Our latest post in the JLL Spark investor series is a feature on Sean Wright, JLL Spark’s Investment Principal covering the EMEA region. Originally from the United States, he is based in Germany where he has lived and worked for many years. His investment career began in private equity before becoming an entrepreneur and eventually moving into venture capital.
The commercial leasing space is being reshaped by shifting occupier demands, rising expectations for speed and data transparency, and the breakthrough potential of AI. To meet this moment, JLL has built a unique innovation engine—pairing internal product and development expertise with a dedicated corporate venture arm.
The institutionalization of commercial real estate (CRE) as a global asset class has brought unprecedented opportunities – and complexities – to investment management. At Dealpath, we recognized early on the critical need for a purpose-built technology platform to navigate this evolving landscape.
In this JLL Spark investor feature, Partner Laurent Grill shares how his experience as an entrepreneur equips him to be a better investor, compassionate to the challenges of building a company from the ground up while maintaining a high level of strategic fit for each investment.
Corporate real estate management, encompassing the oversight of an enterprise’s physical locations worldwide, is undergoing a major shift. The pressure to manage real estate portfolios and workplaces in a more agile and cost-effective manner, without sacrificing user experience, is driving this change. Ever since the outbreak of COVID-19, leaders in the sector face the challenge of balancing these opposing demands, as offices are pressured more than ever to become centers of value creation, supporting growth, revenue, and talent acquisition. Technology plays a critical role in enabling this new paradigm.
For decades, data centers quietly powered the digital world behind the scenes. That era is over. As artificial intelligence (AI) transforms industries and infrastructure, these once-hidden facilities are becoming central to the conversation. In 2025, the focus is no longer on simply expanding data centers but on reimagining them from the ground up.
Continuing our JLL Spark investor series, Principal Ajey Kaushal shares his insights on CRE-focused venture capital – what he looks for in a startup and why an investment from JLL Spark brings unique value to a PropTech startup. Ajey brings a wealth of knowledge and humor to his investments and board roles which include qbiq, Sertis, Ren Systems, Re-Leased, and ALICE Technologies.
qbiq Co-founder and CEO Leeor Solnik shares his company’s journey from ideation to industry disruptor. With its partnership with JLL Spark, qbiq is fast becoming an industry standard for real estate deals.
Property management, the oversight and administration of real estate assets, is undergoing a profound transformation driven by technological advancements. This shift is not only improving operational efficiency but also enhancing the experience for all stakeholders involved in the real estate ecosystem.
Erlinda Arriola is a Senior Investment Associate at JLL Spark Global Ventures and the newest member of the Spark investor team. With her extensive and diverse background as a VC investor, we sat down with Erlinda to gather her views on the PropTech landscape.
