Gradient just turned ordinary window heat pumps into a building-wide smart HVAC network. The climate tech startup exclusively told TechCrunch it's rolling out Nexus, software that links every window unit in multifamily buildings to give managers control without sacrificing comfort. One building saw energy consumption drop 25% overnight after setting heating limits at 78°F. It's a direct play for New York City's aging housing stock, where boilers are dying and traditional retrofits cost a fortune.
Gradient is making a calculated bet that America's oldest buildings don't need to be torn down - they just need smarter windows. The startup just unveiled Nexus, a software platform that transforms its horseshoe-shaped window heat pumps from individual units into a coordinated building-wide system. The move positions Gradient to capture a massive retrofit market that traditional HVAC companies have largely ignored.
"Multifamily buildings are an ignored sector," Vince Romanin, chief technology officer at Gradient, told TechCrunch in an exclusive interview. "It's a place where we can do better for the user."
The timing couldn't be better. New York City alone has thousands of buildings with steam boilers reaching end of life, and the cost of traditional HVAC retrofits can run into millions. Gradient's window units install in hours, not weeks, and don't require the electrical upgrades that typically blow up retrofit budgets. Now with Nexus, building managers get centralized control over every unit without ripping out walls or rewiring buildings constructed when Teddy Roosevelt was president.
The software addresses a problem that's plagued old buildings forever. When you've got one electric meter for an entire building, residents have zero incentive to conserve energy. Crank the heat to 85°F in winter? Sure, it's included in rent. Nexus flips that dynamic by letting managers set temperature guardrails while still giving residents enough control to stay comfortable. In one early deployment, a building manager set the heating limit at 78°F and watched energy consumption drop by a quarter the next day.
