#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
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Bricks & Bytes
#052 - Josh Levy - From Construction to Contracts : How Document Crunch is Improving Contracts
In today’s episode of Bricks & Bytes we have Josh Levy, CEO of Document Crunch. We discuss the importance of building a strong team culture, contracts in the construction industry, maintaining work-life balance as a CEO and many more!
Tune in to find out about:
Key factors in building a team within your business,
Common Issues with construction contracts,
How to sell software in construction industry,
Interview techniques when hiring,
Challenges of being a CEO,
Learning and improvement culture in early stage startups.
If you enjoy today’s episode, leave us a comment. And don’t forget to subscribe to our channel!
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Josh Levy | CEO of Document Crunch | ConTech
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We are travelling to Chicago to Procore Groundbreak on September 19th and 20th to interview innovators in construction technology - let us know if you are coming!
If you are, use promo-code BRICKS100 for $100 off your ticket price.
Check https://www.procore.com/groundbreak
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Today’s Sponsor: beta – Construction and technology network platform
– connecting the tech industry with traditional construction partners.
Check www.the-beta.com
----------------------------------------
Timestamps:
(0:00:00-0:14:00) - Intro
(0:14:00-0:18:15) - Difficulties in complying with every construction contract procedure
(0:18:15-0:20:20) - Common issues with construction contracts
(0:20:20-0:28:38) - Experience selling software to the construction industry
(0:28:38-0:30:25) - Key factors in building the team at Document Crunch
(0:30:25-0:34:30) - Interview techniques when hiring
(0:34:30-0:43:35) - Challenges of being a CEO
(0:43:35-0:44:39) - Outro
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Bricks & Bytes
#020 - Mark Hurst - Scaling your startup & Proptech Espresso
On todays show we welcome Mark Hurst who runs HurstX.
Mark has worked as tech executive, investment banker, management consultant and held operations and business development positions in the proptech space.
In this episode we deep dive into:
Scaling companies
Sales
Advisory roles
Web3 applications within proptech space
If you’re enjoying our podcast, please check us out on Spotify or Apple and wherever you listen to your podcast. And if you enjoyed - 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.
Link to the Mark's substack: https://rew3.substack.com
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Mark Hurst - CEO at HurstX Solutions and host of Proptech Espresso Podcast
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Today's Sponsor:
@Beta Construction and technology network platform - connecting the tech industry with traditional partners.
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Timestamps:
(00:00:00-00:01:34) - Intro
(00:01:34-00:02:17) - Sponsor
(00:02:17-00:05:32) - History of Mark Hurst journey in Proptech
(00:05:32-00:07:45) - Networking as a significant part of Mark’s journey
(00:07:45-00:10:13) - Mark’s definition of Proptech
(00:10:13-00:11:22) - Real estate industry as the biggest asset in the world
(00:11:22-00:14:37) - History of Mark’s Proptech Espresso Podcast
(00:14:37-00:19:24) - What are the key tips that you could give to people involved in sales within the industry?
(00:19:24-00:22:10) - Engagement with customer as a critical part of the sales process
(00:22:10-00:25:10) - Why would someone want to partner with Hurst Tech?
(00:25:10-00:28:15) - Is there any process that you follow when working with founders and startups?
(00:28:15-00:31:15) - Things that help you grow your business
(00:31:15-00:35:13) - Mark’s thoughts on Web3 in the real estate industry
(00:35:13-00:36:33) - Construction use cases for blockchain
(00:36:33-00:39:20) - Web3 in residential and commercial construction
(00:39:20-00:40:54) - If you had an unlimited budget where would you invest it?
(00:40:54-00:41:38) - What book could you recommend?
(00:41:38-00:42:28) - More about Mark
(00:42:28-00:42:45) - Outro
Human Touch in Construction Sales, False Tech Solutions, and Large Company Lawsuits - Bricks, Bucks & Bytes
"Try to keep all your human touch points and automate them on the backend."
In today's episode of Bricks, Bucks and Bytes, we dive into the world of B2B marketplaces in construction. We explore why human touch points are crucial for success, especially in an industry built on trust and relationships.
