Radar – Our selection of innovative businesses #43

Document Crunch takes top prize of the Construction Startup Competition 2021, sustainable construction startup NODE merges with developer Green Canopy and raises $10 million, Blackshark.ai raises $20 million to develop a digital 3D map of the infrastructure of the planet.

Document Crunch takes top prize among the 10 winners of the Construction Startup Competition 2021

Organised by CEMEX Ventures together with Dysruptek, Ferrovial, Hilti, Leonard and NOVA by Saint Gobain, the 2021 Construction Startup Competition rewarded 10 winners at the BuiltWorlds Venture East Conference on November 11th in Miami, Florida. Document Crunch, an AI-powered software that identifies critical provisions in construction contracts, was awarded the top prize.

The American startup was selected from 10 finalists in five categories: carbon footprint mitigation, supply chain optimisation, on-site efficiency, advanced building materials and new construction methods. Over 2,000 innovative Contech companies have been identified since the launch of the competition, making it a benchmark of prestige in the field.

Find out more :
Document Crunch wins the largest construction start-up competition (Leonard)
The 10 most promising construction startups of 2021, from AI contract reviewers to cloud-based material management (Archinect)

 

In the US, sustainable construction startup NODE merges with developer Green Canopy and raises $10 million

In the United States, two innovative companies in the sustainable construction sector have just merged and raised $10 million in the process. They are NODE, a Seattle startup launched in 2016, which develops low-carbon solutions for the construction industry, and Green Canopy, a Portland-based developer specialising in eco-construction. They are now  known as Green Canopy NODE.

Over the years, NODE has developed a technology for energy-efficient homes using prefabricated components made from environmentally friendly materials. By combining NODE’s innovative building solutions with Green Canopy’s expertise in design, marketing, construction and management of property assets, Green Canopy NODE aims to deliver more sustainable and responsible construction in North America. The new company has 31 employees and plans to double its workforce by 2022.

Find out more : Pacific Northwest companies merge and raise cash to build energy efficient, modular construction tech (Geekwire)

 

In Austria, Blackshark.ai raises $20 million to develop a digital 3D map of the infrastructure of the planet.

Austrian startup Blackshark has just raised $20 million led by M12 (Microsoft’s investment fund) and Point72 Ventures.  As part of the deal, Google Earth’s co-founder Brian McClendon has joined as an advisor to the board.

Spun out from the world of video games, Blackshark.ai’s technology generates a highly accurate 3D digital twin of Earth based on satellite data and AI. It has contributed to Microsoft Flight Simulator since 2020. The company has a workforce of around 100 employees, based in Silicon Valley and Graz, Austria.

With the $20 million round A, Blackshark.ai will be able to access more data and develop its 3D digital map, currently used by governments and companies for military and humanitarian purposes, as well as entertainment, smart cities and autonomous industries. Blackshark is also looking into metaverse applications.

Find out more : Blackshark.ai’s digital twin of Earth attracts $20M in funding (Techcrunch)

 

Also in the news 

Material Evolution (UK) raises $3.4 million to reduce carbon emissions in concrete by 85% – tech.eu

California-based Streetlogic raises $2.1 million to launch its computer vision-based collision warning system for electric bikes – Techcrunch

In Israel, ShieldIoT raises $7.4 million to streamline and secure mass-scale IoT networks. – Calcalistech


This article was published as part of the December 2021 Leonard newsletter: “Reindustrialisation: industrial renaissance ahead? » Find this newsletter in its entirety here and subscribe to receive future ones by following this link.

 

 

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