Bricks and Bytes

“HCSS fills the missing middle where plans become production.” That’s how Usman described the $2.4B Nemetschek + HCSS deal on this week’s Bricks & Bytes. We sat down with Yves (CEO, Nemetschek Group) and Usman (Build Segment) to unpack the strategy behind one of the biggest construction tech deals of the year. Tune in to find out about: ✅ Why Nemetschek structured this as a partnership with Thoma Bravo (28% rolled stake) instead of a clean buyout ✅ How HCSS slots in alongside Bluebeam, GoCanvas, SiteDocs and Nevaris ✅ The real prize — 40 years of proprietary heavy civil lifecycle data and what it means for vertical AI ✅ Usman’s blunt advice to founders right now (hint: not “PowerPoint or vibe-coded apps”) 🎧 Watch the full episode live on YouTube and Spotify! #bricksandbytes #bricksbytes #bricksbucksandbytes #aec #construction #constructiontech #ai #vc

Two AI-backed private equity firms just confirmed the same thesis in the same week. They’re not buying construction software. They’re buying the firms that use it. This week: I sit down with the team behind Zero RFI (General Catalyst-backed) and a partner at E3 Tech (the Andreessen Horowitz JV) to unpack the rollup playbook coming for owner’s reps and trade contractors. I cover the UK tier one that just put a humanoid robot on a live construction site for the price of a small van, and what the methodology behind that deployment actually teaches you. Plus a recap of April and a look at what’s coming next week, including our episode with the CEO of Nemetschek on the HCSS deal. Three things you can action this week. No fluff. Links and resources mentioned in this episode: Bricks & Bytes Supply Chain & Procurement Report – https://bricks-bytes.com/downloads/procurement-report/ Zacua Ventures Construction Robotics Report 2026 – https://zacuaventures.com/construction-robotics-report-2026/ AEC Magazine on agentic BIM data wall – https://aecmag.com/ai/agentic-bims-missing-infrastructure/https://aecmag.com/ai/agentic-bims-missing-infrastructure/ All3 / Mantis $25M raise – https://bricks-bytes.com/funding-ma/all3-25m-seed-construction-robotics/ NABTU + Microsoft AI training partnership – https://news.microsoft.com/source/2026/04/21/nabtu-and-microsoft-expand-nationwide-initiative-to-strengthen-ai-training-and-career-pathways-across-the-skilled-trades/ Daily Blueprint editions covered (27-30 April 2026) – https://bricks-bytes.com/daily-blueprint/ Our newsletter – https://bricks-bytes.beehiiv.com/ LinkedIn post for this episode (for comments/engagement) – [link coming

“AI is about to create the biggest divide humanity has ever seen.” That’s the warning Chinn, founder of dConstruct, dropped on Bricks & Bytes. He sold his startup to Autodesk. Built Singapore’s Smart Nation. Now he’s putting AI robots on construction sites that see every flaw in millimetres. Tune in to find out about: ✅ Why perfect site data is bankrupting construction projects ✅ The new AI currency that will split the industry in two ✅ Why 90% of construction robots are a lie ✅ The data move every construction leader has 10 years to make Watch now on Spotify and YouTube 🎧 #aec #construction #constructiontech #bricksandbytes #bricksbytes #bricksbucksandbytes #ai #vc Our Sponsors: BreadCrumb- 50,000+ projects globally. All running safer, faster, with Breadcrumb. – breadcrumb.co Aphex is the multiplayer planning platform where construction teams plan together, stay aligned, and deliver projects faster – check out aphex.co Archdesk –  “The #1 Construction Management Software for Growing Companies – Manage your projects from Tender to Handover” check archdesk.com Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:54 Quickfire Questions 04:51 Chinn’s Career Journey 07:26 Sponsors 10:49 Insights from Working with Autodesk 13:52 Building Smart Nation Solutions in Singapore 16:51 Lessons from Government Work 19:53 The Role of Technology in Construction 22:57 dConstruct: Addressing Labor Shortages with Robotics 24:46 Challenges and Opportunities in Robotics for Construction 28:45 AI’s Impact on Society and the Future 32:01 Final Thoughts and Future Directions

