#027 - Jefferson Sanchez - Accelerating revenue for house remodellers
On today's show we have Jefferson Sanchez - Co-Founder & COO of Revonate.
In this episode we deep dive into:
Revenue acceleration for house remodellers
Web3
AI
Platform revolution in construction.
If you’re enjoying our podcast, please leave us a review! This helps us get more amazing guests to give you guys the best and most informative content on technology in the built world.
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Jefferson Sanchez - Co-Founder & COO of Revonate.
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Today's Sponsor: beta - Construction and technology network platform - connecting the tech industry with traditional partners.
Chek: www.the-beta.com
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Timestamps:
(00:00:00-00:01:12) - Intro
(00:01:12-00:01:54) - Sponsor
(00:01:54-00:03:21) - Jefferson’s journey to creating Revonate
(00:03:21-00:05:20) - Being a migrant and starting business
(00:05:20-00:09:13) - Key lessons learned from the failure of previous company
(00:09:13-00:10:29) - Introducing Revonate
(00:10:29-00:14:33) - AI powered construction contract
(00:14:33-00:17:13) - AI’s impact on construction in the future
(00:17:13-00:19:00) - Building trust layer in AI/ML technologies
(00:19:00-00:20:01) - Explaining Archidao
(00:20:01-00:24:04) - Use of blockchain in technology
(00:24:04-00:25:05) - Founding Revonate
(00:25:05-00:26:46) - Taking outside investments
(00:26:46-00:28:58) - Current economic situation and its impact on the future of construction tech world
(00:28:58-00:29:35) - Is Revonate designed only for the US market?
(00:29:33-00:31:16) - Jefferson’s marketing tactics
(00:31:16-00:34:46) - Work-life balance
(00:34:46-00:35:51) - Book recommendation
(00:35:51-00:36:20) - More about Jefferson
(00:36:20-00:36:38) - Outro
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Bricks & Bytes
How To Build A Unicorn In Construction Tech - Patric Hellermann
In today’s episode, we have Patric Hellermann, General Partner at the largest global early stage investor in construction technology - Foundamental.
Patric explains the 30bn opportunity in construction tech, the past and future models of unicorns, and how VC in the world of construction operates.
Tune in to find out about:
How VC funding in construction tech is defying the recession-hit VC ecosystem, showcasing opportunity and resilience unlike other sectors
The existing and future models of unicorn construction tech startups
What shapes the VC world in construction; from exceptional investors through to founder-fit, and what happens when a company begins to fail
Patric’s favorite investors and his way of staying creative while managing a career in VC
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Patric Hellermann | General Partner at Foundamental
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This episode is brought to you by Shft—helping contractors like you leverage BIM to secure a leading position in the race towards construction’s digital future.
Visit: https://maketheshft.digital
Timestamps:
(00:00:00-00:03:18) Intro
(00:03:18-00:06:32) How to Create a Venture Capital Company
(00:06:32-00:40:22) Funding Statistics in Construction
(00:40:22-01:07:57) Unicorns in Construction Tech
(01:07:57-01:11:17) Difference Between Private Equity and Early Stage VC
(01:11:17-01:15:59) How the Due Diligence Process Looks Like
(01:15:59-01:22:39) Differences in VCs in Construction and Other Industries
(01:22:39-01:42:07) Audience's Questions
(01:42:07-01:42:52) Outro
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Bricks & Bytes
#038 - Vlad Opanasiuk - Construction Transformation: Automation, Open Source & Tech Integration
In this episode, we sit down with Vlad Opanasiuk, CEO of REDD, emphasizing the unique challenges and opportunities in automating construction processes. He shares insights from a startup accelerator, highlighting the importance of quick execution and adaptability in the industry.
During the episode, we dive into:
Automation in construction beyond robot factories.
Vlad's experience in a startup accelerator (Entrepreneur First).
Construction industry challenges in venture capital circles.
Construction digital integration
Data collection driving AI success
If you’re enjoying our podcast, please leave us a review! This helps us get more amazing guests to give you guys the best and most informative content on technology in the built world.
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Vlad Opanasiuk, CEO @ REDD (Revolutionary Engineering & Digital Design)
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Today's Sponsor: beta - Construction and technology network platform
- connecting the tech industry with traditional partners.
