Our Innovation Analysts recently looked into emerging technologies and up-and-coming startups working on solutions for the construction industry. As there is a large number of startups working on a wide variety of solutions, we decided to share our insights with you. This time, we are taking a look at 5 promising Connected Construction Site Startups.
Heat Map: 5 Top Connected Construction Site Startups
For our 5 top picks, we used a data-driven startup scouting approach to identify the most relevant solutions globally. The Global Startup Heat Map below highlights 5 interesting examples out of 474 relevant solutions. Depending on your specific needs, your top picks might look entirely different.
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FalconViz – Surveying & Geolocation
Construction sites are constantly changing, making the job of the project manager one of the most stressful positions in the industry. Small miscalculations or delayed identification of low stock levels can cause significant delays in time, or worse, months of work might need to be redone. Saudi Arabian startup FalconViz offers a range of mapping and surveying solutions to create an accurate version of a construction site. From 2D and 3D as-built Computer-Aided Design (CAD) drawings to high-definition photogrammetry and aerial monitoring, they are able to capture up to 500,000m2 per day, saving stocks, costs and time.
SmartBarrel – Internet of Things (IoT)
Construction sites generate vast amounts of data, a majority of which is not even captured, let alone measured and analyzed. Using IoT technologies such as sensors, near-field-communication (NFC) devices, and other devices can help monitor the productivity and safety of both workers and equipment. The US-based startup SmartBarrel develops real-time, connected construction site IoT devices. They provide employers and workers with an overview of the project, allocate tasks, monitor the weather, make tracking of payroll and timesheets more efficient, and allows for overall monitoring of the job site.
BIM Construction – Building Information Modelling (BIM)
The construction industry needs to adopt an integrated platform that spans project planning, design, construction, operations, and maintenance. Instead, the industry still relies on numerous, task-specific software tools which may not synchronize with one another. BIM integrates all construction processes from pre-design planning to demolition and renewal for a construction site. Costa Rica-based startup BIM Construction allows for up to 7D BIM. They offer a basic 3D BIM which factors in pre-construction plans and design visualization, 4D BIM which includes the scheduling of the project, 5D BIM which factors in the costs, 6D BIM which accounts for the energy consumed and 7D BIM which considers maintenance, demolition, and renewal of a construction site.
WakeCap Technologies – Smart Tracking
One reason for the industry’s poor productivity record is that it still relies on paper to manage its processes and deliverables such as blueprints, design drawings, procurement, and supply-chain orders, equipment logs, daily progress reports, and punch lists. Due to the lack of digitization, information sharing is delayed and may not be universal. Fatal accidents can also be prevented by digitizing job site processes. United Arab Emirates-based startup WakeCap Technologies solves several of these issues by developing smart tracking systems for the construction site. They connect and track tools, equipment, and workers at the job site. Smart tracking enables real-time field reporting on worksite operations, labor productivity, and workforce attendance. It significantly improves the safety of workers in a construction site.
Kalima Systems – Embedded Blockchain For IoT
When IoT and Blockchain are merged together, they create a verifiable, secure and permanent method of recording data processed by ‘smart machines’. This network of interconnected devices in the construction site behave like workers, supervisors, and network providers, that interact with one another and make decisions without any human intervention. Work-In-Progress management is all about having a real-time geo-localized view of all the job sites in progress and their detailed progress, complete with updated completion dates. This is what the French company Kalima Systems aims to do by creating the necessary requirements for enabling embedded blockchain for IoT devices in construction sites.
What About The Other 469 Solutions?
While we believe data is key to creating insights it can be easy to be overwhelmed by it. Our ambition is to create a comprehensive overview and provide actionable innovation intelligence for your Proof of Concept (PoC), partnership, or investment targets. The 5 startups showcased above are promising examples out of 474 we analyzed for this article. To identify the most relevant solutions based on your specific criteria and collaboration strategy, get in touch.