Nemetschek just dropped $2.4B on a software company nobody’s heard of.  This week on Bricks, Bucks & Bytes, Owen, Patric and Martin dug into the biggest AEC deal of the year, plus two robotics founders changing how we build.  Tune in to find out about:  ✅ Why HCSS is the smartest AEC acquisition of 2026 ✅ Why Kawazu ditched construction for oil and gas ✅ Mesh Robotics on solving rebar, the ugliest problem in construction ✅ Martin Fisher’s rule: 80% data, 20% AI  #aec #construction #constructiontech #bricksbucksandbytes #bricksandbytes #ai #vc Our Sponsors: BreadCrumb- 50,000+ projects globally. All running safer, faster, with Breadcrumb. – breadcrumb.co Aphex is the multiplayer planning platform where construction teams plan together, stay aligned, and deliver projects faster – check out aphex.co Archdesk – “The #1 Construction Management Software for Growing Companies – Manage your projects from Tender to Handover” check archdesk.com Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:56 Celebrating Milestones and Future Aspirations 03:25 Insights from the Martin Fisher Event 06:33 The HCSS Acquisition by Nemetschek 12:09 Strategic Implications of Acquisitions in Construction Tech 30:04 The Genius of Brad Jacobs 30:40 Meditation and Success 31:49 Exploring AI Tools and Credits 35:44 The Future of Urban Mobility: Glideways 45:01 Innovations in Nuclear Power 50:14 Understanding Labor and Scaffold Costs 52:36 The Evolution of Robotics in Construction 54:29 Data-Driven Insights in Material Flow 56:44 The Role of Transparency in Construction 57:58 Scaling Robotics Solutions in Construction 1:01:09 The Intersection of Robotics and Rebar 1:05:31 Bridging the Gap from Lab to Market 1:11:46 The Future of Assembly in Robotics

Most of you are spending the wrong 80% of your AI budget right now. And the man who said it has been at Stanford for 40 years. This week: we unpack Professor Martin Fischer’s uncomfortable 80/20 reallocation and why building digital feedback loops has to come before the AI layer. We sit down with Suffolk Construction’s CTO Jit Kee Chin and Speckle founder Dimitri Stefanescu on what happens when the most data-mature general contractor in the US decides the next bet isn’t another point solution. We break down why Andreessen Horowitz — the firm behind Facebook, Airbnb and GitHub — has just publicly planted a flag in construction. And we cover our third Fight Night, where TestFit’s Clifton Harness and Join’s Andrew Zukoski disagree on whether AI compresses or fragments the industry. Three things you can action this week. No fluff. Links and resources mentioned in this episode: Martin Fischer & Bricks & Bytes – COMING SOON Suffolk Technologies’ investment in Speckle – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcPDoOwU_pk&t=78s Andreessen Horowitz’s public construction thesis – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzaqa52ccng&t Bricks & Bytes Fight Night 3 — Clifton Harness vs Andrew Zukoski (full episode) – COMING SOON Bricks & Bytes Fight Night — Mike vs Luigi on AI estimating – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9eVyABO2AQ Bricks & Bytes Fight Night — KP vs Dustin on the future of construction software – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=If0jJnX7tZY Tilbury Douglas becomes first UK contractor to deploy a humanoid on site – https://www.tilburydouglas.co.uk/tilbury-douglas-becomes-first-contractor-to-launch-a-humanoid-robot-on-construction-site/ Breadcrumb — digital safety, orientations and permits synced into Procore – https://breadcrumb.co Our newsletter — Beehiiv subscription page – https://bricks-bytes.beehiiv.com/ LinkedIn post for this episode (for comments/engagement) (coming shortly) – [URL]

“Architects might start feeling useless.” That’s Dimitrie Stefanescu, founder of Speckle, on this week’s Bricks & Bytes — on why GCs moving upstream into design is triggering an existential crisis across AEC. Joined by Jit Kee Chin, CTO of Suffolk Construction and co-founder of Suffolk Technologies, who just led Suffolk’s investment into Speckle. Tune in to find out about: ✅ Why 3D data is the missing infrastructure layer for AI in construction ✅ The real reason design-build is eating traditional architecture ✅ The most insane thing a customer has built on top of Speckle (yes, you’ll want to hear this one) ✅ What actually triggered a $B GC to bet on an open-source startup Watch now on YouTube and Spotify! #aec #construction #constructiontech #bricksandbytes #bricksbytes #ai #vc

