Lanarkshire-based proptech firm Utopi targeting Europe after major sales boost

Property technology (proptech) company Utopi is scaling up for growth in Europe after securing large orders for its multi-sensor devices that help property-managers get a full overview of their asset and make it more energy-efficient.

The Hamilton-based company, which was established in October 2019 and now has 15 staff, has been asked to supply more than 2,000 of the items to the UK’s build-to-rent and student accommodation sectors.

Utopi has designed the device, which provides real-time insights of buildings, individual rooms and shared spaces, and capturing data including temperature, humidity, ambient light, noise, and CO2 levels. The readings are then transferred over an Internet of Things (IoT) network to the building’s operators or Utopi team for analysis and action.

The firm says that over time, data can be used to show a full service history for property assets, “making them more valuable to investors and asset-managers, as well as boosting sustainability”.

The device captures data including temperature, humidity, ambient light, noise, and CO2 levels. Picture: contributed.

The device has been designed with support from Censis – Scotland’s innovation centre for sensing, imaging, and IoT technologies – and manufactured in Scotland. It is billed as suitable for, say, rented apartments, student accommodation, or care homes.

Utopi says that as the product has been built with a UK and Europea -compliant chipset, its multi-sensor can be deployed on the Continent without modifications, and was specifically designed to be exportable. Additionally, the company’s next target market is North America, subject to a change of chipset and re-certification.

Falk Bleyl, co-founder and chief technology officer at Utopi, said: “Our device works at a strategic level to help property companies understand the wider picture, providing them a view on the current and historical performance of their building.

“When we set up the business, we decided to focus initially on managed residential space, but our solutions are also relevant in the commercial office market. We have big plans for the device and our business.”

Stephen Milne, director of strategic projects at Censis, added: “Utopi’s multi-sensor device is a great example of how access to the right data can help an entire industry understand its environmental impact, drive efficiency, and become more sustainable.

“Utopi is also a great example of the growing number of innovative Scottish tech companies that are creating products that have global potential.”

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