SMARTRENT CO-FOUNDER JOINS 1VALET AS CEO

Leadership Transition Positions 1VALET to Scale Its Unified Smart Building Operating System Across North America

OTTAWA, ON, Feb. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - 1VALET Corp. ("1VALET" or the "Company"), a leader in smart building operating systems and video intercoms, today announced the appointment of Demetrios Barnes as Chief Executive Officer, effective today.

Barnes brings deep operational, go-to-market, and capital markets experience to 1VALET. Most recently, he served as Chief Operating Officer of SmartRent, where he helped scale the business into a global proptech platform and supported its transition to a publicly traded company. His career spans high-growth startups and scaled operating environments, with a consistent focus on execution, customer outcomes, and disciplined growth across hardware, software, and services.

As part of this leadership evolution, Jean-Pierre Poulin, founder of 1VALET, will transition to the role of Executive Chairman. In this capacity, Poulin will step back from day-to-day operations, working on Board leadership, strategic guidance, key external relationships and partnerships, and focus on international growth, while continuing to support the Company's long-term vision.

Since founding 1VALET, Poulin has built one of the industry's most comprehensive smart building platforms, grounded in firsthand experience as an owner and operator. Under his leadership, 1VALET established a strong reputation for reliability, deep hardware-software integration, and a customer-first approach that has resonated with developers, asset managers, and operators across North America.

"Demetrios is a proven operator with deep credibility across the real estate and proptech ecosystems," said Jean-Pierre Poulin, Executive Chairman of 1VALET. "The Board of Directors believes this transition positions 1VALET to execute with greater focus and scale, while preserving the strong foundation, culture, and customer trust we have built over the years."

"The real estate industry is ready for a smarter, more complete approach to building technology," said Barnes. "J.P. built 1VALET with a clear vision rooted in real-world operational experience, and that foundation is evident in both the product and the culture. What excites me most is the strength of the platform and the team behind it."

Barnes also highlighted the role of 1VALET's technology leadership in shaping that platform. "The work Hanna Haddad, CTO, and the engineering organization have delivered is exceptional," Barnes added. "They've built an enterprise-grade, deeply integrated system that reflects how buildings actually operate. I'm excited to partner closely with Hanna as we continue to scale the product and push the boundaries of what a smart building platform can be."

Barnes pointed to a broad inflection point in the proptech industry. "There is a growing gap in our space: products that don't work well together, companies losing focus, prioritizing profits over partnerships, and app fatigue that's creating real dissatisfaction among the operators and residents we're supposed to serve," Barnes said. "Partners are being forgotten. At 1VALET, a company built by operators for operators, we believe proptech is about partnerships, trust, and being relentlessly great at what you do. That's where my focus is. Full stop."

Under Barnes' leadership, 1VALET will focus on accelerating its position as the most complete smart building platform in the market, bringing together access control, video intercoms, IoT, resident experience, and building operations into a single, unified system. The Company will prioritize disciplined growth across North America while advancing a measured international expansion strategy rooted in strong local partnerships, regulatory alignment, and operational readiness.

"As a former asset manager myself, I know the pressure teams face to deliver better resident experiences while managing complexity behind the scenes," Barnes said. "Our mission is simple: make buildings work better for everyone. By combining best-in-class technology with a relentless focus on execution, we believe 1VALET is uniquely positioned to define the future of smart communities."

About 1VALET

1VALET is a leading smart building operating system designed to connect residents, property teams, and building infrastructure through a single, unified platform. By integrating access control, video intercoms, IoT devices, and a powerful resident app into one web-based dashboard, 1VALET helps owners and operators enhance resident engagement, improve operational efficiency, increase NOI, and create safer, smarter communities. To learn more, visit https://1valet.com.

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SOURCE 1VALET