When Alex Baikovitz co-founded Mach9 Robotics in 2021, his goal was to create a better, faster, and cheaper method for civil engineers to conduct visual inspections. The company aimed to streamline outdated processes that hinder construction in the United States. However, Baikovitz soon realized that hardware was not the bottleneck.
“"We saw how tedious it was for civil engineering organizations to take data from these amazing laser scanners and image data capture systems and turn that into a usable survey," he told TechCrunch in an interview. "The real pain was in their workflows."
Pivot to AI CAD Software
As a result, Baikovitz dropped "Robotics" from the company’s name and shifted focus to developing AI-powered computer-aided design (CAD) software. This pivot proved successful, as Mach9 has attracted nearly 100 customers for its private beta, which has been utilized on over 2,500 projects to date.
On Wednesday, the startup announced a $34 million Series A funding round co-led by First Round Capital and Bessemer Venture Partners. Additional investors included Prudence, a New York-based firm focused on AI software for construction and real estate, and Quiet Capital, a VC firm already involved with Mach9.
Modernizing Construction
Mach9 is among several startups aiming to modernize the planning-to-building pipeline for construction and infrastructure. For instance, in August, CivilGrid raised $26 million to develop what it describes as the "Google Maps for the underground." Similarly, Blueprints AI, which creates code-compliant architectural blueprints in minutes, was featured among the top 200 companies at last week’s TechCrunch Disrupt.
