NEW YORK CITY—Web-based commercial real estate management platform Hightower has secured financial backing from some A list real estate investors—Newmark Grubb Knight Frank Corp.; Barry Sternlicht, CEO of Starwood Capital Group; Bill Rudin, CEO of Rudin Management Co. and returning investor Aaron Levie, CEO of Box.

The New York City-based company did not divulge the amount of financing provided by its new investors but noted that to date Hightower has raised $22 million in venture capital backing, including funding from institutional investors such as RRE Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners and Thrive Capital.

The firm was founded in 2013 and launched its cloud-based platform last year. The company states the commercial leasing platform is now being used by thousands of brokers and owners in every major US market. In the coming months, Hightower plans to invest in scaling its team, accelerating its product development, establishing its international footprint as well as bringing industry-first features to the Hightower platform, company officials state.

“Commercial owners and brokers are transforming the way they work with Hightower, and we're thrilled to see the attention it is receiving from these strategic investors because it demonstrates a commitment from thought leaders in the industry,” states Brandon Weber, CEO of Hightower. “We're excited to accelerate the adoption and development of our platform with the help of industry leaders that believe in our ability to deliver real innovation to commercial real estate.

Rudin gave a nice endorsement of Hightower's platform in a prepared statement. “We took a good look at the various options in the market and truly felt that Hightower offered the best platform for our business,” he states. “We have observed Hightower's growth within the industry, and we are excited to be involved in that growth as a strategic partner."

On May 19th, Hightower announced it had raised $13 million in Series B funding. RRE Ventures led the funding round with participation from Bessemer Venture Partners, Thrive Capital, and Pritzker Group Venture Capital.