Technology Spotlight: An Interview with Spacemaze

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 Isabelle Lalami and Nadia Lalami, Co-Founders of Spacemaze.

Tell me a little bit about Spacemaze and your roles there…

Nadia: Here’s a bit about our organisation and my journey into this career path. We are a mother-daughter team who both worked at Spotify for six years; I served as the Global Head of Real Estate and Facilities. During my time at Spotify, I found myself overseeing 40 offices globally. We were drowning in a sea of furniture purchases worth millions of dollars. But here’s the catch – my team and I had no clue what we actually owned or where it was! For example, if I asked the office manager in London how many desks we had or what furniture was in storage, she had no idea and had to reactively go and count. This was a worldwide issue.

This lack of visibility led to unnecessary spending, overcrowded storage spaces, and negative environmental impacts due to constant furniture purchases without control of our resources.

I’ve been in the real estate management space my entire career. After leaving Spotify, we decided to start a company together and founded a tenant representation company called Spacemaker, which operated as a consultancy firm for five years. Through this work, we observed similar issues to those I faced during my time at Spotify.

Companies spent millions of dollars on furniture but had no system to keep track of it, leading to unnecessary purchases and inefficient management. Recognising these recurring challenges, we decided to develop a product to address them. That’s how Spacemaze started. We launched our first version about a year ago in Sweden, targeting mid-sized tech companies.

Looking a little closer at the technology, what problem does Spacemaze solve?

Isabelle: We offer an inventory management solution synced to an interactive floor plan, ideal for companies looking to optimise savings, minimise waste, and reduce their carbon footprint. With Spacemaze, you can easily see where everything is located, making it easier to reuse items instead of buying new ones. We provide QR codes that link the physical product to its digital twin, allowing you to scan a product using your smartphone. You can see real-time impact and generate sustainability and savings reports effortlessly.

What differentiates your product? How have you catered to the stakeholders it affects?

98% of all office furniture ends up in landfills, which is both costly for companies and harmful to the environment. Spacemaze helps companies save money and benefit the climate by promoting the reuse of office furniture.

Additionally, We’re the only digital platform linking your inventory to an interactive floor plan, enabling AI-driven scenario planning using your existing furniture.

Spacemaze has joined the Metaprop accelerator. How has this experience been?

Joining the Metaprop accelerator has been great for Spacemaze. The program has provided us with substantial support, especially since our network was predominantly in Sweden and not in the US. Our mentor in NY has facilitated crucial introductions and connections for us in the North American market. Additionally, we’ve gained valuable insights and knowledge from other successful companies in the accelerator.

Expanding our footprint in North America has been a positive experience, helping us grow and establish important connections.

What do you find the most challenging about the talent market right now specific to your industry?

The most challenging aspect of the talent market for us right now, as a startup, is our limited budget. It’s difficult to attract top talent when we can’t offer the competitive salaries that larger companies like Google can. We have to make the most of a small amount of money.

Additionally, with the rise of remote work, it’s hard to foster loyalty and dedication among team members who live in different countries. The lack of in-person interaction makes it challenging to build a strong, cohesive team culture. Ensuring that our team members are truly committed to our organization and not just focused on salary.

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.