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Q4 202306.11.2023

Construction Tech

Picture of Éanna Kelly

Éanna Kelly

at Sifted

The lack of technological sophistication in construction — a €1.7tn industry in Europe — is no secret, nor should it be of great surprise: with operational profitability hovering around 5% among Europe’s construction giants, it leaves little room for error when experimenting with new tech.

And yet: something’s stirring in the industry. Globally, late-stage VC’s proportion of total investment for the industry has risen in the last three years, while post-money valuations and the median deal size have more than doubled since 2017, according to McKinsey. Investors clearly want to be part of the big building rethink, set in train by a recent EU law mandating all buildings be net-zero by 2050.

All the things you associate with construction — cement, steel, concrete, heating, cooling and lighting — add up to a huge climate footprint. Startups are helping to give all these elements a green makeover. It’ll take longer than Rome to build, but the prize on offer for decarbonising the entire lifecycle of a building is huge for the innovators and investors who can seize it.

20 most promising early-stage startups

  • XYZ Reality logo

    Sifted score

    8.68
    -

    XYZ Reality

    3D modeling for more accurate construction

    • Strong investor(s)
    • Hiring
    • Year founded

      2017

    • HQ

      London, United Kingdom

    • Latest round

      Series A
      24.6m / Jun 2021

    • Total funding

      24.6m

  • 011h logo

    Sifted score

    7.62
    -

    011h

    Uses prefabricated components and digital approach to cut cost/carbon footprint

    • Strong investor(s)
    • Serial founder(s)
    • Hiring
    • Year founded

      2020

    • HQ

      Barcelona, Spain

    • Latest round

      Series A
      25m / Jul 2022

    • Total funding

      33m

  • Haiper AI logo

    Sifted score

    7.3
    -

    Haiper AI

    AI-powered content creation for creators

    • Serial founder(s)
    • Hiring
    • Year founded

      2021

    • HQ

      London, United Kingdom

    • Latest round

      Seed
      12.6m / Mar 2023

    • Total funding

      17.4m

  • Materrup logo

    Sifted score

    6.82
    -

    Materrup

    Low-carbon cement production tech

    • Strong investor(s)
    • Hiring
    • Year founded

      2018

    • HQ

      Saint-Geours-de-Maremne, France

    • Latest round

      Grant
      2.4m / Jun 2022

    • Total funding

      3.9m

  • Aeditive logo

    Sifted score

    6.4
    -

    Aeditive

    3D printing for mouldless precast manufacturing

    • Hiring
    • Year founded

      2019

    • HQ

      Hamburg, Germany

    • Latest round

      Seed
      7.5m / Oct 2021

    • Total funding

      9.5m

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