🤖 This week on BitBuilders - tl;dr:
- Two founders combine autonomous vehicle and construction expertise to tackle building envelope installation
- Their robot reduces 6-8 person crews to just 1 operator while maintaining production rates
- Safety and quality control are primary value drivers, with productivity gains as a bonus
- Raise's platform approach could expand to structural retrofits, caulking, and welding
- Market focused on mid to high-rise construction with concentrated customer base in top 50 contractors
- Novel approach to equipment financing and insurance leveraging off-the-shelf components
"We really try to focus on getting out on the field as much as possible. Building a robot purely in the lab and then trying to get into the field and hoping it works is not a great way to do it."
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When Computer Vision Meets Construction Equipment
The founding story of Raise Robotics begins with an unlikely LinkedIn connection during COVID. Gary, fresh from working on autonomous vehicles at Waymo and UC Berkeley, reached out to Conley, who brought years of experience in commercial construction equipment and crane operations. Their backgrounds couldn't have been more different - Gary was developing autonomous vehicle technology and researching low-power MEMS oscillators at Berkeley, while Conley was managing complex crane operations and specialized construction projects.
This unexpected combination of technical robotics expertise and deep construction industry knowledge would prove crucial for tackling one of construction's most challenging tasks: building envelope installation. As Gary notes, his initial outreach wasn't even aimed at starting a company - he was simply curious about construction challenges, particularly around dense housing development. This curiosity-driven approach would later prove invaluable in their product development process.
Understanding the Building Envelope Challenge
For those unfamiliar with construction terminology, the building envelope comprises everything that wraps the structure's exterior. On modern commercial buildings, this often means unitized curtain wall panels - prefabricated assemblies that get shipped to site and installed as complete units. While the components are standardized, the installation process is anything but simple.
Traditional installation requires 6-8 workers operating at the edge of the building, often having to physically reach over the edge while tethered with safety equipment. It's physically demanding, potentially dangerous work that requires extreme precision - any mistakes in installation can lead to water leaks, energy inefficiency, or even structural issues.
The building envelope isn't just another construction element - it represents 20-30% of the entire building value. This high value comes from its critical role in building performance, hosting complex MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing) systems at the interface between interior and exterior, and the sheer weight and complexity of materials like thick glass panels.
The Market Dynamics
The building envelope market has some unique characteristics that make it particularly suitable for robotics innovation. The industry is relatively concentrated, with the top 50 contractors by revenue representing about 95% of the market. As Conley explains, "It's very easy to become a contractor... but it's extremely difficult to become a good contractor."
Their target customers range from companies doing $150 million to over $500 million in annual revenue, with some international customers in the billions. This concentration allows Raise to focus on building deep relationships with a manageable number of sophisticated customers who can provide valuable feedback and have the resources to adopt new technology.
The market is primarily focused on mid to high-rise construction, typically five stories and above. While there are some emerging trends of unitized curtain wall usage in high-end residential construction (particularly in areas like Cupertino), the sweet spot remains commercial buildings, universities, hospitals, and increasingly, industrial centers.
A Step-by-Step Approach to Robot Development
Rather than spending years perfecting their robot in a lab, Raise took an aggressive field-testing approach. Their first prototype was admittedly rough - "a lot of wood and metal" as Gary puts it - but it allowed them to start gathering real-world feedback immediately. This rapid iteration with actual customer input helped them identify crucial design requirements that might have been missed in a lab-only development process.
The team's first major breakthrough came when they demonstrated a simulation to a potential customer. Within a week, they were invited to Sacramento and asked if they could deploy a robot the following month - before they even had a working prototype. This early customer enthusiasm validated their approach but also highlighted the importance of managing expectations and being transparent about technology readiness.
One key learning was the importance of deployment logistics. As Conley notes, "If you make something simple look difficult, that's going to be their just thought of your company or your existence. Doesn't matter how well the robot works once it's started." This led them to design their robot for maximum flexibility in movement - it can be picked up by forklifts from any direction, rigged with cranes, and fits through standard commercial doorways.
