Episode

A VC fell asleep for 30+ minutes during a founder’s pitch. The round stillclosed. This week on Bricks, Bucks & Bytes, we traded the VC horror stories founders never forget, debated whether the hottest AI startups are just “reselling tokens,” and brought on three founders fresh off funding rounds: Guy Saxelby (Earlytrade, $25M total raised), Adrian Rhaese (EnvioTech, €1M pre-seed) and Ben Waters (LightTable, $22M Series A). Tune in to find out about: ✅ Why Patrick calls Lovable, Cursor and Vercel “resellers of tokens” and what that means for their valuations ✅ How Earlytrade automates construction payments, with 10% of revenue already running with zero humans ✅ The streetlight startup saving cities 80% on energy while mapping how a whole city moves ✅ Dustin’s no-mercy pushback on what it actually takes to be a “platform for pre-construction” Listen now on Spotify and YouTube. #bricksandbytes #bricksbytes #bricksbucksandbytes #aec #construction#constructiontech #ai #vcChapters00:00 Intro 01:10 VC Horror Stories Founders Never Share 07:05 The Weirdest VC Behaviour We’ve Seen 13:01 Why AI Costs Are Eating Your Margins 19:15 Will AI Companies Ever IPO? 25:49 How to Find Early Product-Market Fit 33:24 Expanding Internationally: What Actually Works 40:09 Where Construction Tech Innovation Happens 45:48 The Growth Playbook for the Next 5 Years 56:56 The Hardest Lessons of Entrepreneurship 58:11 Why Timing Beats Everything in Business 58:19 How Perception Shapes Professional Success 59:10 Why Being Eccentric Is a Branding Advantage 01:02:07 Where Tech Meets Construction 01:04:09 AI That Actually Manages Construction Projects 01:10:10 Why Pre-Construction Is Where the Money Is 01:16:16 Mastering the Critical Path

“We have 2,000 agents going through your document, checking every single item in detail.” This week we sat down with Brandon Smith and Raymond Zhao, co-founders of Structured AI, fresh off a $4.2M seed round they closed in just five days. Tune in to find out about: ✅ How Brandon went from training an AI fighter jet at 17 to building construction AI after a single Reddit message ✅ Why agentic AI finally cracks drawing review when traditional machine learning never could ✅ The deterministic, no-confidence-score system with a full audit trail your team can sign off on ✅ Where this goes next – an AI coworker that fixes errors straight back into your Revit model 🎧 Watch now on YouTube and Spotify. #aec #construction #constructiontech #bricksandbytes #bricksbytes #bricksbucksandbytes #ai #vc

“I currently haven’t found a use case in which I haven’t been able to build.” That was Brett Adams on what Palantir Foundry can do in construction. This week on Bricks & Bytes we sat down with Dan Julien (Chief Revenue Officer) and Brett Adams (Forward Deployed Engineer and Head of Construction) of ForgeSight, the i4C born team implementing Palantir Foundry across the AEC industry, to cut through the rumours about what Palantir is actually doing in construction. Tune in to find out about: ✅ Whether Palantir Foundry can really replace your ERP ✅ What “forward deployed engineering” actually means on a job site ✅ Whether Procore, Autodesk and Trimble survive a Palantir world ✅ How a contractor rebuilt its entire operation on Foundry in roughly a year 🎧 Watch now on Spotify and YouTube #bricksandbytes #bricksbytes #bricksbucksandbytes #aec #construction #constructiontech #ai #vc Our Sponsors: BreadCrumb- 50,000+ projects globally. All running safer, faster, with Breadcrumb. – breadcrumb.co Aphex is the multiplayer planning platform where construction teams plan together, stay aligned, and deliver projects faster – check out aphex.co Archdesk –  “The #1 Construction Management Software for Growing Companies – Manage your projects from Tender to Handover” check archdesk.com Chapters 00:00 Teaser 00:18 What Is Palantir & Why Construction? 02:36 Palantir Foundry Explained 05:16 Who You Need to Implement It 08:35 Do You Actually Need Palantir? 11:01 Real Use Cases in Construction 13:19 How to Implement Foundry & Integrate Data 22:00 Sponsor 25:01 Getting Your Data Into Foundry 28:40 How Long Does Implementation Take? 30:31 Solving Software Integration Challenges 33:06 Can Foundry Replace Your ERP? 36:22 The Future of ERP vs Palantir (SAP, Oracle) 39:31 Palantir for Non-Technical Teams 42:58 Case Study: How Kavanaugh Uses Foundry 46:02 How Much Does Palantir Cost? 48:03 Who Foundry Is Actually For 49:41 Use Cases for On-Site Workers 56:12 Solving Common Operational Headaches