Every building you’ve ever been in was designed by software built in 1997. That’s the headline a16z used to put the bat signal out to AEC founders — and Joe Schmidt got dragged for it on LinkedIn. But he’s not a tourist. His grandfather invented the concrete pump. In today’s episode of Bricks & Bytes, we had Joe Schmidt from Andreessen Horowitz and got into the three attack vectors for disrupting Revit, why the services layer is the hidden prize… and many more! Tune in to find out about: ✅ The 3 ways startups are attacking Autodesk’s “workflow monopoly” — and which one Joe would bet on today ✅ Why replacing Revit in 5 years is unlikely (and why you don’t need to) ✅ The real “why now” for AEC AI — it’s not just LLMs ✅ Joe’s advice to contractors and designers: adopt fast or get left behind🎧 Full episode out on Spotify and YouTube! Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:20 Introduction to A16Z and Joe Schmidt’s Background 05:00 Understanding A16Z’s Investment Philosophy 09:29 The Construction Industry’s Potential and A16Z’s Interest 15:57 Thesis Overview: Innovation in Construction Tech 20:21 The Role of AI in Transforming Construction 25:45 Challenges and Opportunities in Construction Tech Adoption 25:52 The Evolution of Design and Budgeting in Construction 31:34 Incentives and Rework: A Double-Edged Sword 37:38 AI’s Role in Enhancing Design Efficiency 42:12 The Human Element in AI-Driven Design 47:51 Navigating the Future of Construction Technology #aec #bricksandbytes #bricksbytes #construction #bricksbucksandbytes #constructiontech #vc #revit #autodesk #a16z 📩 Subscribe to the Bricks & Bytes Newsletter: https://bricks-bytes.beehiiv.com/ 🌐 Visit our website: http://bricks-bytes.com/ 📲 Follow us: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bricks-bytes/ Twitter: https://x.com/bricksbytespod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bricksbytes/ Our Sponsors: BreadCrumb- 50,000+ projects globally. All running safer, faster, with Breadcrumb. – breadcrumb.co Aphex is the multiplayer planning platform where construction teams plan together, stay aligned, and deliver projects faster – check out aphex.co Archdesk – “The #1 Construction Management Software for Growing Companies – Manage your projects from Tender to Handover” check archdesk.com

Allbirds just pivoted to AI and the stock jumped from $2 to $21 overnight. This week on Bricks, Bucks & Bytes, Mo (founder of Build Crew, backed by Vinod Khosla) joined us to break down what’s actually happening in construction tech right now — and Nitin from Planera dropped in to launch their AI scheduling assistant, Manny. Tune in to find out about: ✅ Why Allbirds’ AI pivot looks like a 1999-style dotcom scam ✅ Mo’s unfiltered take on why knowledge graphs are the most overhyped term in AEC right now ✅ Why Palantir’s real construction customer isn’t who you think it is ✅ How Planera’s Manny is codifying decades of scheduling expertise before the industry loses it Watch now on Spotify and YouTube. Link in the comments! #aec #construction #constructiontech #bricksandbytes #bricksbytes #bricksbucksandbytes #ai #vc Our Sponsors: BreadCrumb- 50,000+ projects globally. All running safer, faster, with Breadcrumb. – breadcrumb.co Aphex is the multiplayer planning platform where construction teams plan together, stay aligned, and deliver projects faster – check out aphex.co Archdesk – “The #1 Construction Management Software for Growing Companies – Manage your projects from Tender to Handover” check archdesk.com Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:00 Introduction to Mo’s Transformation 03:57 The Allbirds Pivot: From Sneakers to AI 07:00 Technological Breakthroughs in Architectural Design 09:50 AI in Construction: The Role of Domain Expertise 12:51 BuildCrew: Mo’s New Venture and Its Vision 15:35 Knowledge Graphs: The Future of Construction Documentation 25:11 Integrating Knowledge Graphs in Construction 27:39 The Role of Technologists in Construction 29:18 Palantir’s Impact on Construction Technology 31:09 The Future of ERP Systems 34:45 Challenging Industry Norms with Optimism 38:25 Nemechek’s Acquisition of HCSS 42:39 Planera’s AI Scheduling Assistant 53:27 Current Trends in Construction and AI