Check www.the-beta.com
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Timestamps:
00:09 - Owen's Intro
00:54 - Shout out to our sponsor
01:09 - Podcast Starts - What is design automation?
05:37 - How do you think the industry is about automation?
09:13 - Incubator and launchpad
12:10 - How venture capitalist invests
14:57 - Ideas don't really matter
16:10 - None of the team had technical background
19:11 - Construction industry is a difficult industry for VC circles
21:58 - Not everything is software
23:00 - We are not selling designs. We are selling risks
26:00 - BIM and ML integration
30:15 - REDD - Revolutionary Engineering & Digital Design
33:10 - Outsourced RnD Department
34:00 - Is this for investor or engineer?
37:15 - What is the main obstacle and why is it not possible to do?
39:21 - how deep the product is, what's the range of this product?
43:48 - Plant based replacement concept
48:55 - Off topic question
52:20 - Ending
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Bricks & Bytes
#078 - 3 ESG Metrics That Your Startup Needs Before Approaching Investors In Construction Tech - Jimmy Jia - Pi Labs
In today’s episode of Bricks & Bytes, we have Jimmy Jia, Venture Partner, ESG at Pi Labs.
We learn about how ESG is transforming investment decisions, what ESG metrics startups should focus on, and much more!
Tune in to find out about:
How ESG metrics are becoming key drivers for construction tech investors
The right time for startups to begin tracking ESG factors
Tips from an ESG investor on how startups should approach funding
If you're enjoying the podcast, I'd really appreciate if you could leave a rating and review.
(00:00:00 - 00:02:00) - Intro
(00:02:00 - 00:04:41) - About Energy Efficiency of buildings
(00:04:41 - 00:10:26) - About Sustainable Finance
(00:10:26 - 00:15:30) - ESG issues and complexities
(00:15:30 - 00:29:30) - Financial accounting for sustainability
(00:29:30 - 00:36:40) - Building green startups
(00:36:40 - 00:43:32) - Balancing work and environmental goals
(00:43:32 - 00:43:46) - Outro
Reneo’s €600M to Transform Real Estate, Nodes and Links $12m Scheduling Raise
"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 assetsWe also explored Nodes and Links $12M Series B funding for their AI-powered scheduling management platform that enhances project delivery across construction and other industriesPlus, we gained valuable insight into how successful construction tech companies approach scheduling through three distinct models: full automation, analytics/visibility, and collaboration-focused solutions.Tune in to find out about:✅ How Reneo creates structural cost advantages through radical standardization✅ Why co-CEOs can work well with the right dynamic, especially during adversity✅ The critical difference between having a schedule versus the act of scheduling✅ Why one investor got excited seeing Salil Deshpande (Uncorrelated) backing Nodes and LinksListen to the full episode on Spotify to learn how these construction tech innovators are reshaping the industry.------Sign up to the #1 Newsletter In Construction Tech. Join over 1,000 like-minded Founders, Investors and Techies disrupting the way we build. Forever : https://bricks-bytes.beehiiv.com/subscribe------LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bricks-bytes/X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/bricksbytespodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmNbunUTIIQDzbJgGJt9_ZgInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bricksbytes/-----Chapters00:00 Introduction and Context01:10 Overview of Reneo and Its Business Model05:54 Reneo's Unique Approach to Real Estate Investment11:49 Investment Rationale and Market Dynamics17:52 Challenges and Opportunities in the Real Estate Sector24:05 Conclusion and Future Outlook25:40 Exploring Nodes and Links in Scheduling Technology30:01 Models of Scheduling: Automation, Visibility, and Collaboration36:02 The Future of Scheduling Software: Differentiation and Optimization39:59 Investment Insights: Evaluating Funding and Market Dynamics
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Bricks, Buck$ And Bytes
Building Materials Marketplace vs Cloud Manufacturing: What Works Where?