Seven men carrying one 140kg steel bar, on the biggest infrastructure project in Britain. The founder of Laing O’Rourke saw it and concluded that in fifty years, nothing had changed. This week’s Executive Briefing is about the man he hired to fix it. Chetan Kotur designed cars at Volvo, launched Polestar globally, then spent three and a half years looking at construction with outsider’s eyes. At our private fireside in London this week, he shared his diagnosis on the record for the first time. In this briefing: The industry that innovates daily or dies, versus the industry that fears innovation might kill it Why nobody in construction checks what competitors are doing (and what Polestar did instead) 56% of construction injuries are musculoskeletal. No other industry still accepts this Hinkley Point C: how a precision rebar factory turned a month of work into a single shift The pattern across Europe: Laing O’Rourke’s lab, Bouygues’ Scale One, Vinci’s hired field, and why testing grounds are multiplying as construction’s innovation wave goes physical From a Paris stage: investor Patric (Foundamental) on why tech aimed at 2% of construction’s cost base was always going to disappoint The two questions that expose a weak tech vendor in five minutes A first look at our State of Construction Safety Tech report, landing next week: incidents consume 4 to 6% of project cost in an industry running 2 to 3% margins

A venture capitalist walks into a bar. “I’ll have what everyone else is having.” Patrick told that joke about his own profession on this week’s Bricks, Bucks & Bytes, and it set up the sharpest exchange of the episode: venture stopped backing hard problems and started buying momentum. We’re joined by Alain Waha, CTO of Buro Happold, and Richard Fifita, CEO of Veyor, fresh off a $7.5M Series A, alongside Dustin DeVan. What we get into: → Autodesk’s $3.6 billion all cash acquisition of MaintainX, and why Dustin, who watched this strategy take shape from inside Autodesk, says it all leads back to the digital twin → “Knowledge arbitrage”: Alain’s framework for what stays defensible when knowledge becomes computable → Why construction robotics needs systems integrators more than it needs humanoids → How Veyor went from backed up concrete trucks to managing deliveries at JFK, SFO and major data center projects Full episode is live now on YouTube and Spotify. #bricksandbytes #bricksbytes #bricksbucksandbytes #aec #construction #constructiontech #ai #vc Our Sponsors: BreadCrumb- 50,000+ projects globally. All running safer, faster, with Breadcrumb. – breadcrumb.co Aphex is the multiplayer planning platform where construction teams plan together, stay aligned, and deliver projects faster – check out aphex.co Archdesk – “The #1 Construction Management Software for Growing Companies – Manage your projects from Tender to Handover” check archdesk.com Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:30 Introduction and Technical Challenges 03:21 Live Streaming and Event Experiences 06:13 Autodesk’s Acquisition of MaintainX 11:50 Data Ownership and Predictability in Construction 16:23 Knowledge Arbitrage in Engineering and Robotics 20:00 Exploring Knowledge Arbitrage in Robotics 22:06 The Role of Systems Integration in Construction Robotics 22:54 Challenges in Robotics for Construction Trades 24:16 Collaborative Robots: The Future of Construction 25:59 The Disconnect Between Innovation and AI in Construction 27:30 Testing Software vs. Materials in Construction 27:45 The Reluctance to Experiment in Construction Tech 29:52 Capital Efficiency and Technology Adoption in Construction 32:49 The Venture Capital Landscape and Its Challenges 36:33 The Future of Venture Capital in Technology 44:46 Innovative Event Planning in Construction Technology 47:26 Branding and Customer Perception in Construction 48:11 Disruption in Construction: Insights from Automotive Industry 51:09 Bouygues’ Innovation Lab: A New Era for Construction 51:53 Introducing Richard: Veyor’s Journey and Innovations 56:59 Streamlining Material Management in Construction 01:01:58 Challenges in Construction Scheduling and Delivery 01:05:36 The Aussie Tech Scene in Austin, Texas

