Image credit: Mapiq
Delft, the Netherlands-based Mapiq, a smart office technology that optimises workspace usage enabling a better workday experience, announced that it has raised €10M in a fresh round of funding from London-based Rinkelberg Capital.
Back in April 2020, Energy innovation fund – ENERGIIQ, informal investors and existing shareholders jointly invested €3.4M in Mapiq.
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How will the funds be used?
The raised capital will help the company to strengthen its market position as well as expand its software platform services internationally. Mapiq allows organisations to make more efficient and flexible use of their office space and facilities, thereby increasing employee satisfaction, saving costs, and reducing CO2 emissions.
According to a report, buildings account for about 40 per cent of the total energy use in Europe, and for about 36 per cent of the EU’s total CO2 emissions.
Speaking about the development, Sander Schutte, CEO of Mapiq says, “Any organisation worldwide with plans to optimise its real estate has become a potential Mapiq customer due to the increasing need for hybrid working models. This capital injection enables us to meet this growing demand, develop new products, and further expand our market leadership position (inter)nationally.”
“Create a future-proof work environment with our smart office technology”
As traditional offices are not yet equipped to facilitate the new way of working, it hampers productivity and leaves space underutilised. And this is where Mapiq comes into play. Founded in 2013 by Sander Schutte and Jasper Schuurmans, Mapiq helps to optimise your workspace, to uncover the full potential of your people with the help of a unified cloud-platform.
Mapiq broke through in 2014 through its partnership with Deloitte, which rolled out the Mapiq platform in its energy-neutral office building The Edge in Amsterdam. The company now claims it is a leader in the international smart office market, with operations in twenty countries.
Besides Deloitte, some of its other clients include PwC, AkzoNobel, Heineken, KPMG, ENGIE, Unilever, and Microsoft.
How the pandemic resulted in growth
Since the pandemic crisis, work from home has become the ‘new normal’. And now that the lockdown in most countries is easing in, people have started to work from offices. In this regard, the need for hybrid working has risen. A hybrid workplace model is an arrangement where employees come to the office occasionally and complete the rest of the task by working from home depending on their convenience.
The Delft-based company reported that the increasing need for hybrid working led to the development of a new functionality that allows employees to book shifts in the office together with colleagues. By setting a maximum capacity, companies can thus monitor and gradually optimise their office occupancy. At the same time it also allows employees to return to the office safely. Mapiq has already booked more than 1 million shifts worldwide.
This growth was driven in part by the increasing need for hybrid working due to the pandemic, which ultimately led Mapiq to achieve 200 per cent revenue growth last year. Mapiq claims that its smart technology efficiently enables this flexible form of working.
Sander Schutte says, “If you wish to get the best out of your people, build a workplace for well-being. We’re here to give responsible leaders the tools to do just that.” This vision of Mapiq aligns with the new needs arising from the pandemic such as flexibility and autonomy in office use by employees.
With Mapiq’s platform, employees have everything they need in the office. For example, they can reserve a parking space, find available workstations near their colleagues, or spontaneously book a meeting room that best suits their activity. Organisations therefore gain detailed insight into the use of their smart office. By monitoring which zones and facilities are used most frequently, they can set up their office more efficiently and also respond to constantly changing accommodation needs.
About the investor
Rinkelberg Capital is the investment office for the founders of TomTom. Through capital injections, Rinkelberg actively supports a wide range of entrepreneurs in growing their businesses and achieving their vision and goals. For example, Rinkelberg invested in Takeaway.com, Ace&Tate, Spotify, Facebook and Econic, among others.
Marc Slendebroek, CEO Rinkelberg Capital says, “Now that companies and employees are reimagining the office and work life after the pandemic, Mapiq’s technology offers the solution. Mapiq makes offices efficient and attractive for employees. The potential is enormous; it is now time to take the next step, which is further expansion worldwide. Given the growth ambitions and the quality of the driven Mapiq team, we look forward to working together to take the company to the next phase.”
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