Technology Spotlight: An Interview with Nakisa
By Emma Callahan

As part of Beaumont Bailey’s mission to connect founders, innovators and key players that make up the fabric of our industry, our latest Technology Spotlight series highlights the successes of our incredible members and wider network. In this instalment, we speak with Ashwath Muralidharan, Director of Business Development and Strategy at Nakisa.
Ashwath is a technologist with over a decade of experience in the commercial real estate space. He specialises in guiding large enterprises through efficient software selection, successful execution of technology strategies, and change. Born in India, Ashwath holds a master’s degree in engineering management from Duke University and he is also a Go-to-Market advisor to emerging global B2B SaaS startups from India.
Tell me a little bit about Nakisa and your role there…
Certainly! Nakisa is a B2B SaaS company with a vision to be the trusted partner for large enterprises worldwide in Real Estate, HR and Finance. Our mission is to bring together the brightest minds with diverse backgrounds to innovate across our three lines of business. We’ve been in operation for over 20 years, initially starting as a SAP Solution Extension Partner for HR solutions. Since then, we’ve expanded our product portfolio to cover Lease Administration, Capital Investments and Budgeting, and most recently Workforce Planning and IWMS for the largest enterprise customers on Cloud.
Our growth has been accelerated through the recent strategic acquisition of a leading Canada-based corporate real estate software company, integrating contract management capabilities into our platform. We’ve also transitioned our platform entirely to the cloud, leveraging a microservices architecture for quick deployments across large enterprises, setting us apart from legacy enterprise software.
This year holds particular significance for Nakisa, as we celebrate 20 years of excellence in the market. It’s a milestone year for both Nakisa and me personally as I complete 10 years in the North America B2B SaaS space.
With significant time spent in corporate real estate technology, including pivotal roles at RealFoundations and Ernst & Young (EY) in the US, I’ve gained valuable insights into Fortune 1000 companies’ portfolio level needs and pain points. Interestingly, it was during my time at EY that I encountered Nakisa and recognised the company’s unique strengths with enterprise software: cloud-nativity, rapid implementation cycles, time-to-value, and top-notch user experience. This is what made me join Nakisa and want to be part of its transformation journey.
Now, as Nakisa undergoes strategic change into a Product-Led organisation, preparing for three Product Portfolio launches – Nakisa IWMS, Nakisa Workforce Planning, and Nakisa Accounting – I’m leading strategy and business development for the IWMS portfolio. Having observed first-hand the demand-supply gaps with IWMS, I’m confident in Nakisa’s ability to disrupt the market with our strong technology infrastructure and skilled team of professionals.
Looking a little closer at the technology, what problem does Nakisa solve?
One of the primary challenges we address is the lack of innovation within legacy applications, which stifles flexibility and the ability to adapt to evolving market demands. Traditional real estate systems not only involve complex and custom integrations that are cumbersome to implement but also lead to protracted upgrade cycles. This scenario drastically limits agility and hinders the introduction of innovative solutions.
In contrast, Nakisa’s platform and products, built on a scalable microservice architecture, offer rapid deployments and easy configurations, embodying our commitment to innovation. Nakisa’s products are designed to provide clients with the flexibility, scalability and speed essential for thriving in today’s dynamic digital environment. Beyond innovation, we enhance value through bi-annual upgrades, managed services and on-demand fixes, all included in our annual license fees, significantly lowering the total cost of ownership, and improving price transparency over the product lifecycle.
Integration is at the core of Nakisa’s platform and one of our key advantages. By offering native bi-directional integrations into leading ERPs like SAP, Workday, and Oracle – Nakisa can automate data management without heavy integration development cycles.
Nakisa stands out by providing solutions that minimise technical debt, enabling rapid innovation cycles. Our infrastructure facilitates swift development and deployment of features across our product lines. For instance, our search and notification features, integral to user experience, are built to be product-agnostic across our portfolios. This reduces implementation and upgrade cycles and helps eliminate the risk of over-customisation and isolation of our products from future releases for our customers.
