Founder story

David grew up in Templemore, a town in Ireland’s County Tipperary. The Walsh family boasts a long and proud history of business ownership in their native Ireland for over 200 years. While growing up, his parents instilled in him the importance of customer service, integrity and ambition in successfully running a business.

David studied a Bachelor of Computer Science at Griffith College in Dublin. He then worked across Ireland and Germany as a Systems Engineer for SAP and Intel, and as a Director of Technical Services for a design, building and property company.

Due to economic restrictions in Ireland and the GFC, David quit his job and emigrated his family to Sydney in 2009. With two young children and just $5,000 to his name, it was a daring move, but one filled with promise. In search of new opportunities and a better life, David’s wife and children embraced the Australian adventure as economic migrants. Arriving with nowhere to live, they managed to rent a leaky apartment and collect furniture that had been left out on the street.

With an interest in property and sustainable energy consumption, David found a job as a commercial manager in environmental hardware, software, and consulting services. Before long, David’s affinity for problem-solving sparked a lightbulb moment. He spotted a ‘black hole’ in the way energy data was being used within buildings, prompting the need for technology and automation to drive efficiency. He identified that companies were data-rich but information poor, and there was no focus on finding or fixing the root cause of wastage.

In 2015, he started CIM, bootstrapping the company with only $1,300 in capital and a fierce desire to bring his vision to life. David and university colleague Colin Cullinan, with a background in systems architecture, built the first iteration of CIM’s revolutionary software. Working at night stuffing satchels for a freight company, David worked tirelessly to refine the early product and sold it door-to-door during the day.

Determined to grow CIM organically, David built the product and revenue stream well before bringing in more people and venture funding. It was this dedicated ‘founder mentality’ that developed a fierce resilience and passion that reverberates around the present-day company.

As the vision became closer and closer to fruition, David was able to share his passion to secure some of Australia’s best and brightest talent – people who had already enjoyed huge success in their own right but felt captivated by David’s vision. Galvanised around a common purpose, David has been able to curate an impressive team of highly experienced industry professionals.

The leadership team consists of proven senior executives with experience at the likes of Atlassian, Xero, SafetyCulture, Johnson & Johnson, and an army of passionate individuals spanning software engineers, marketers, HR, and customer success professionals.

Now a well-established start-up, CIM has continued to go from strength to strength. At the centre of CIM’s proposition is the PEAK Platform – a powerful building analytics tool that supercharges property operations. The innovative technology empowers property teams to work smarter and more collaboratively – generating significant operational efficiencies across an entire portfolio. Critical operational activities are automated and the completion of key tasks are accelerated by leveraging digital workflows across the entire supply chain.

David and the team have developed facilitated digital transformations for building owners and operators all over the world – across commercial, retail, airports, museums, and manufacturing facilities. CIM’s customer base spans large Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), super funds, government, cultural institutions and more.

As a founder, David believes the key to success is to find a market niche that demands to be filled. Believe in your vision, swallow your pride, and do whatever it takes to bring your dream to life. Secure the best talent to help you on your way and, importantly, enjoy the journey.