The Technical Architecture
At the heart of Raise's approach is what Gary describes as a "mobile manipulator platform" - think of it as a smart car-sized robot (1500 pounds, 38 inches wide) with robotic arms that can handle different tools. Their software architecture focuses on two fundamental capabilities:
- Precise positioning and localization on the construction site
- Robust obstacle detection and avoidance
This foundation allows them to create "templates" for different tasks like layout, bracket installation, and drilling, which can be adapted for various settings. The system isn't fully autonomous - instead, it operates more like a CNC machine, where operators provide initial setup and oversight while the robot handles the precise, repetitive work.
The Business Case and Value Proposition
While many robotics startups focus primarily on productivity gains, Raise's value proposition starts with safety and quality control. The robot reduces the need for workers to operate in dangerous edge conditions while providing precise documentation of every installation. This includes XYZ coordinate logs that can identify issues with concrete slabs or misaligned embeds before they become costly problems.
The productivity gains are significant - one person with a robot can maintain the production rates that traditionally required 6-8 workers - but Raise positions this as enabling growth rather than replacement. As Conley explains, "Instead of thinking of it like we're going to be laying off five people and maintaining one, you have now five people that could do as much work as an entire crew across every project in your portfolio."
This approach resonates particularly well with contractors struggling to find qualified field labor. By establishing a robotic baseline, these companies can scale their operations across multiple projects without having to hire and train new local service teams for each site.
Manufacturing, Scale, and Financial Innovation
Raise takes a pragmatic approach to manufacturing, leveraging existing supply chains where possible. Rather than building every component from scratch, they integrate off-the-shelf solutions for complex parts like sensors, depth cameras, force torque sensors, and robotic arms. This not only reduces development time but makes their robots more attractive for equipment financing, as the components have established market value.
The financing aspect is particularly innovative. By using standardized components that have value on the secondary market, Raise has been able to work with traditional equipment financiers who might otherwise be hesitant to fund custom robotics. They're also exploring relationships with newer financing firms specifically focused on hardware startups.
Insurance, while initially seeming daunting, has proven surprisingly manageable. The key, according to Conley, is working with the right carriers and brokers who understand construction site requirements. The main challenge isn't insuring the robot itself - that's relatively straightforward - but rather ensuring compliance with project access requirements and general liability policies.
Customer Communication and Growth
One of Raise's key strategies has been maintaining strong communication with early customers. They send regular updates about new developments, which not only keeps customers engaged but also helps drive word-of-mouth marketing within the industry. As Conley notes, "They're extremely excited to receive updates... Gets them excited, they want to share it, they talk to their friends. Ultimately allows you to get more business."
The Future of Construction Automation
Looking ahead, Raise sees opportunities to expand their platform beyond initial fastening applications into areas like structural retrofits, caulking, and welding. Their goal isn't to create showcase robots that dance - as Conley puts it, "our robots don't dance" - but to become as commonplace on construction sites as Caterpillar equipment, integrated into project planning from day one.
The team envisions a future where their robots are factored into project planning from the earliest stages, with customers building their schedules and budgets around the assumption of using Raise's equipment. This vision aligns with broader industry trends, particularly as general contractors (GCs) show increasing interest in taking certain scopes of work back in-house, potentially using automation as a competitive advantage.
Industry Evolution and General Contractor Trends
An interesting trend the Raise team has observed is the potential for general contractors to begin self-performing more work using automation as a differentiator. As Conley explains, there's been a 20-year trend of GCs minimizing liability by outsourcing actual construction work while maintaining control over means and methods. However, with the emergence of reliable automation solutions, some GCs are considering bringing certain scopes back in-house, particularly in areas like structure, MEP, and facade work.
While this shift isn't likely to happen in the next five years, it could represent a significant industry transformation in the 10-15 year timeframe. Automation could provide the "moat" that makes it financially viable for GCs to take on more direct construction work while managing risk.
Key Learnings:
- Real-world testing beats lab perfection - get customer feedback early and often
- Construction robotics must be designed for site logistics first
- Integration of existing components can be better than building everything from scratch
- Focus on enabling growth rather than pure labor replacement
- Strong customer relationships and regular communication are crucial for product development
- Financial innovation in hardware can come from clever use of standardized components
- The future of construction may see GCs bringing automated processes in-house
#construction #robotics #automation #startups #buildingtech #innovation #proptech #constructiontech