Physical AI technology provider Butlr and wireless data insights specialist Disruptive Technologies have announced a strategic partnership to deliver integrated data and insights on building and operational efficiency to commercial real estate and facilities management professionals.

This collaboration aims to achieve lower operational costs, reduce carbon footprints, enhance asset control, and improve tenant satisfaction through a unified approach to building management.

Butlr, an MIT Media Lab spinout, utilizes a patented combination of AI and thermal sensing technology. This technology allows for the anonymous understanding of how individuals use commercial building spaces. Its applications include boosting workplace productivity and collaboration, and informing decisions related to office layout, design, maintenance, cleaning schedules, leasing, and energy consumption.

Disruptive Technologies (DT) specializes in providing ultra-reliable wireless data insights, delivering real-time data on room, desk, and workspace usage. This data supports workplace management and energy optimization in buildings, leveraging postage-stamp sized desk sensors and passive infrared sensors to amplify partner platforms.

The partnership addresses a key challenge in building management: the inefficiencies of relying on fixed schedules, which often results in cleaning unused spaces or neglecting high-traffic areas. By combining their technologies, Butlr and Disruptive Technologies offer insights into actual space usage and maintenance needs without compromising individual privacy.

Walter Sears, Chief Product Officer at Disruptive Technologies, commented on the alliance, stating, “The partnership enables both companies to strengthen their market offerings and amplifies the Butlr platform by providing multi-site operators with an integrated view of buildings and assets. We have mutual customers using both DT and Butlr solutions. By offering integrated insights and analytics, we’ll enable even more efficient, sustainable and responsive buildings.”

For example, facility managers can monitor restroom door swing activity with DT sensors to schedule cleaning staff based on actual usage, rather than fixed timetables. Concurrently, Butlr’s platform tracks foot traffic, occupancy, and overall office utilization, providing a comprehensive understanding of space dynamics.

This combined data empowers building and facilities management teams with a complete picture of how spaces are being used. With Butlr’s deep insights into a building’s responsiveness based on human interactions, complemented by DT’s granular data on desk, area, and workspace intelligence, decision-makers can more effectively schedule maintenance, adjust HVAC settings, allocate staff, and evaluate assets.

Stuart Ferrell, Head of Revenue at Butlr, added, “Different environments require different sensing approaches. Through this partnership, customers can access and operationalize data from Butlr and Disruptive Technologies sensors directly in the Butlr platform, providing a single, trusted system to monitor occupancy and automate workflows with confidence. This collaboration reflects a broader shift toward privacy-first occupancy intelligence that enables smarter operations, greater efficiency, and measurable business impact.”