Buildroid AI, a robotics startup, has come out of stealth mode and announced that it has raised $2 million in pre-seed funding. The round was led by Tim Draper, a well-known investor who has backed companies like Tesla, SpaceX, Skype and Robinhood. The company also revealed its first robot designed for laying blocks, created using BIM-to-BUILD simulation, and showcased it at the Big Five Construction Conference.
The startup was founded by Slava Solonitsyn—a YC alum who previously started Mighty Buildings, raised over $100 million, and delivered more than 50 3D-printed homes—and Anton Glance, founder of Glance Clock, which was later acquired by NeXtime. Buildroid AI plans to first innovate in the labour-heavy partition-wall construction sector and eventually expand its platform to other uses within the UAE’s $42.75 billion construction market.
“UAE’s construction growth demands solutions to persistent labour shortages and productivity bottlenecks. Construction robots have been around for over a decade, but have had limited success, primarily because they automate narrow skills and require significant additional labour to support them. With the rapid development of AI, it has become possible to bring general-purpose and industrial robots to construction as well,” said Slava Solonitsyn, Buildroid’s CEO and co-founder.
Buildroid’s platform combines Building Information Models (BIM) with AI-powered Digital Twin simulations using Nvidia Omniverse. This helps plan and optimise robotic work, allowing projects to be completed faster, at lower cost, and with better quality. Their first block-laying robot is already being tested on real construction sites in the UAE. Soon, it will be supported by Autonomous Mobile Robots that bring concrete blocks directly to it, removing the need for manual labour.
Using multiple robots together, Buildroid can increase productivity by up to 10 times and reduce costs by up to 4 times compared to traditional manual work.
In the future, Buildroid plans to expand by opening its platform to other robot makers, vendors, and contractors. The goal is to build a “Procore for Robotics in Construction” — a complete system that first tests workflows through simulation and then manages robots on actual job sites.
This approach helps developers and contractors deploy robots at scale with better performance and higher utilisation. It also sets Buildroid apart from single-purpose robot companies in the MENA region, where the construction market is expected to grow to $401.2 billion by 2030.
“ALEC self-performs significant blockwork across our projects. In line with our robotics strategy, we are piloting Buildroid’s robotic block-laying system on one of our sites. We also look forward to leveraging their upcoming BIM simulation tools to virtually test robotic solutions and de-risk on-site deployment,” said Imad Itani, Head of Innovation of ALEC.
Tim Draper, the lead investor, noted: “Unlike single-robot solutions, Buildroid’s platform combines the best robotic technologies validated through BIM-based simulations. Such an approach empowers builders with scalable, flexible, vendor-agnostic automation that maintains the critical role of skilled human operators. I’m excited to back a team that’s transforming how buildings are made, improving efficiency while empowering workers.”
With this new funding, Buildroid plans to expand its pilot programs, improve the simulation and autonomous abilities of its robotic teams, and speed up commercial rollouts. The company is beginning with non-load-bearing walls but plans to quickly grow into interior fit-out work and eventually broader construction processes.
Read more- FinReach Secures INR 21.9 Crore in Funding Led by Colossa Ventures
