10 global start-ups awarded for innovative construction technologies

• Kongleaphy Keam
• 20 August 2019
• Construction Focus
• 2399 Views

At a recent Construction Start-up Competition 2019 hosted by CEMEX Ventures, a global leader in the building materials industry, ten start-ups from around the world have been awarded for innovating the most impactful technologies in the construction industry.

Held in Mexico on 8 July, this three-day event was joined by wide range of industry-related firms from across the globe with the aim of finding the most promising solutions for today’s construction industry.

This event was also held in response to the growing trend and demand for construction technologies. According to CREtech, venture capital investment in private construction-technology companies has skyrocketed, from US$352 million in 2016 to more than US$6 billion in 2018.

The same source also added that the most popular and beneficial technologies among users nowadays include AI (artificial intelligence), digital twins, robotics, and 3D printing.

Meanwhile, the winners of the CEMEX Ventures event this year are providing uses beyond any of those which include:

360 Smart Connect
This French firm renovated a traceability/encapsulation system that inserts near-field communication chips into prefabricated cement parts. This technology can help collect information such as quality control documents as well as other operational information.

Arqlite
Based in Argentina, this firm came up with artificial gravel from recycled plastics. Their gravel is cheaper, three times lighter and has 10 times more insulating power than the normal gravel.

BuildStream
This US-based company created a software to help facilitate the real-time management of heavy equipment and logistics in construction projects.

BldBox
This firm produced a predictive analytics platform used to record historical project data so that clients can use this data to produce accurate estimates for new construction projects.

Matrak
Based in Australia, this firm invented a digitised supply chain, which allows users to track and share real time information at every stage of construction.

Morta
This UK-based firm presented an automatic code checker to ensure that building designs meet the requirements of government rules and regulations.

PlanRadar
This Austrian firm introduced a new construction management software which helps ease the project documentation and inter-team communication.

Rebartek
This Norway-based company came up with a 3D modelling system to help automate the prefabrication of reinforcement cages using industrial robots.

Thunderbolt Pipeline
With the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning, this American firm invented an intelligent end-to-end platform to reduce risks. This system allow users to become more competitive through enhanced workforce planning, CRM and bid tracking.

Vero Solutions
This Canadian firm created a design system for steel and cement.

​​During the event, ​the ten firms have also pledged to continue to develop these technologies for the sake of efficiency and sustainability in the construction sectors across the globe.