Buildroid AI raises $2M to launch faster construction robots in UAE

Backed by Tim Draper and founded by industry veterans, Buildroid AI is aiming to transform the traditional construction site. Its new AI-powered block-laying robots and digital twin simulations are set to optimise the UAE's mega-projects, delivering massive productivity gains and a new era of autonomous workflows.

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BUILDROID AI, an AI robotics startup, has emerged from stealth with $2 million in pre-seed funding led by Tim Draper, known for backing Tesla, SpaceX, Skype, and Robinhood. The company also announced the launch of its first block-laying robot (BLR), built using BIM-to-Build simulation, having unveiled the technology at the Big 5 Global Construction Conference in November last year.

Slava Solonitsyn, the Co-Founder of the startup, believes these robots have great potential in the regional market.

Speaking exclusively to Gulf Construction, he says: “We believe the deployment of robots will change the structure of the labour market, enabling the creation of more professional and highly paid positions such as robotic operators. Overall, the number of people required on a typical construction site will decrease, while design-to-build time will be optimised by 15 to 20 per cent. Over the next five to seven years, some workflows on site will become autonomous, with multiple robots collaborating to deliver end-to-end automation.”

Solonitsyn, a YC alumnus who previously founded Mighty Buildings, raising over $100 million and delivering more than 50 3D-printed homes, founded Buildroid AI with Anton Glance, founder at Glance Clock (acquired by NeXtime).

Buildroid initially aims to transform the labour-intensive partition walls segment and then open its platform for other use-cases for the UAE's $42.75 billion construction market.