Slack, the messaging software often used in offices and newsrooms, is investing in a real estate startup, the company announced Wednesday.
On May 23, the company announced that its Slack Fund had invested in six new startups, among them Aptly, a company that makes property management software.
“We created the fund to support teams building products on top of Slack that enable simpler, more pleasant, and more productive workplaces,” said Brad Armstrong, vice president of business and corporate development at Slack. “By streamlining communication for real estate managers and optimizing property performance, Aptly improves work flows for managers of any kind of real estate.”
The Slack Fund is an $80 million fund used for seed investment. Specific details of how much money was invested into each startup were not revealed, and a spokesperson declined to answer questions about the funding.
Slack’s move comes as part of a larger investment in companies that use tech to create software for office and professional communication. The company also invested in Clara, a company that helps organize online meetings, and LearnMetrics, a startup working on technology for schools and universities.
Launched in 2017, Aptly developed a cloud system that helps apartment, building, commercial and other property managers communicate with residents, vendors and other customers. Like Slack, Aptly’s products work as an intra-company mailbox in which members of the same workspace can exchange everything from messages to photos online.
“The Slack Fund exists to support teams building products on top of Slack that span a variety of industries from technology to education to finance,” Armstrong said. “By having a diverse set of applications available on our platform, Slack becomes more powerful and useful for a broader set of customers. We believe in the team at Aptly and their ability to make conversations with a resident, vendor or teammate more personal and productive than ever before.”
