Butlr
Butlr sells anonymous occupancy detection systems that use body heat sensors and AI to track workplace traffic without identifying individuals. The company has raised $75M, most recently in a Series B round in July 2025, and employs 94 people. Butlr makes sensors and software that detect human presence in workplaces using body heat, avoiding cameras or other identity-capturing methods. Its systems help companies optimize space usage and operations. The firm has raised $75M in venture funding, including a Series B in mid-2025, and employs nearly 100 people. Butlr's engineering team makes up its largest function, with 8 employees. The company is led by founders from MIT Media Lab and has attracted investment from firms like Carrier and 500 Global. Butlr hires heavily from MIT Media Lab, Columbia University, and companies like Density and Flex. Alumni have gone on to roles at Cerebras, Temasek, and Hyperplane. Butlr alumni have founded at least one company, YonoSIM, which also employs another former Butlr staffer.
The growth story
Butlr grew from 37 to 94 employees between 2021 and 2026, raising $75M along the way, most recently a Series B in July 2025.
About
Butlr is the world’s first and only 100% anonymous occupancy sensing and detection platform that helps enterprises all over the world improve their workplace planning and optimize their operations. Using just body heat, occupancy sensors and advanced AI technologies, Butlr understands presence and traffic without capturing any identities, ever.
Founders and leadership
The Butlr org chart
Honghao Deng (Chief Executive Officer, Co-founder) leads 35 mapped leaders with 10 direct reports. Click +N to expand a team; names link to the person’s public profile.
Departments, and which ones grew
Headcount by function: Entrepreneurship 18 (0% YoY), Engineering 13 (-32% YoY), Information Technology 8 (+100% YoY), Program and Project Management 7 (-12% YoY), Customer Success and Support 6 (+20% YoY), Operations 6 (0% YoY).
Talent flow
Most common previous employers of Butlr staff: Density (4), MIT Media Lab (3), Columbia University (3), Flex (3), Noda (2), Qualtrics (2). Former Butlr employees most often moved to Cerebras (1), Temasek (1), I3D (1), Hyperplane (1), Fauna (1), National Gallery of Art (1).
Alumni worth knowing
Web traffic
Traffic mix: 0% direct, 0% search, 0% social, 0% paid.
What this company is made of
Most common skills at Butlr: Management (28), Microsoft Office (26), Leadership (25), Business Strategy (24), Project Management (22), Strategy (22), Microsoft Excel (20), Business Development (20).
Where the team actually sits
Butlr people are concentrated in California, United States (12), New York, United States (6), North Carolina, United States (5), United States (5).
Search footprint
Butlr attracts about 201 organic search visits a month, traffic worth roughly $1K a month if bought through ads. It gained 51 ranking keywords and lost 34 in the last period.
What employees say
- Compensation
- 4.30 / 5
- Career opportunities
- 4.80 / 5
- Senior management
- 4.60 / 5
- Work-life balance
- 4.40 / 5
Frequently asked
Butlr has 94 employees as of September 2026.
Butlr has raised $75M in total, most recently a Series B round in July 2025.
Butlr was founded in 2019 by Honghao Deng, Jiani Zeng.
Honghao Deng (Chief Executive Officer, Co-founder) sits at the top of Butlr's reporting structure, with 10 direct reports.
The most common previous employers of current Butlr staff are Density (4 people), MIT Media Lab (3 people), Columbia University (3 people).
Former Butlr employees most often move to Cerebras (1), Temasek (1), I3D (1).
Butlr attracts about 201 organic search visits a month, worth roughly $1K a month in equivalent ad spend.
The most common skills among Butlr staff are Management, Microsoft Office, Leadership, Business Strategy, Project Management.
Butlr staff are concentrated in California, United States (12), New York, United States (6), North Carolina, United States (5).
Butlr has about 18 people in Entrepreneurship, up 0% over the past year, as of September 2026.
Butlr has about 13 people in Engineering, down 32% over the past year, as of September 2026.
Computed from 55 current and 68 former Butlr profiles, as of September 2026. Source: Crustdata.
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