Paris-based WeMaintain opens Manchester office

The property maintenance startup is expanding to the North of England to support its contract with KeolisAmey Metrolink, the operator of the Greater Manchester tram network.

Founded in 2017, WeMaintain provides technology, such as IoT sensors and software, in an effort to make building maintenance more efficient and transparent.

Based in France, the UK and Singapore, the company raised €30m in Series B funding in 2021 and now operates about 1,000 buildings worldwide. Manchester will be its fourth location globally.

In Manchester, WeMaintain will service 41 escalators and lifts throughout the network. The company first worked with KeolisAmey in London after striking a deal to provide maintenance tech to all London Docklands Light Railway stations.

Tom Harmsworth, UK managing director of WeMaintain, said: “We are thrilled to be expanding into Britain’s ‘Capital of the North’. Manchester was the first industrialised city in the world and can boast of having created the first inner-city railway and the country’s first working canal.  It is also determined to become net zero by 2038.

“This fits perfectly with our philosophy that decarbonisation goes hand in hand with innovations in smart technology that can be used to retrofit energy inefficient old buildings and build greener new ones.

“We look forward above all to working with the UK’s largest tram system, providing critical lift and escalator maintenance. We have extensive experience in rail and can’t wait to implement our IoT technology, driving innovation, efficiency and, most importantly, customer satisfaction.

“Once our technology is installed, we can furnish KAM with early warnings of potential equipment failure, allowing us to resolve this and other issues with unique speed.”

Ryan Jones, head of network presentation and facilities at KAM, said: “We are very pleased by the partnership with WeMaintain, creating local jobs and delivering an efficient, cost-effective solution for our customers.

“Manchester operates a busy metro service, with thousands of people relying on its functionality every day to commute to work and travel across the greater Manchester area. Our work with WeMaintain will ensure maintenance is carried out with minimal disruption to the service and at the best possible cost to the city.”