The business you build around it is. The AI you buy isn’t the advantage The man who built Facebook’s computer vision team says reading a construction drawing is harder than what he was doing at Facebook. That line reframes the whole AI conversation in construction and it’s just one of the threads in this week’s briefing. In this episode: The procurement story we’ve been building. A number of the research findings that will make commercial construction executives uncomfortable in a productive way. Full report drops 24th April – sign up here. Shadow AI is your governance crisis. A senior leader at a major US general contractor describes his single biggest fear around AI… and it’s not the technology. It’s Bob in pre-con. Plus Maryrose Lyons on why your company data is walking out the door via your staff’s phones, and nobody’s written a policy about it. Data-readiness is the ten-year moat. Three different AI founders, three different domains — procurement, scheduling, drawings — all saying the same thing. The value doesn’t sit in the AI. It sits in the connected data around it. Why the firms pulling ahead aren’t buying better AI. They’re preparing better businesses for it. The divergence moment. Opus 4.7 was released this week. But there’s a model sitting next to it on the benchmark chart called Mythos, and it’s significantly more capable than anything on the market. It’s not available to you. It’s not available to me. And it’s the live, in-the-wild evidence that the AI world just split into two tiers. Why this matters for any construction business thinking about the next three years. If this briefing was useful, share it with someone in your leadership team who needs to hear it. Drop your take in the LinkedIn comments — I read every one. This week’s sources include:Lubo Bourdev & Hamid, PrimePoint – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDdK18qzQwg Maryrose Lyons, AI Institute – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ev6oPUWYgzA Nitin Bhandari, Planera – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTnsWQLN4aQ Bricks & Bytes procurement research report (drops 24 April). https://bricks-bytes.com/downloads/procurement-report/

PrimePoint just raised $10M to solve the one problem AI still can’t crack in construction: drawings. Lubomir Bourdev built the first computer vision system at Facebook. Sold a neural net startup to Apple. Hamid was employee five at Trello. Now they’re betting that drawings are the key to unlocking AI’s full potential in construction. Tune in to find out about: ✅ Why LLMs fundamentally can’t handle technical drawings — it’s an architecture issue, not a capability gap ✅ How PrimePoint’s Knowledge Graph connects drawings, specs, RFIs, submittals, and schedules ✅ How AI does the first pass on constructability reviews, RFIs, and submittals — and why humans still make the call ✅ Why early users are actually spending more time understanding their projects, not less Watch the exclusive episode on Bricks & Bytes YouTube Channel now. Link in the comments below. #aec #construction #constructiontech #bricksandbytes #bricksbytes #ai #vc Our Sponsors: BreadCrumb- 50,000+ projects globally. All running safer, faster, with Breadcrumb. – breadcrumb.co Aphex is the multiplayer planning platform where construction teams plan together, stay aligned, and deliver projects faster – check out aphex.co Archdesk – “The #1 Construction Management Software for Growing Companies – Manage your projects from Tender to Handover” check archdesk.com

“If you’re a small firm saying you’re too busy to think about AI — that’s career suicide.” Maryrose Lyons trains mid-sized architecture, engineering and construction firms across the UK and Ireland on AI — and she’s seen exactly what separates the ones making progress from the ones going nowhere. Tune in to find out about: ✅ Why firms between 50 and 500 staff are outpacing the big players — and what mid-market consultants can steal from their playbook ✅ Why your staff are probably using free AI tools on their personal phones right now — and what that means for your client data ✅ Why hiring AI champions almost always backfires — and what actually drives real change inside a consultancy ✅ The data problem that will quietly kill your AI ambitions in 2026 before they even start 🎙️ Watch the full episode on Bricks & Bytes Youtube Channel #aec #construction #constructiontech #bricksandbytes #bricksbytes #ai Our Sponsors: BreadCrumb- 50,000+ projects globally. All running safer, faster, with Breadcrumb. – breadcrumb.co Aphex is the multiplayer planning platform where construction teams plan together, stay aligned, and deliver projects faster – check out aphex.co Archdesk –  “The #1 Construction Management Software for Growing Companies – Manage your projects from Tender to Handover” check archdesk.com Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:45 Introduction to AI in AEC Sector 03:39 Current State of AI in Mid-Sized Firms 06:15 The Challenge of Shadow AI 07:23 AI Literacy and Training in Organizations 08:38 Engagement with AI Tools 11:37 Practical Steps for AI Adoption 13:31 Connecting AI with Existing Tools 16:26 The Evolution of AI: From Chatbots to Advanced Tools 18:52 Streamlining Workflows: The Impact of AI on Productivity 22:14 Navigating AI Implementation: Challenges and Strategies 28:29 The Role of Champions in AI Adoption 31:09 Emerging Trends: The Future of AI in Business