We also discuss the recent lawsuit between Oracle and Procore, where Oracle accuses a former employee of stealing trade secrets related to payment management software.
Plus, we explored HomeBoost, a startup offering simplified energy assessments for homes using AI. But is it too good to be true?
Tune in to find out about:
✅ The pros and cons of AI-powered home energy assessments
✅ The potential impact of the Oracle vs. Procore lawsuit on the construction tech industry
✅ Why B2B marketplaces in construction need to maintain human interactions
✅ The increasing trend of investors suing portfolio companies in recent years
Ready to dive deeper? Listen to the full episode on Spotify and join the conversation!
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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
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Bricks, Buck$ And Bytes
5 Things Founders Control During Fundraising That Most Don't Know About - Bricks, Bucks and Bytes
"VC is rocket fuel. Do not spend it on a Fiat 500. Only put very expensive rocket fuel if you're actually building a rocket."
In today's episode of Bricks, Bucks and Bytes, we got to learn about Speckle's recent Series A raise, showcasing the renewed liquidity in early-stage funding for 2024.
We also discovered that the construction tech sector saw impressive growth in seed stage funding sizes during Q3 2023, signaling a positive shift in the market.
Plus, we gained invaluable insights from Patrick Hellermann on what really makes VCs tick when it comes to investing in startups.
Tune in to find out about:
✅ The magic "100x potential" that VCs are looking for
✅ Why information asymmetry is your secret weapon between fundraising rounds
✅ How to leverage social validation to your advantage
✅ The power of building a rockstar team to secure funding
Listen to the full episode on Spotify and arm yourself with the knowledge to make your next pitch irresistible!
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/bricksbytespod
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmNbunUTIIQDzbJgGJt9_Zg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bricksbytes/
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Bricks, Buck$ And Bytes
Speckle's $12.5M Funding - How Open Source Software Is Changing Construction Design
Speckle's $12.5M Series A: A Game-Changer for AEC Data Infrastructure
In today's episode of Bricks, Bucks and Bytes, we got to learn about Speckle's impressive $12.5 million Series A funding round, led by Addition, to build the first data hub for the AEC industry.
We also learned about Rexel's rejection of an unsolicited $8.5 billion takeover bid from QXO, signaling potential shifts in the building materials distribution landscape.
Additionally, we gained insights into Patrick Hellermann's framework for evaluating potential investors, emphasizing the importance of avoiding detrimental influences over perceived value-add.
Tune in to find out about:
✅ Speckle's open-source approach to AEC data infrastructure
✅ The potential impact of QXO's ambitious plans on the building materials distribution sector
✅ Key considerations for startups when evaluating corporate investors
✅ The importance of prioritizing non-interference and quality input from investors
Listen to the full episode on Spotify to dive deeper into these fascinating topics in construction tech and venture capital.
read more
Bricks, Buck$ And Bytes
Construction Tech Funding Hits $35 Billion: What's Next?
From AI-powered construction sales to billion-dollar air taxi gambles: Inside the high-stakes world of tech funding!
In today's episode of Bricks, Bucks and Bytes, we got to learn about Building Radar's impressive €6.5 million funding round from Socii Capital, powering their AI-driven sales automation software for the construction industry.
We also dove into Fundamentals' Q3 update on AEC Tech funding, revealing that total cumulative VC funding for construction tech has hit a whopping $35 billion - triple the 2019 level!
Plus, we had a heated discussion about Lilium, the German air taxi startup seeking a controversial bailout after burning through millions.
Tune in to find out about:
✅ How Building Radar is revolutionizing sales in construction
✅ The surprising increase in construction tech's share of overall VC funding
✅ Why some VCs are calling for government bailouts (and why it's raising eyebrows)
✅ The ethics of venture capital in high-risk, high-reward industries
Ready for a deep dive into the world of construction tech and VC drama? Hit play on Spotify and join the conversation!
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Company Mentioned:
Building Radar
Lilium
SpaceX
Tesla
WeWork
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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