition of SecureAire, R-Zero also offers electrically-enhanced HVAC filtration as a complementary hardware product within its energy-efficiency-as-a-service portfolio. Performance-based pricing (Efficiency-as-a-Service) is available across the deployment.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Prospector AI: Data analytics software that uses public benchmarking data and R-Zero's proprietary AI modeling engine to identify energy savings and compliance opportunities across commercial buildings.
- ProspectorNY
- Connect
Products and services
- Physical AI Platform for Buildings
- AI Energy Efficiency (Occupancy-Driven Demand Control Ventilation) AI-powered ventilation control module that uses wireless occupancy sensors to adjust airflow to real demand, delivering 20–40% HVAC energy savings on a performance-based pricing model without infrastructure changes.
- Occupancy Analytics Real-time occupancy visualization across spaces, floors, and portfolios, including heatmaps, live floor plans, and utilization trend analytics that feed decisions on space right-sizing, lease renewal, and capital planning; backed by R-Zero's Entry/Exit Counter and WorkPoint sensors.
- Portfolio Insights / Portfolio Analytics Portfolio-level utilization analytics that aggregate real-time occupancy data across every property to support tenant comparisons, lease renewal planning, capital expenditure prioritization, and NOI optimization.
- IAQ Monitor Multi-parameter indoor air quality sensor that continuously measures CO2, PM1/PM2.5/PM10, TVOC, formaldehyde, temperature, humidity, pressure, light intensity, and noise, with cloud-based analytics via Connect and integration to the building's control loop; RESET Accredited and compliant with WELL and LEED.
- Prospector AI Data analytics software that uses public benchmarking data and R-Zero's proprietary AI modeling engine to identify modeled energy savings and compliance opportunities for commercial buildings without capital-intensive retrofits.
- ProspectorNY New York City edition of Prospector AI that mines and trends building energy performance against Local Law 84, 87, and 33 datasets to identify immediate energy savings, Local Law 97 compliance exposure, and ROI opportunities for NYC property owners.
- Room Intelligence Capability within the Connect platform that unifies multiple data inputs into a single room-level view inside R-Zero's Physical AI system, connecting real-time utilization directly to ventilation control and real estate decision-making.
- Entry/Exit Counter Privacy-first wireless sensor mounted above a doorway that uses an RGB camera with on-board AI to anonymously count people entering and exiting a space with 90%+ accuracy; image processing occurs entirely on-device with no images transmitted or stored.
- WorkPoint Sensor Battery-powered PIR presence sensor mounted under or around a desk to detect seat-level occupancy; available in Desk (black) and Room (white, with temperature and humidity) configurations, with a claimed 10-year battery life.
- SecureAire Filters Electrically-enhanced HVAC filtration media acquired via the September 2024 SecureAire acquisition; reduces pressure drop versus traditional MERV 13+ filters, lasts 2–3x longer, and targets a two-year payback period.
Quantifiable outcome
- 20-40% HVAC energy savings across live deployments
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use R-Zero
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
R-Zero technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
AI capability9 records
Feature7 records
R-Zero partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- International Facility Management Association (IFMA)coreFor the second consecutive year, R-Zero partnered with IFMA to deploy smart sensors throughout the World Workplace conference (2024 and 2025). The collaboration produced co-published utilization and IAQ case studies demonstrating conference space optimization, with R-Zero serving as the official sensor partner.
- Building Management System (BMS) controls vendorscoreR-Zero works with customer's existing BMS controls vendors to program the BMS to respond to occupancy data posted to BACnet, using either an existing sequence of operations or a jointly recommended tailored one. This enables deployment without BMS write access or rip-and-replace.
- SecureAireflagshipSecureAire, a provider of sustainable HVAC filtration solutions, was acquired by R-Zero to enhance its decarbonization and energy efficiency offerings. SecureAire's patented electrically-enhanced filters lower energy consumption and maintenance costs while improving indoor air quality, with a payback period of two years and filter life 2-3x longer than conventional MERV 13 filters.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
R-Zero competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- GridPoint: Energy management and submetering platform for commercial buildings, combining hardware sensors with analytics. Competes in the multi-site CRE energy-optimization category that R-Zero addresses.
