Latest news with #AlexLau
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
MRI Software Completes Acquisition of Anacle, a leading Singapore-based provider of Property and Facilities Management Solutions
Acquisition extends MRI's footprint in Asia; expands offerings for commercial real estate owners, operators, and tenants; drives scale with AI-powered innovations SYDNEY, June 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- MRI Software, a global leader in real estate solutions and services, announced that it has completed its acquisition of Singapore-based Anacle Systems Limited, a pioneer in commercial property management, facilities, digital workplace, energy, and asset management solutions. The acquisition delivers expanded capabilities and scale for the commercial, occupier, and residential markets across Asia Pacific, including the public and private sectors. The deal was initially announced in March and the take-private transaction has been completed. A Game-Changer for APAC's PropTech Ecosystem "This acquisition marks a major milestone in our APAC growth journey," said David Bowie, Executive Managing Director, APAC, MRI Software. "By combining Anacle's deep expertise in property management, smart infrastructure, sustainability, and government-grade lifecycle asset management with MRI's open, AI-powered platform, we are unlocking new levels of innovation, compliance, and operational insight for our clients." The strategic collaboration deepens MRI's longstanding client relationships in Singapore and expands its presence across Asia via Anacle's trusted client base and solutions tailored for complex, regulated environments. At the same time, Anacle clients gain access to MRI's broader global ecosystem—spanning property management, document intelligence, leasing, and analytics capabilities. Complementary Strengths Delivering Immediate Client Value Anacle's products will be enhanced with MRI's broader real estate and energy technology offerings. Together, the combined portfolio delivers solutions across Asia-Pacific for all property sectors. "This is a powerful collaboration," said Alex Lau, CEO of Anacle. "MRI brings the operational scale, innovation roadmap, and trusted global presence that will empower us to accelerate our product vision and deliver even more benefits to our clients across Asia. We're proud to join an organization that shares our dedication to the industry and aligns with our core values." An Enhanced Regional Presence with Global Support Anacle's headquarters in Singapore and diverse customer base across Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, China and other Asian countries expand MRI's presence in the region, giving clients across Asia-Pacific access to more regional talent, increased investment and product localisation—all while maintaining continuity of service. Anacle will continue to support its clients without interruption. About MRI SoftwareMRI Software is a leading provider of real estate software and services that transform the way communities live, work and play. MRI's open and connected, AI-powered platform enables owners, operators, agents and occupiers in commercial and residential property organisations to innovate in rapidly changing markets. A trailblazer in the PropTech industry, MRI serves more than 45,000 organisations across 170 countries. Through innovative solutions and a rich partner ecosystem, MRI gives real estate companies the freedom to realise their vision of building thriving communities and stronger businesses. MRI became one of the first real estate software providers to serve Australia and New Zealand in 1995 and continues to grow its client and employee footprint throughout the APAC region. For more information, please visit Media Contact Amber KeoghCommunications Snr Manager, MRI Software View original content: SOURCE MRI Software
TechCrunch
12-05-2025
- Business
- TechCrunch
InventWood is about to mass-produce wood that's stronger than steel
It sounds like the stuff of science fiction, but it actually comes from a lab in Maryland. In 2018, Liangbing Hu, a materials scientist at the University of Maryland, devised a way to turn ordinary wood into a material stronger than steel. It seemed like yet another headline-grabbing discovery that wouldn't make it out of the lab. 'All these people came to him,' said Alex Lau, CEO of InventWood, 'He's like, OK, this is amazing, but I'm a university professor. I don't know quite what to do about it.' Rather than give up, Hu spent the next few years refining the technology, reducing the time it took to make the material from more than a week to a few hours. Soon, it was ready to commercialize, and he licensed the technology to InventWood. Now, the startup's first batches of Superwood will be produced starting this summer. 'Right now, coming out of this first-of-a-kind commercial plant — so it's a smaller plant — we're focused on skin applications,' Lau said. 'Eventually we want to get to the bones of the building. Ninety percent of the carbon impact from buildings is concrete and steel in the construction of the building.' To build the factory, InventWood has raised $15 million in the first close of a Series A round. The round was led by the Grantham Foundation with participation from Baruch Future Ventures, Builders VC, and Muus Climate Partners, the company exclusively told TechCrunch. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you've built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | June 5 BOOK NOW InventWood's Superwood product starts with regular timber, which is mostly composed of two compounds, cellulose and lignin. The goal is to strengthen the cellulose already present in the wood. 'The cellulose nanocrystal is actually stronger than a carbon fiber,' Lau said. The company treats it with 'food industry' chemicals to modify the lignin in the wood, he said, and then compresses the result to increase the hydrogen bonds between cellulose molecules. 'We might densify the material by 4x and you might think, 'Oh, it'll be four times strong, because it has four times the fiber.' But it's actually more like 10 times stronger because of all these extra bonds that get created,' Lau said. The result is a material that has 50% more tensile strength than steel with a strength-to-weight ratio that's 10 times better, the company said. It's also Class A fire rated, or highly resistant to flame, and resistant to rot and pests. With some polymer impregnated, it can be stabilized for outdoor use like siding, decking, or roofing. InventWood's first products will be facade materials for commercial and high-end residential buildings, Lau said. Compressing the material also concentrates the colors. 'You end up with something that looks like these richer, tropical hardwoods,' he added. Ultimately, InventWood is planning to use wood chips to create structural beams of any dimension that won't need finishing. 'Imagine your I-beams look like this,' Lau said, holding up a sample of Superwood. 