To explore the challenges of robotics in construction, Leonard commissioned its partner Sifted, a media outlet dedicated to the startup community, to draft a report on the topic.
The report highlights new opportunities emerging from companies in the United States, Europe, and Japan. The United States leads in construction robotics funding; Europe is home to innovators like Gropyus, specialising in prefabrication, and Flyability, whose drones inspect hard‑to-reach areas. Japan, on the other hand, has already implemented automated dam construction projects, providing a glimpse of fully robotic worksites.
The construction sector faces productivity challenges, labor shortages, and hazardous working conditions. Robots excel in tasks that are “simple, repetitive, and dangerous,” enhancing productivity while ensuring worker safety.
The goal is not to replace workers but to imagine new collaborations between humans and machines.
Robots take on repetitive and high-risk tasks, enabling workers to focus on more skilled and creative roles. By making construction more appealing, robotics also attracts new talent, often not originally from the sector.
Startups face unique challenges in construction automation: earning the trust of site managers, solving calibration and transportation issues, and even addressing aesthetics – should robots look friendly or simply be functional? Flexible business models, such as leasing or robots-as-a-service, lower entry barriers, allowing companies to test tools without significant upfront investment.
Why is this robotics revolution possible now? Thanks to mature technology combining IoT, LiDAR, satellite systems, and advanced AI. These technologies make robots smarter, more adaptable, and better equipped to manage real-time changes on ever-changing construction sites.
The global construction robotics market is growing rapidly, with its value expected to double to €750 million by 2029. Robotics provides the construction sector with a lever to become more efficient on multiple levels, from boosting productivity to optimising material use. Investors are taking notice and organising to support startups entering this sector.
The real breakthrough for the sector lies ahead. According to the Crunchbase database, only 17 construction robotics companies worldwide have secured funding from investors since 2022.
Are you interested in robotics for construction? The report is available for consultation and download, and we invite you to share it widely.
This article is taken from our Yearbook 2025: “Shaping solutions”.
Read the yearbook 2025: « Shaping solutions »