- BrainBox AI: AI-driven HVAC optimization for commercial buildings using real-time data and autonomous control. Closest direct competitor to R-Zero's O-DCV / closed-loop BMS actuation value proposition, serving similar CRE and office customers.
- 75F: IoT and cloud-based smart HVAC controls for commercial buildings with wireless sensors and AI-driven zone control. Overlaps directly with R-Zero's occupancy-driven ventilation and BMS integration play.
- BuildingIQ: Cloud-based building energy management and HVAC optimization platform using predictive analytics. Targets the same commercial real estate customers and competes on AI-driven energy savings verification.
- Aquicore: Building analytics and energy benchmarking platform for CRE owners and operators. Direct overlap with R-Zero's Portfolio Insights and Prospector AI analytics layer.
Broad incumbents
- Enlighted: Smart building IoT sensor and analytics platform (owned by Siemens). Competes with R-Zero's occupancy sensors and analytics, but as part of Siemens' much broader building technologies portfolio rather than a standalone smart-building focus.
- Honeywell Building Technologies: Global incumbent in building automation systems, HVAC controls, energy management, and sensors. Overlaps with R-Zero's BMS integration, DCV, and IAQ capabilities, but as part of a much broader portfolio serving enterprise and industrial customers.
- Johnson Controls: Global building automation, HVAC, and energy management incumbent with OpenBlue digital platform. Competes broadly with R-Zero's AI Energy Efficiency and Portfolio Insights offerings inside enterprise customers.
- Schneider Electric (EcoStruxure): Energy management and building automation incumbent with EcoStruxure platform spanning power, HVAC, and analytics. Competes with R-Zero in enterprise energy optimization, decarbonization reporting, and BMS integration.
Emerging players
- Enverid: Indoor air quality solutions for commercial buildings, focused on ventilation and air cleaning. Adjacent competitor in R-Zero's IAQ Monitor and BMS-ventilation space, but narrower product scope.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
R-Zero social profiles
Digital presenceR-Zero compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
R-Zero financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
R-Zero leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
R-Zero subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
R-Zero funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors13 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
R-Zero M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about R-Zero
What does R-Zero do?
R-Zero operates a Physical AI Platform for Buildings that uses wireless occupancy sensors, IAQ monitors, and cloud-based AI to dynamically control HVAC ventilation and lighting in real time, delivering 20-40% HVAC energy savings under a performance-based "Efficiency-as-a-Service" commercial model. The platform integrates with existing building management systems via BACnet and is sold alongside proprietary hardware sensors (Entry/Exit Counter, WorkPoint), IAQ Monitors, and acquired SecureAire filtration, plus a data analytics product (Prospector AI) for portfolio-level energy savings and regulatory compliance opportunity identification.
Is R-Zero a public or private company?
R-Zero is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was R-Zero founded?
R-Zero was founded in 2020. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is R-Zero based?
R-Zero is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does R-Zero make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Performance-Based / Efficiency-as-a-Service Fees are the primary driver. The others are hardware Sales (Sensors, IAQ Monitors, Filters) and saaS Subscription (Connect platform / Prospector AI analytics).
Who are R-Zero's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are GridPoint, BrainBox AI, 75F, BuildingIQ and Aquicore. Broad incumbents are Enlighted, Honeywell Building Technologies, Johnson Controls and Schneider Electric (EcoStruxure). Enverid is listed as an emerging player.
Does R-Zero have an API?
Yes. R-Zero offers a Stream API that delivers real-time occupancy events to reservation and workplace experience applications, and a REST API that feeds historical occupancy data directly into BI tools and reporting workflows. The R-Zero BACnet Gateway translates sensor-level occupancy data into actionable building control signals within existing BMS. The IAQ Monitor additionally exposes an Open API and supports local MQTT environments for data integration. Developer documentation is at rzero.com/occupancy-analytics.
What industry is R-Zero in?
R-Zero's product category is Smart Building Technology. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAHAKAK, Building Thermal Controls & Building Management Systems (HVAC BMS), with a secondary code of HSAPAPAB, Smart HVAC, IAQ & Energy Optimization. Its NAICS code is 334512 and its SIC code is 3822.