'They're beautiful, like walnut, ipe. These are the natural colors. We haven't stained any of this.' Topics buildings Climate construction materials Exclusive materials science Tim De Chant Senior Reporter, Climate Tim De Chant is a senior climate reporter at TechCrunch. He has written for a wide range of publications, including Wired magazine, the Chicago Tribune, Ars Technica, The Wire China, and NOVA Next, where he was founding editor. De Chant is also a lecturer in MIT's Graduate Program in Science Writing, and he was awarded a Knight Science Journalism Fellowship at MIT in 2018, during which time he studied climate technologies and explored new business models for journalism. He received his PhD in environmental science, policy, and management from the University of California, Berkeley, and his BA degree in environmental studies, English, and biology from St. Olaf College. View Bio May 13, 2025 London, England Get inside access to Europe's top investment minds — with leaders from Monzo, Accel, Paladin Group, and more — plus top-tier networking at StrictlyVC London. REGISTER NOW Most Popular Congressman is investigating fintech Ramp's attempt to win $25M federal contract Mercury's CEO formalizes bets on early-stage founders with a $26M fund Google launches new initiative to back startups building AI Saudi prince launches AI venture as Trump, Musk, Altman, and Zuckerberg arrive for conference Sam Altman apparently does not respect olive oil OpenAI's Stargate project reportedly struggling to get off the ground, thanks to tariffs GM taps Aurora co-founder for new chief product officer role Loading the next article Error loading the next article
TechCrunch
12-05-2025
- Business
- TechCrunch
InventWood is about to mass produce wood that's stronger than steel
It sounds like the stuff of science fiction, but it actually comes from a lab in Maryland. In 2018, Liangbing Hu, a materials scientist at the University of Maryland, had devised a way to turn ordinary wood into a material stronger than steel. It seemed like yet another headline grabbing discovery that wouldn't make it out of the lab. 'All these people came to him,' said Alex Lau, CEO of InventWood, 'He's like, OK, this is amazing, but I'm a university professor. I don't know quite what to do about it.' Rather than give up, Hu spent the next few years refining the technology, reducing the time it took to make the material from more than a week to a few hours. Soon, it was ready to commercialize, and he licensed the technology to InventWood. Now, the startup's first batches of Superwood will be produced starting this summer. 'Right now, coming out of the this first-of-a-kind commercial plant — so it's a smaller plant — we're focused on skin applications,' Lau said. 'Eventually we want to get to the bones of the building. Ninety percent of the carbon impact from buildings is concrete and steel in the construction of the building.' To build the factory, InventWood has raised $15 million in the first close of a Series A round. The round was led by the Grantham Foundation with participation from Baruch Future Ventures, Builders VC, and Muus Climate Partners, the company exclusively told TechCrunch. Techcrunch event Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you've built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you've built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | BOOK NOW InventWood's Superwood product starts with regular timber, which is mostly composed of two compounds, cellulose and lignin. The goal is to strengthen the cellulose already present in the wood. 'The cellulose nanocrystal is actually stronger than a carbon fiber,' Lau said. The company treats it with 'food industry' chemicals to modify the lignin in the wood, he said, and then compresses the result to increase the hydrogen bonds between cellulose molecules. 'We might densify the material by 4x and you might think, 'Oh, it'll be four times strong, because it has four times the fiber.' But it's actually more like 10-times stronger because of all these extra bonds that get created,' Lau said. The result is a material that has 50% more tensile strength than steel with a strength-to-weight ratio that's ten-times better, the company said. It's also Class A fire rated, or highly resistant to flame, and resistant to rot and pests. With some polymer impregnated, it can be stabilized for outdoor use like siding, decking, or roofing. InventWood's first products will be facade materials for commercial and high-end residential buildings, Lau said. Compressing the material also concentrates the colors. 'You end up with something that looks like these richer, tropical hardwoods,' he added. Ultimately, InventWood is planning to use wood chips to create structural beams of any dimension that won't need finishing. 'Imagine your I-beams look like this,' Lau said, holding up a sample of Superwood. 'They're beautiful, like walnut, ipe. These are the natural colors. We haven't stained any of this.'
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
MRI Software Announces Proposal to Take Private of Singapore-based Anacle
Proposal will expand MRI's presence in the Asia-Pacific real estate technology market and create future growth opportunities SYDNEY, March 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- MRI Software, a global leader in real estate solutions and services, announces its proposal to take private of Singapore-based Anacle ( a leading provider of digital workplace solutions, energy, facilities, property management, and real estate asset management solutions across Asia. "This acquisition delivers immediate value to the APAC real estate market and will enable Anacle to focus on future innovations for its property and energy management systems," said John Ensign, President of MRI Software. "MRI has served the APAC market for 30 years, and this transaction will expand our established footprint in the region, bolster our solution portfolio across Asia, and build on our existing foundation of successful client outcomes." Upon completion of the take-private transaction, Anacle will be delisted from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, which is anticipated to reduce the burden of administrative and compliance requirements for the company. Anacle's clients will benefit from greater access to MRI's comprehensive suite of global real estate software solutions in the global markets. "Since 2006, Anacle has been at the forefront of smart building technology in Singapore," commented Alex Lau, CEO, Anacle. "With the support of MRI's extensive resources, services, and expertise, we anticipate that this transaction will bolster our long-term business development and drive scalability for our solutions in the APAC region." About MRI Software MRI Software is a global provider of real estate software applications and hosted solutions. MRI's purpose-built software helps address the unique operational challenges and financial accounting requirements facing commercial and residential property management operators, property sales and lettings agencies, real estate investment managers and facilities management companies. MRI serves more than 45,000 organisations across 170 countries. Founded in 1971, MRI is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio with additional offices across the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, India and South Africa, as well as an extensive partner channel. For more information, please visit Media and Investor Contact Audrey NicollHead of APAC Marketing, MRI View original content: SOURCE MRI Software Sign in to access your portfolio