“AI won’t help you if you’re still using clunky software with a six-month learning curve.” – Anita Venkiteswaran, E3 Tech In today’s episode of Bricks and Bytes, we sat down with Anita, the driving force behind E3 Tech’s AI-powered M&A strategy in construction, alongside two of her platform companies: Rob Metz (Sylvan) and Chris Weaver (Egan). Tune in to hear about: ✓ Why 25,000+ specialty contractors represent a massive M&A opportunity ✓ How AI is finally solving construction’s 40-year productivity decline ✓ What jobsite credibility really means for founders building construction tech ✓ Why unified AI systems beat fragmented “point solutions” every time Available now on Spotify and YouTube. #aec #construction #constructiontech #bricksandbytes #bricksbytes #ai #vc Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:39 Introduction to E3’s Model and AI in M&A 07:41 Identifying Ideal Acquisition Targets 10:34 The Role of Technology in Modern Construction 13:45 The Entrepreneur in Residence Model 16:35 The Impact of AI on Construction Efficiency 19:52 Building Relationships with AI Startups 22:29 The Future of AI in Construction 31:59 Leveraging AI for Contract Management 32:42 The Evolution of VDC and BIM in Construction 34:14 Enhancing Processes with Robotics and AI 35:38 Attracting Talent through Technology 36:38 AI Amplifying Human Expertise 38:35 Transitioning Businesses and Succession Planning 40:12 Navigating Business Ownership Transitions 42:42 The Necessity of Adapting to Change 46:41 Lessons Learned from Technological Implementation 48:18 The Future of AI in Construction 53:44 The Importance of Unified AI Solutions 55:31 Integrating AI with Emerging Technologies 58:27 Opportunities for Collaboration in the Industry

“$75M in 13 months. a16z just led their Series A.” We sat down with Niklas Lindgren, Co-Founder & CEO of Endra, fresh off their $50M Series A led by Andreessen Horowitz, taking total funding to $75M in 13 months. Endra is building the purpose-built workspace for MEP engineering, already partnering with AtkinsRéalis, Buro Happold, WSP, Hoare Lea, Ramboll and AFRY. Tune in to find out about: ✅ Why a16z led at Series A instead of waiting for later traction ✅ The Stripe vs PayPal analogy behind Endra’s category play (and why they’re not replacing Revit) ✅ The honest answer to the billable-hours paradox ✅ What this means for the next generation of MEP graduates Watch now on Spotify and YouTube 🎧 #bricksandbytes #bricksbytes #bricksbucksandbytes #aec #construction #constructiontech #ai #vc