92% of construction projects overrun their budget. And the data now says the main reasons are inside your organisation, not outside it. This week: we tease findings from our upcoming supply chain report (the numbers will make you uncomfortable). We get an economy update from ABC’s chief economist. We break down how one insurance company is cutting premiums for contractors who use construction technology, with 40-50% differences in claims data to back it up. And we unpack workforce benchmarks from 233 companies and 114,000 people that reveal what the top ENR firms are doing differently. Three things you can action this week. No fluff. Links and resources mentioned in this episode: Sign-up link for the Bricks & Bytes Supply Chain & Procurement Report (dropping 24th April) – https://bricks-bytes.com/downloads/procurement-report/ Revizto “Bridging the Gap” 2026 Digital Design & Construction Report – https://revizto.com/resources/reports/bridging-the-gap-2026 ENR article: “Data Centers, AI Drives Industry Momentum in First Quarter” (Anirban Basu Q1 forecast) – https://www.enr.com/articles/62803-data-centers-ai-drives-industry-momentum-in-first-quarter Bridgit 2026 Construction Workforce Benchmark Report – https://gobridgit.com/press/constructions-labor-shortage-is-hiding-a-deeper-problem-new-bridgit-data-from-114000-workers-shows-what-it-is/ Shepherd Insurance (shepherdinsurance.com) and Justin Levine’s article “The Case for Autonomous Underwriting” – https://www.shepherdinsurance.com/blog/the-case-for-autonomous-underwriting Our newsletter — link to new Beehiiv subscription page – https://bricks-bytes.beehiiv.com/ LinkedIn post for this episode (for comments/engagement) (coming shortly)

“AI told them the idea was great. They built the whole thing. It was wrong.” In this episode of Bricks, Bucks & Bytes, Owen, Martin and Dustin unpack why AI models are built to agree with you — and why that’s genuinely dangerous in construction.  They also tear apart the claim that 96% of projects overrun on budget (spoiler: it’s not a design problem), then sit down with Justin Levine, CEO of Shepherd Insurance, fresh off a $42M Series B, to talk about what it actually looks like to automate commercial insurance from the ground up. Watch now to uncover: AI sycophancy, MIT’s “delusional spiraling” research, and the real-world construction risks Why budget overrun stats might be measuring the wrong thing Shepherd’s vision for fully autonomous underwriting — and how they’re already running at 5x industry capacity The plan to price a commercial insurance submission in real time, during a live broker meeting “By the time that meeting ends, we want that account to be fully priced and ready to go.” — Justin Levine, CEO, Shepherd Insurance Watch the full episode on Bricks, Bucks and Bytes YouTube Channel. Link in the comments.  #aec #construction #constructiontech #bricksbucksandbytes #bricksbytes #ai #insurance #vc Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:00 Delusions Spiraling: The Impact of AI on Perception  24:42 Budget Overruns in the AEC Industry: A Deep Dive  29:53 The Role of Technology in Construction: Enhancing or Hindering?  30:09 Understanding Budget Overruns in Construction  32:51 The Role of A16Z in Construction Tech  36:09 Shepherd’s $42 Million Series B Funding  42:02 Autonomous Underwriting: A New Era in Insurance  49:26 The Future of Brokers in Construction Insurance  53:13 Self-Insurance and Risk Management in Construction  01:01:25 The Benefits of Autonomous Underwriting for Clients

Two major acquisitions landed in one week. Trimble bought Document Crunch. Autodesk closed on Rhumbix. And the message is the same: the platforms you already use are getting smarter, faster, and harder to leave. In this week’s Executive Weekly Briefing, Owen unpacks what the consolidation wave means for your technology decisions, why UK construction input costs just hit a 41-month high, and a practical framework from a 31-year industry veteran that separates AI efficiency from AI risk mitigation, and why the returns are wildly different. Plus: a big announcement about our first ever live event with Professor Martin Fischer from Stanford University in London on April 21st. https://luma.com/o0rcei5v Covered this week: Trimble acquires Document Crunch – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LApKTPQXFKQ&t=76s Autodesk closes Rumbix acquisition – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CI7eD7f7aVY&t=147s The Buildots/Genda productivity intelligence play ServiceTitan data: AI adoption doubles among contractors UK input cost inflation hits highest level since 1992 Carl McFarland on construction’s Blockbuster moment – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-cO-6zxKdE The efficiency vs. risk mitigation AI framework MIT research on AI sycophancy and delusional spiraling Bricks & Bytes first live event: Professor Martin Fischer, London, April 21st New episodes every week. Subscribe and follow Bricks & Bytes wherever you listen. Join the debate: