This document discusses urbanization trends, climate change challenges cities face, and opportunities for startups focused on improving cities. It introduces Urban.us, which invests in urban technology startups working in areas like transportation, infrastructure, energy, and public services. Urban.us' investment thesis is based on cities being at the forefront of solving global issues and some of the most valuable companies emerging from addressing city challenges. The document highlights several of Urban.us' portfolio companies developing technologies to help cities use energy more efficiently, enhance infrastructure and construction, and improve water management, transportation, and disaster response.

1. B2B
B2G
B2C
Urbantech Unicorns and Where to Find Them
Stonly Baptiste
Partner & Co-Founder

2. 2019 Los Angeles as envisioned in
1982

3. WHAT G GOT WRONG
+ Polaroid
+ Atari
+ Bell Telephones (now ATT)
+ RCA (now part of GE)
+ No Internet
+ No Smartphones

4. WHAT GOT RIGHT
+ Climate change
+ Urbanization
+ AI tech policy challenges
+ Economic opportunity
+ Homelessness
+ Law enforcement
+ Mobility challenges

5. What we envision when we think of cities

6. Aivaris
Zukis
What we envision when we think of the future of cities

7. What some cities actually look like

9. GlobalUrbanPopulation
2B
4B
6B
1990 GHG
EU Emissions
Benchmark 2030 GHG
EU Target
1950 2000 2025
2050 GHG
EU Target
1975
Today
Urban population growth vs climate change goals
Cities are currently responsible for 75% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Even as
we attempt to drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions, urban populations are set to
double (EU GHG targets used for illustrative purposes)
Increased population density in cities offers new opportunities to decrease per capita
energy use and associated emissions, but it also leads to related needs in areas
ranging from security to resilience.
2050

11. Crisis

12. Cities Are Climate Change
the answer to
^

13. We need density.
GOOD
^

14. Virtually all of society’s problems are problems
that both originate in the cities and are being
solved there.
- Michael Bloomberg

15. Reduce Energy
Use in Buildings
Provide Clean
Available Water
Create Economic
Opportunities
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinboke/
Reduce Traffic
Congestion
Climate & urbanization will also make old problems
harder.
Provide Better
Public Safety
MORE
PEOPLE
LOWER GHG
EMISSIONS
MORE FUNDING
Cities represent Challenges and Opportunities

16. A Hierarchy Of
Urban Needs

17. It’s hard to predict solutions
Blade Runner used the wrong signals

18. The real insight about tech? Little bets.

19. My co-founder,
Shaun
Abrahamson

20. WHY URBAN.US EXISTS
We invest in startups that make cities better.
We launched in 2013 with an investment thesis based on three insights:
+ Global cities are at the heart of humanity’s grand challenges.
+ Urbantech startups are an emerging and untapped investment category
from which some of the most valuable companies will emerge.
+ Expert Networks can be leveraged to lower execution risk and to
increase access to high-quality early stage opportunities.
We believe that some of the most valuable startups will be built to solve city
challenges in the coming decade.
We aim to work with our expert network to find the most promising
opportunities and then support the teams to scale and secure follow-on
funding.

21. OUR FOCUS
We invest in startup opportunities with the following attributes:
+ Potential to positively impact 100 cities within 5 years.
+ Have a clear mission that can attract great talent.
+ Serve city agencies, businesses, or consumers.
+ If initially successful, will have multiple adjacent opportunities.

22. WHY STARTUPS
2000 20501975 2025
NumberofCities
400
200
1950
Cities with Uber
Cities with
subways
Sources: Embarq, Uber
UBER: Changes how we move around
cities. Valued at $50b at 6 years old.
San Francisco, CA.
NEST: Reduces heating & cooling costs by
over 10%. Acquired by Google for $3.2b at
4 years old. Palo Alto, CA.
WAZE: Improves navigation through
traffic. Acquired by Google in 2013 for
$1.3b at 5 years old. Ra’anana, Israel.
SOLARCITY: Provides solar power to over
200,000 customers. Valued at ~$5b at 9
years old. San Mateo, CA.
Consider how we move around cities. Metro systems have made steady progress since the 1950s,
whereas bike sharing systems grew rapidly from nothing to about 500 cities. But ridesharing
growth is unprecedented. Source: Embarq
NOW

23. A Hierarchy Of
Urban Needs

24. IBM’s Rio Command Center
Government Response.
Citizen Response.
Rapidly Expanding
Urbantech Startup
Universe

25. OUR PORTFOLIO
RESOURCE & BUILT ENVIRONMENT
commercial and residential real estate,
mapping, infrastructure, waste, energy,
water, air
Example: Kiwi.ki sells to building
managers, but logistics providers and
consumers are beginning to pay, too.
TRANSPORTATION & LOGISTICS
public transit, personal mobility,
automotive, traffic, distribution,
reverse logistics
Example: Rachio sells to consumers but
benefits muni water systems who often
subsidize installs.
CIVIC & ADMINISTRATION
public works, security, public safety,
regulatory, communications, social
services, sharing systems, voting
Example: 1Concern sells to government,
but the technology will benefit home
insurance companies as well.
B2B
B2GArchitizer
BRCK
BlocPower
BikeSpike
Rachio
Skycatch
Seamless Docs
HandUp
Future
MotionFlair
Radiator Labs
Valet
Anywhere
Revivn
Dash Labs
Kiwi.ki
Mark43
B2C
Customers include businesses, consumers, and local governments because
purchases by one group often generate additional benefits for others.

26. Better communities

27. Better Energy Use

28. SKYCATCH / DRONES TO AUTOMATE
CONSTRUCTION

29. RACHIO / SPRINKLERS THAT AUTOMAGICALLY
CUT WATER USE BY 40%

30. ONEWHEEL / TRANSPORT THAT FITS IN A
BACKPACK

31. ARCHITIZER / BETTER, FASTER, CHEAPER
SOURCING FOR COMMERCIAL ARCHITECTS

32. NIBI / INDOOR VERTICAL FARMS FOR QUALITY,
VARIETY, RESILIENCY AND (EVENTUALLY) PRICE

33. ONECONCERN / REAL TIME EARTHQUAKE
DAMAGE PREDICTIONS

34. ECOMO.IO / REAL TIME WATER QUALITY
MEASUREMENT

35. B2B
B2G
B2C
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@StonlyB
linkedin.com/in/stonly