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 tech marketplaces that wouldn't work in Western markets, due to their concentrated demand and fragmented supply.We also got fascinating insights from Patric on why having 1,100 suppliers might not be the most efficient strategy for a construction materials marketplace, and why the "cloud manufacturer" model could be more effective.Tune in to learn about:✅ Why Saudi Arabia's construction tech scene is heating up✅ The difference between managed marketplaces and cloud manufacturers✅ How venture debt can be smartly used in profitable marketplace models✅ Why expanding to 40 cities quickly might raise questions for investorsListen to the full episode on Spotify to hear our deep dive into construction tech marketplaces and emerging market opportunities.----------------Chapters00:00 Introduction and Personal Insights01:55 Exploring Construction Tech Opportunities05:01 Understanding Bricks and Its Business Model09:56 Supply Chain Dynamics in Emerging Markets15:08 Funding Strategies and Market Expansion20:06 Debt Financing and Working Capital Management23:51 The Role of Debt in Business Growth24:18 Evaluating Investment Metrics25:10 Understanding Unit Economics26:31 Investment Opportunities in Saudi Arabia28:11 Optimism in the Construction Industry29:39 Navigating Customer Relationships in Startups30:00 The Challenge of Custom Solutions35:34 The Importance of Long-Term Relationships36:18 Technology Integration in Construction39:02 The Future of Construction Technology----------------Sign up to the #1 Newsletter In Construction Tech. Join over 1,000 like-minded Founders, Investors and Techies disrupting the way we build. Forever : https://bricks-bytes.beehiiv.com/subscribe---------------LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bricks-bytes/X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/bricksbytespodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmNbunUTIIQDzbJgGJt9_ZgInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bricksbytes/—---------------------------------------------------------- #podcast #construction #constructionindustry #bricksandbytes #startups #architecture #design #civilengineering #engineering #constructiontechnology #engineer #architect #civilengineer #concrete #podcaster #podcasting #entrepreneur #podcasts #podcastlife #startups #entrepreneurship
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Bricks, Buck$ And Bytes
Invoice reconciliation, AI automation, Material data infrastructure & CFO-driven adoption
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 unstructured data from thousands of suppliers, replacing manual data entry with automated workflows.And interestingly, we heard an investor's perspective on why focusing on financial processes can be the best entry point into construction companies, starting with the CFO rather than on-site teams.Tune in to find out about:✅ How comstruct automates invoice matching and material tracking✅ Why large language models are making traditional EDI interfaces obsolete✅ Their unique go-to-market strategy targeting CFOs first✅ How they convinced World Cup winner Mario Götze to investListen to the full episode on Spotify to hear how comstruct is building the infrastructure for construction's digital future.-----------Chapters00:00 Introduction to Constrakt and Funding Success03:06 The Evolution of Construction Processes06:07 Agentic AI and Its Impact on Construction09:01 Future of Invoicing in Construction12:11 Optimizing Procurement Processes15:08 Supplier Engagement and Automation17:48 Competition and Market Landscape20:59 ESG Considerations in Construction24:07 International Expansion and Future Plans24:37 Technical Difficulties and Humor25:09 Go-to-Market Strategy Insights28:57 Understanding Customer Needs and ROI29:59 Investment and Growth Plans31:44 Navigating the Construction Tech Landscape32:38 Pre-Construction Processes and Challenges36:54 Prioritization in Business Strategy39:14 Engaging Investors in Unique Niches
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Bricks, Buck$ And Bytes
Why European Construction Tech Could Outperform US Startups: A 5X Cost Advantage Revealed
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 better returns for construction tech investors than the US, despite the US potentially delivering bigger individual outcomes.Tune in to find out about:✅ Why listening to non-VC entrepreneurs is crucial for sustainable growth✅ The mechanics of construction tech startup valuations across funding rounds✅ How to navigate down rounds and recapitalization✅ Why European construction tech startups have a 4-5x cost advantage----Chapters00:00 Introduction and Light Banter01:49 Challenges in Construction Tech Funding04:27 Strategies for Raising Capital09:20 Profitability vs. Growth in Construction Tech12:56 Late Stage Funding Trends15:24 Avoiding Overvaluation in Funding Rounds17:28 Valuation Mechanics in Funding Rounds21:16 Equity Dynamics in Down Rounds23:06 Anecdotes from the Industry25:42 Reflections on Construction Tech Investing29:25 Comparative Analysis: Europe vs. US in Construction Tech33:00 Future of Point Solutions in Construction Tech