Commercial real estate techcompanies went head-to-head once again for Tech Tank at GlobeStApartments. The shark tank-style round up features emergingtechnology companies presenting their unique concepts to investors.This year, Tech Tank included Iotas, SaltoSystems, ButterflyMX,Zerv and Starry. Each presenterwas given equal time to present and answer questions frominvestment judges.

Apartment video intercom system ButterflyMX kicked off thepanel. The system works as a digital key, package acceptance andmanages security and guests. The system can operate through aresident's smart phone for ease of use. It also keeps a timestampof entrants to enhance security, and it stores that timestamp for365 days. The judges asked about the security of the platform,including what information is available to people on the other end,like apartment numbers and full name. However, ButterflyMX is fullycustomizable, allowing users to hide personal information or evenuse a pseudonym.

Smart apartment system Iotas was the next presenter. The systemessentially integrates all smart devices, from smart lights topersonal assistant features. Iotas' main benefit is that thecompany takes care of system updates for the user to seamlesslyintegrate smart technology into an apartment home. In the casestudies noted during the presentation, apartment buildings tointegrate the system saw better leasing activity and an 8% increasein rents. The judges asked about the updates to the system itself.Iotas clarified that they only use tested hardware with at least a10-year life, and manages the software upgrades through itsplatform.