From the very beginning, Alert Labs set out to make things easier. Whether for building managers, property owners, or their own team, the goal was always to create solutions that customers would love to use and a company that people wanted to be part of.
Alert Labs was founded in 2015, emerging from the collaborative culture of the Kitchener-Waterloo tech ecosystem. The company is proud to be part of a community with a long history of talented researchers, designers, and developers who create products with real-world impact.
The Accelerator Centre and Communitech technology hubs provided an ideal environment for early growth, replete with expert mentorship where prototypes could be built and tested all while getting the attention of key industry players.
The founding concept was simple. Create an effective solution to address the costly and widespread issue of water damage and waste in commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings. The team focused on developing IoT sensors and a cloud-based platform that are easy to install, operate independent of Wi-Fi, and would provide building operators with real-time insights and alerts. This approach, which combines simplicity, robust data, and reliability, sets Alert Labs apart and led to early adoption from property managers, insurers, and organizations throughout North America.
“Being part of the Kitchener-Waterloo tech community has always been and continues to be essential to our company,” says Kevin Wright, Chief Architect and Cofounder of Alert Labs. “The wealth of talent and the collaborative environment here helped us move quickly from concept to market. And the support from local partners and customers helped us greatly as we scaled up.”
Alert Labs simple installation and ease of use have made their products a big win for our facilities management and corporate sustainability teams.”
– City of Kitchener –
Today, Alert Labs AlertAQ™ water intelligence platform and IoT water sensors include the FLOODIE flood sensor and water leak detector, FLOWIE water flow sensors, HUMIE humidity and temperature sensor, Sensor Relay communication hub, and SHUTTIE automatic water shut-off valves. To date, these products are installed in over 14,000 buildings. Customers have saved more than $150 million in water costs, conserved over 15 billion gallons of water, and prevented more than 150,000 metric tonnes of carbon emissions.
The company is committed to local manufacturing, with products assembled onsite just steps away from the people that design, sell, and support them. Customers benefit from quick order fulfillment and a team that stands behind every product they make.
Recognized with awards such as Deloitte Technology Fast 50™ Clean Technology innovator, the BGIS Global Innovation Supplier Award, and Insurance Business Magazine’s 5-Star Technology and Software Provider, Alert Labs stands out for its scalable, cellular-connected solutions that can be rapidly deployed across large portfolios of commercial properties.
“Commercial buildings face unique challenges when it comes to water management,” says Bob Wasserman, CEO of Alert Labs. “Our platform gives building teams the tools they need to act fast, avoid costly damage, and operate more sustainably. Our technology is about delivering peace of mind and protecting the places where we live and work.
Alert Labs solutions work in any building with running water, including: office towers, apartment complexes, condos, schools, hospitals, warehouses, data centers, and construction sites. This flexibility allows organizations to protect their assets, lower costs, and meet sustainability goals, regardless of building type or location.
Since joining Watsco Inc. (NYSE: WSO) in 2018, North America’s largest HVAC/R distributor, Alert Labs has also been innovating in the HVAC analytics space. By partnering with academic and industry leaders to develop smart HVAC monitoring solutions, Alert Labs is uncovering new ways to optimize business operations and make the millions of HVAC systems across North America more energy efficient.
Looking ahead, Alert Labs continues to invest in AI-powered analytics, user-friendly design, and scalable solutions to help organizations save water, reduce costs, and build a more resilient future. As Wasserman puts it, “We’re proud of our role in the Kitchener-Waterloo ecosystem, and we’re committed to making smart water management accessible to every building, everywhere.”
A decade later, that founding promise of simplicity still guides Alert Labs. The company continues to maintain its roots in Kitchener-Waterloo and supports a growing team of remote workers across North America. Every sensor, every platform update, and every customer interaction is about making things just work: simply, reliably, and with a team that loves what they do. Making life easier and greener isn’t just a feature. It’s the reason Alert Labs exists.
