Bricks, Buck$ And Bytes

Is Construction Headed for a Slowdown, or a Full-Blown Crash?
This week on Bricks, Bucks & Bytes, things get spicy.

We dig into the 0.3% drop in US GDP—and why it might just be the beginning for the construction sector. But tariffs and rate hikes are only half the story. The real drama? AI hype cycles, Autodesk vs. Procore, and why most “AI for construction” startups are just faucets with no bathtub.

Inside this episode:

"Venture capital in PropTech increased 82X from $200M to $15B in just 15 years - but is VC money right for construction tech founders right now?"

In today's episode of Bricks, Bucks and Bytes, we got to learn about J.P. Bowgen's journey from AlphaSites to Macy's corporate innovation team to becoming a partner at Camber Creek.

We got to learn about how Camber Creek de-risks investments by testing startups with their 300+ real estate a...

"Windows and doors constitute about 8% of a home's value, but the ratio actually skews upward as the value of the home goes up." - A fascinating insight into why this category commands such high margins globally.

In today's episode of Bricks, Bucks and Bytes, we got to learn about Green Fortune's $4.5M funding from Fundamental, bringing cloud manufacturing to the windows and doors industry in India.

We got to le...

"The US VC market is the worst performing of all VC markets across the world in terms of financial performance." 

In today's episode of Bricks, Bucks and Bytes, we got to learn about BuildOps securing $127 million in Series C funding and achieving unicorn status with a $1B valuation.

We also explored the structural differences between US and European contractor software markets, where European contractors are typically ...

"Is it possible to get from concept to fully constructible building designs in hours? "

In today's episode of Bricks, Bucks and Bytes, we got to learn about Augmenta's $10 million seed funding for their AI-powered design platform that aims to automate electrical designs for buildings.

We also learned about the ongoing debate between automated design platforms versus improved authoring tools, and which approach might ultimately captur...

"$65 billion worth of rework happened in the United States last year in construction. The expectation in the market is that construction projects run over budgets and timelines."

In today's episode of Bricks, Bucks and Bytes, we got to learn about Twin Knowledge, an AI-powered platform that raised $3.7M to help construction and real estate stakeholders QA/QC building drawings before they hit the field.

We discovered how...

"Germany's fiscal U-turn might be the drop that makes Europe's bucket overflow."

In today's episode of Bricks, Bucks and Bytes, we got to learn about Camber Creek's unique investment approach with JP Bowgen - they raise funds from 300+ real estate companies to drive value for founders they back.

We discussed Germany's recent "fiscal bazooka" - a massive €500 billion infrastructure fund alongsid...

"In Europe, you need your buildings to consume less energy because we don't have a lot of prime energy." - Patric on why Reneo's business model works beyond regulations.

In today's episode of Bricks, Bucks and Bytes, we got to learn about Reneo's massive €600M funding round (with €45M in equity) to transform energy-inefficient buildings into greener assets

We also explored Nodes and Links $12M Series B fundi...

Building my own house made me realize how broken construction supply chains are - Saudi BRKZ founder's story sounds familiar?

In today's episode of Bricks, Bucks and Bytes, we explored how Saudi BRKZ secured $17M Series A funding for their construction materials marketplace, bringing their total raise to $22.5M in just two years.

We discussed how emerging markets like Saudi Arabia present unique opportunities for construction...

From calling suppliers to schedule deliveries to manually typing data into Excel - this German startup secures €12.5M to fix construction's paper problem.

In today's episode of Bricks, Bucks and Bytes, we had Henric Meinhardt from comstruct walk us through how they're digitizing the material delivery and invoice reconciliation process between suppliers and contractors.

We got to learn about how they're using AI to process unstructure...

In today's episode of Bricks, Bucks and Bytes, we learn about the story of an AEC start-up that raised $25M from a prestigious investor only to shut up shop shortly after announcing their round.

We got insights into late-stage funding challenges in construction tech, with a seasoned investor highlighting why businesses struggle to raise Series B rounds when earlier rounds were overvalued.

Also, we learned why Europe might offer b...

"300 billion dollars for AI infrastructure in the next few years - but who will design and build it all?" - A thought-provoking insight from our latest conversation about the massive construction needs for AI's future.

In today's episode of Bricks, Bucks and Bytes, we learned about Stratus raising $32M Series B to revolutionize MEP contractors' digital workflows.

We explored how tech giants Microsoft, Amazon, ...

"20 years of experience or 1 year repeated 20 times?" - This profound question from Scott Wolfe (Levelset) captures why some founders achieve extraordinary success while others stay stagnant.

In today's episode of Bricks, Bucks and Bytes, we explored how compound experience and non-linear career paths shape successful founders in construction tech.

Tune in to learn about: 

✅ How Scott Wolfe's diverse background (software, retail, l...

Is 3D printing concrete homes worth the $450M investment?

In today's episode of Bricks, Bucks and Bytes, we got to learn that despite being a $2B company, ICON's 3D printed homes only show a tiny 0.5% carbon advantage over regular timber construction.

We also explored why Q4 2024 was special for construction tech - it grabbed nearly 1% of all VC funding, the second-highest share ever. Even more impressive given that 2024 sa...

"Your margin is my opportunity... unless you're selling outcomes in construction tech!"

In today's episode of Bricks, Bucks and Bytes, we explored 1KOMMA5°'s impressive €150M pre-IPO round and their unique approach of acquiring 30+ companies since 2021 to scale their energy tech business.

We also learned about an intriguing debate around whether companies can call themselves "market leaders" in Germany, sparked by a court case be...

"The construction tech founders obsess over product, but distribution might matter more."

In today's episode, we discussed about VisiBuild securing a $6.6M round from Skip Capital to improve construction quality checks - going beyond just turning paper into apps.

We also discovered why Australian construction tech punches above its weight, with just two companies (Aconex and Safety Culture) putting the country third globally in uni...

"Follow the money to grow, follow your passion to build. While US construction tech startups have raised $30B, India's $1B investment is yielding better returns."

In today's episode of Bricks & Bytes, we did our November Monthly Review where we reflected on an action-packed month of content creation and exciting future plans.

We even explored fascinating market dynamics, founder insights, and geographic opportunities in constru...

Are robots taking over construction sites? The future of "yellow machines" might surprise you.

In today's episode of Bricks, Bucks and Bytes, we got to learn about Teleo, a startup retrofitting heavy machinery for remote operation and semi-autonomous functionality.

We also explored the intriguing case of ServiceTitan's IPO plans, shedding light on the complex dynamics of venture capital and founder equity.

Additionally, we delved i...

Did you know that India has 156 publicly listed companies that have grown their revenue by over 20% annually for the past 20 years? That's more than the US, China, Japan, and Germany combined!

In today's episode of Bricks, Bucks and Bytes, we got to learn about the upcoming IPOs of Swiggy and BlackBuck in India, signaling a vibrant economy and thriving tech sector.

We also discovered that B2B marketplaces are flourishing in India...