Occuspace Occupancy Intelligence Platform with Octi AI

Occuspace was founded in 2017 at UC San Diego by engineering students Nic Halverson and Linus Grasel, after struggling to find a free seat in the campus library. Its first product, the free student app Waitz, led UC San Diego to deploy the system across its portfolio. Occuspace now works with more than 100 organisations in North America and Europe covering 40+ million square feet, across corporate real estate, higher education and government.

The Data Platform measures traffic, occupancy, dwell time and availability without cameras or personal data. Plug-in Macro and Micro sensors scan for wireless signals, and machine learning filters outside signals and duplicates to convert activity into utilisation metrics; existing Wi-Fi access points can also serve as sensors. Data is available in a customer portal, through an API, and on digital signage or mobile apps. Octi AI is a natural-language assistant that answers questions about space performance.

• Macro and Micro sensors: Plug-in devices measure activity by scanning wireless signals, without cameras.
• Wi-Fi as a sensor: Existing access points supply occupancy data without new hardware.
• Data Platform: Traffic, occupancy, dwell time and availability metrics in a customer portal.
• Octi AI: Natural-language assistant answers questions about space performance.
• API and signage: Data exported by API to apps, digital signage and building systems.
• Privacy by design: No personally identifiable information collected; machine learning filters outside signals.

A university in Ho Chi Minh City can show students real-time library and study space availability in an app. A provincial administrative centre can measure meeting room and office use before planning new buildings. A corporate headquarters can link occupancy data to cleaning schedules and air conditioning to save energy.

Sensors install by plugging into a standard outlet, so no construction or cabling is needed, and the company claims 3-5 times lower total cost of ownership than other solutions. No cameras or personally identifiable information are collected, easing privacy concerns. Real-time availability data can be pushed to signage and apps for students or staff. Selection by the US GSA to help optimise 180+ million square feet of federal real estate shows readiness for large public portfolios.

Universities, governments and corporate occupiers are under pressure to justify building portfolios with measured utilisation rather than surveys. Privacy rules make camera-free sensing more acceptable. In Vietnam, expanding universities, government office complexes and corporate headquarters can use low-installation occupancy data to plan space and cut energy use, while Decree 13/2023 on personal data protection favours anonymous methods.

Founded in 2017 at UC San Diego by Nic Halverson (CEO) and Linus Grasel. Works with 100+ organisations in North America and Europe, including Google, Deloitte and UCLA. Selected by the US General Services Administration in August 2025 to help optimise 180+ million square feet of federal real estate.