As a nimble organisation with a strong focus on technology, Nakisa boasts a substantial workforce of software engineers and R&D experts – making up more than 50% of our global staff. This technological prowess empowers us to tackle diverse challenges effectively and efficiently.
In essence, Nakisa’s commitment to innovation, agile development practices and seamless integrations sets us apart in the market, addressing critical pain points and empowering enterprises to make informed decisions swiftly and efficiently.
How have you seen this industry change over the years and where do you predict it is heading?
Over the past several years, the integrated workplace management software (IWMS) industry has undergone significant transformation, driven by evolving workplace dynamics and technological advancements. As we navigate these changes, Nakisa has been at the forefront, redefining the landscape with our innovative solutions.
Since joining Nakisa seven months ago, I’ve focused on disrupting the conventional notion of IWMS by leveraging our strengths and addressing emerging needs. Rather than attempting to develop every product in-house, we’ve doubled down on key areas where we can make a substantial impact.
IWMS initially evolved from CAFM solutions for facilities management. Over the past decade, there was a notable investment surge in portfolio management, particularly lease administration and accounting, where IWMS began to be viewed as the ERP of real estate. Interestingly, Nakisa was among the firsts to introduce a dedicated lease accounting solution in 2015.
Recently, with the onset of the pandemic and the subsequent shift to hybrid work models, the industry’s focus has shifted towards effective space and facilities management. This includes specialised products tailored for hybrid and remote work environments, emphasising space utilisation, occupancy monitoring and built environment health.
In response to the evolving landscape, Nakisa has strategically developed three Product Suites to define our IWMS portfolio.
At the forefront is our Portfolio Management Suite, which emphasises the financial and operational aspects of managing fixed assets, ensuring compliance, accuracy, and security. This Suite, designed for contract administration and accounting, leverages our robust Finance Core to facilitate essential functions such as general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable and financial reporting. Through this focus, we aim to provide comprehensive solutions that meet the demands of the modern workplace.
The second Suite is Capital Projects, with a unique emphasis on commercial assets. By incorporating features such as site selection, scenario analysis and project management, we address the diverse needs of industries like retail, manufacturing and banking. Here too, our strong Finance Core forms a strong foundation, empowering organisations to make informed decisions regarding large capital developments and improvements.
The third Suite and another critical area of focus for Nakisa is Facilities Management. Our products in this domain are designed to centralise asset-parts inventory, as well as work order management. Furthermore, we recognise the importance of integrating data from space and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) applications into our platform. Leveraging our API capabilities, we aim to establish a robust infrastructure for data exchange, enabling specialised applications to utilise this information for nuanced purposes like spatial health and ESG reporting. It’s essential to emphasise that our approach to Facilities Management is distinct from current IWMS definitions. Rather than attempting to develop every product traditionally associated with IWMS, we are leveraging our Open Cloud Platform to function as a data aggregator from our products for Projects, Portfolio and Assets and third-party solutions for Space and ESG.
What do you find most challenging about the talent market right now specific to your industry?
The talent market in the PropTech industry is challenging, especially given the need for specialised skills amidst a rapidly evolving technological landscape.
We face the task of finding talent that not only grasps our technology stack but also deeply understands the commercial real estate (CRE) sector. As our product range grows and the industry transforms, we aim to hire individuals committed to our mission of transforming Real Estate, Finance and HR through innovation and strategic alliances.
To attract and retain top talent, competing with the giants, we focus on pioneering advanced solutions while fostering an environment where our employees enjoy their work and fearlessly try new things. Recognising our strengths in PropTech, we emphasise recruitment in niche areas, seeking candidates with industry knowledge and a readiness to embrace technology in a sector traditionally resistant to change, yet now urgently requiring innovation to meet the evolving demands of work and workspace.
If you would like to discuss any of the topics raised in this piece or if you need support with your leadership resourcing strategy, please get in touch with Emma Callahan on: emma.callahan@beaumontbailey.com