Construction Digital Magazine October 2021 | Page 11

Buildots announces $ 30 million Series B round as it continues expansion

What is Buildots ? An AI construction tech company which has announced a US $ 30 million Series B round led by Lightspeed Ventures , with the participation of Buildots ’ previous investors , TLV Partners , Future Energy Ventures , Tidhar Construction Group , and Maor Investments .
What are its plans ? The investment will be used to double the size of the Buildots global team , with a focus on developing the sales and R & D departments .
Why is there such a focus on AI in construction at the moment ? Although construction currently accounts for 13 % of the world ’ s GDP , and the employment of hundreds of millions , it still lags behind in productivity compared with other traditional industries .
According to the European Commission , productivity in the construction sector has remained almost stagnant , having increased by just 1 % over the last two decades .
“ Construction is a massive market with real GDP impact , but it is still underserved by technology . We believe Buildots is the company that will change that reality ,” said Tal Morgenstern , Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners
� GRAFTON GROUP Grafton Group reported a record operating profit of £ 142.4 million in the six months to June 30 , more than £ 18 million ahead of consensus .
� ATKINS ( SNC- LAVALIN GROUP ) Atkins has won an engineering contract for a 300MW NET Power station at Wilton International , Teesside – billed as the UK ' s first Net Zero emissions power station .
� UK ECONOMY SLOWS AS DEMAND REBOUND FADES AND SUPPLY CONSTRAINTS BITE A weighted average of the PMI output index covering manufacturing , services and construction , fell for a third straight month in August , dropping to its lowest since February , according to IHS Markit .
� KENYA DEVELOPERS COME UNDER SCRUTINY The collapse of two buildings in Kiambu County , Kenya , over the last two weeks has once again cast the spotlight on control of the country ’ s mushrooming real estate industry .

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