nPlan Raises £11.9M Series B, AI Agents Lack Evals Crisis, WhatsApp Dominates 90% Site Communication

"Most AI Agents Will Die" - Why This CTO Is Terrified About What's Coming

In this episode of Bricks, Bucks & Bytes, hosts Owen Drury, Martin, and Patric Hellermann sit down with some of construction tech's boldest builders who aren't holding back. Fresh off massive funding rounds and hard-won lessons, they reveal what's really happening behind the hype.

What we cover:

- nPlan's £11.9M Series B - Alan Mosca (CTO) explains why they accidentally solved molecule generation while building scheduling AI

- Factors' $56M raise - How they're financing $250-300M of construction work annually (and the "trick" banks don't want you to know)

- The AI agent apocalypse - Why lack of evaluation frameworks will "kill off most agents"

- WhatsApp is eating construction tech - 90% of site communication happens here, and smart founders are finally paying attention

- Smart glasses revolution - Why this could be as transformative as mobile phones on construction sites

- AI consultancies without humans - The controversial future of PM firms charging on outcomes, not hours

- Why one founder stopped fundraising - "Customer money is the best capital" and why raising is a "massive distraction"

- 5 accelerators, 5 lessons - Prakash Senghani (Navatech) on contradictory advice and what actually works in the Middle East

- Regional pricing secrets - Why per-user pricing fails in the UAE and what to do instead

Key Quote:

"I think we're getting to a stage where AI is going to become like the internet, right? You don't tell people that my app runs on the internet. That's obvious. You're going to get to a stage where your app has AI. Yeah, that's obvious, right? What are you doing with it? What's the outcome?" - Prakash Senghani

Featuring: Alan Mosca (nPlan CTO), Nitin Bhandari (Planera), and Prakash Senghani (Navatech)

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Chapters

00:00 Intro

02:12 Introduction and Guest Introduction

04:61 Funding News and Company Growth

08:03 Technological Innovations in Scheduling

10:40 Generative Models and Unexpected Discoveries

13:31 Developing Custom Models for Specific Tasks

16:24 The Importance of Data and Research

19:08 Convergence of Machine Learning Techniques

22:13 AI Skepticism and Misuse

24:52 The Future of AI in Construction Tech

28:08 Collaborative Scheduling and User Experience

30:57 Evaluating AI Performance

33:36 Insights from Nitin on Data Center Construction

36:32 Planera's Unique Approach to Scheduling

39:28 The Role of AI in Scheduling

42:20 Lessons from Past Collaborative Tools

45:18 The Future of Scheduling Technology

46:33 Introduction and Context Setting

47:25 Navigating Growing Pains in Business

48:17 The Role of AI in Business Operations

49:44 Understanding the Product and Its Impact

51:14 Practical Applications of AI in Safety

54:45 Target Customers and Market Strategy

55:48 Shifting Gears: The Future of Construction Tech

1:00:17 The Evolution of Software and Company Structures

1:04:09 Current Business Climate in the Region

1:06:13 The Rise of Construction Tech Startups

1:10:05 Experiences with Accelerators

1:15:39 Pricing Strategies for Startups

1:18:41 Conclusion and Future Outlook