Nemetschek invests in construction robotics start-up

Kewazo both automates and digitises the onsite material flow via robotics and data analytics. The company’s initial product is Liftbot, an intelligent robotic hoist for construction and industrial sites. Since 2021, Kewazo has deployed a dozen Liftbots on European construction sites and industrial plants in the oil, gas, energy and chemical industries. Customers include Bilfinger and Altrad.

According to Kewazo, Liftbot saves 70% of man-hours, thereby addressing labour shortages and reducing the risk of accidents.

Liftbot collects key operational data. This data is then processed and provided to customers as insights via the data analytics platform.

Kewazo claims the technology – with minor adjustments – can be applied to insulation, painting and other onsite material transport. The start-up’s vision is to automate and digitise all onsite logistics, from the arrival of materials on site to their use.

In total, Kewazo raised $10m in its latest funding round. Alongside Nemetschek, the other investors were Fifth Wall, Cybernetix Ventures, and Unorthodox Ventures.

Nemetschek’s investment is its first in a robotics start-up. In the recent past, it has invested in SymTerra, Imerso, Reconstruct, and Sablono.

Yves Padrines, Nemetschek Group chief executive, said: “We see a great fit between our software and the robotics solutions from Kewazo. By driving both, we unleash a lot of potential for the construction industry and enable all the stakeholders to face the current challenges of the industry.

Artem Kuchukov, chief executive and co-founder of Kewazo, added: “The investment by Nemetschek is a big step forward for us. It closes the gap between onsite hardware and software. [The latter] is often only used in offices. It allows us to make the construction site more digital, smarter, and safer for everyone.”

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