“You could get 60 reviews of a pizza in six seconds, but finding a new contractor takes 12 months and spreadsheets.” That’s how Riggs Kubiak described the construction industry in 2011 when he started Honest Buildings as a marketplace to connect owners with contractors. It didn’t work. The pivot? A project management platform that became so valuable, Procore acquired it. We sat down with Riggs to talk about what killed the original idea, what saved the company, and why the phase of entrepreneurship nobody prepares for is what comes after the acquisition. His new book “Earned” launches June 2nd. The real conversation: ✓ Why dominating a small category beats chasing everyone’s problems ✓ The execution hell of building two-sided marketplaces ✓ What nobody tells you about life post-exit ✓ The founder moments that don’t make it into LinkedIn posts Watch the full episode now on YouTube and Spotify. #bricksandbytes #constructiontech #entrepreneurship #founders #aec Our Sponsors: BreadCrumb- 50,000+ projects globally. All running safer, faster, with Breadcrumb. – breadcrumb.co Aphex is the multiplayer planning platform where construction teams plan together, stay aligned, and deliver projects faster – check out aphex.co Archdesk – “The #1 Construction Management Software for Growing Companies – Manage your projects from Tender to Handover” check archdesk.com Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:28 Introduction and Journey to Honest Buildings 04:49 The Evolution of Honest Buildings 11:10 Navigating the Pivot: Lessons Learned 13:41 Sales Cycle Challenges in Construction Tech 13:42 Sponsors 16:44 Sales Cycle Challenges in Construction Tech 28:45 Reflections on Key Mistakes and Difficult Times 30:57 Acquisition by Procore: The Journey Ahead 34:02 Closing the Gap in Construction Management 35:38 The Importance of Negotiation in Acquisitions 39:34 Navigating Post-Acquisition Roles 42:00 The Entrepreneurial Residence Experience 46:39 Founders Forum: Building Community 48:45 Understanding Acquisition Motivations 53:20 Reflections on the Integration Process 56:13 The Journey of Entrepreneurship 1:02:33 Life After Acquisition: The Next Chapter

Missed an episode of the Executive Briefing last month? This is your ten-minute catch-up. Four stories from the last four weeks, what each one means for your business, and which are worth going back to in full. Inside: The new kind of buyer circling construction, and why they want your firm, not your tech The market split the banks have started to price in The contractor who killed his ERP, his dispatch system and his time cards, and rebuilt on one platform Why AI got 280 times cheaper while everyone’s bills went up No longer form this week (I have been busy in France!! – more on that soon). Just the month that mattered, in plain English, for people who run construction businesses. Which of the four hit hardest? Tell us in the comments on the LinkedIn post.

“80% of the decks landing on her desk had AI on slide one.” This week on Bricks & Bytes we sat down with Jennifer Davis, who recently joined Suffolk Technologies after five years as Managing Director of Techstars Boston, where she reviewed thousands of applications and ran 65+ companies through the program. She brought the kind of pattern recognition you only get from saying no a few thousand times. Tune in to find out about: ✅ Why the bar has risen across pre-seed, seed, and Series A — and what VCs now want to see before they write a check ✅ The co-founder mistake that kills more startups than bad ideas (and why 50/50 equity splits are a red flag) ✅ Why “not all money is created equally” — and how founder-unfriendly terms signed early can derail an exit years later ✅ What Jennifer is looking for as she takes the reins on Suffolk’s Boost accelerator, and the founder profile she’d most want to back in 2027 Listen on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube 🎧 #aec #construction #constructiontech #bricksandbytes #bricksbytes #ai #vc Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:00 Introduction to Jennifer Davis and Transition to Suffolk Tech 04:09 Insights from Techstars Boston 07:01 Key Traits of Successful Founders 10:06 Challenges in the Startup Ecosystem 12:57 The Importance of Problem-Solution Fit 15:57 The Role of AI in Startups 18:51 Generalist vs. Vertical VCs 21:57 Navigating the Built World Space 25:08 The Future of Construction Technology 27:53 Suffolk Tech’s Boost Program 31:03 Advice for Founders in the Current Landscape 33:54 Conclusion and Future Outlook

This week in construction: the official verdict on HS2 landed, and it’s worse than most people realise. Cost to complete is now £87.7-102.7bn. First services delayed to 2036. Britain is paying 15-20x the European rate per kilometre for high-speed rail. But the more interesting stories happened underneath it. Owen breaks down what every construction executive needs to know about three things colliding this week. One. The AI cost paradox. Per-token prices have dropped 280x in two years. So why are enterprise AI bills exploding? OpenAI just doubled its flagship rate card. Anthropic raised prices without touching the rate card at all. The pricing page is no longer telling you what your bill will look like. And Jean-Marc Shimizu, who runs open innovation at one of Japan’s top five contractors, says the subsidy era is ending. Two. The construction robotics story almost nobody outside venture capital is reading. After sixty years as the last unautomated sector, the robots are finally shipping. Bedrock raised $270m in February. Crewline took $7m as a four-person team with a $26m order book waiting. Rebar tying robots are running at 4-6x human speed. Solar piling, reality capture, and a new category of self-verifying installation robots are all generating real revenue. Plus the corrective on humanoids that most executives haven’t heard yet. Three. HS2 and what it actually means. Three reviews, twelve months, same five conclusions. And the uncomfortable question every leader needs to sit with: is your business built like HS2, or like the alternative? If you run a construction business, this is the briefing that will reshape how you read the next twelve months. Plus details on the in-person fireside conversation with Chetan Kotur, the ex-Polestar designer now leading the team rebuilding Laing O’Rourke from the inside. London, 3rd June, evening of Digital Construction Week. Senior exec spaces already filling. Show notes, references, and the link to sign up for the full newsletter and our Physical AI 2026 research are below: —— 1. Event: Re-Engineering The Main Contractor · Luma2. Physical AI and Robotics Report: https://bricks-bytes.com/downloads/physical-ai-robotics-2026/ 3. Newsletter: https://bricks-bytes.beehiiv.com/

“Mandating how many AI tokens your engineers burn isn’t a productivity metric. It has nothing to do with outcomes.” That’s Dustin Devan, CEO of Ediphi and it’s one of the sharpest takes on the AI spend debate we’ve had on the show This week on Bricks, Bucks and Bytes we’re joined by Cameron Page of ClearStory, processing $3.5B in change orders every month, and Sophia Millar of Sonnaball Instruments, catching weld defects in real time before they ever reach inspection. Tune in to find out about: ✅ Why enterprise AI bills keep rising even as token costs fall ✅ How ClearStory is replacing email-and-spreadsheet change order chaos for 7,500 companies ✅ Why 1.3 million categorised change orders might be construction’s most underrated dataset ✅ How acoustic weld detection is transforming prefab quality control 🎧 Listen now on Spotify and YouTube #bricksandbytes #bricksbucksandbytes #aec #construction #constructiontech #ai Our Sponsors: BreadCrumb- 50,000+ projects globally. All running safer, faster, with Breadcrumb. – breadcrumb.co Aphex is the multiplayer planning platform where construction teams plan together, stay aligned, and deliver projects faster – check out aphex.co Archdesk – “The #1 Construction Management Software for Growing Companies – Manage your projects from Tender to Handover” check archdesk.com Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:56 Reunion and Introduction 01:57 AI Tokens and Their Costs 07:57 Managing AI Token Usage 11:21 Balancing Speed and Customer Needs 15:13 Efficiency in AI Usage 20:21 Waymo’s Customer Service Incident 21:57 Discussion on Expensive Rail Projects 22:01 The Cost of High-Speed Rail in the UK 26:03 Comparing Costs: What Could $100 Billion Buy? 27:44 Debating Income Tax and Jeff Bezos’ Proposal 30:18 The Rise of Trillionaires: Elon Musk’s Potential 32:07 Data Centers in Space: A Feasible Future? 35:09 ClearStory: Revolutionizing Change Order Management 42:00 Streamlining Change Order Management 45:36 ClearStory’s Market Position and Growth 47:09 Leveraging Change Order Data for Insights 50:01 Innovations in Welding Defect Detection 56:32 The Role of AI in Welding Quality Control