Artificial intelligence is changing the way real estate projects are planned and delivered. From finding suitable development sites to reviewing complex infrastructure data, AI tools are helping developers make faster and more informed decisions. Reflecting this growing trend, British-U.S. AI infrastructure startup Build has raised $8.5 million in seed funding to expand its AI-powered platform and support its international growth.
Index Ventures Leads the Seed Round
Build announced that it has secured $8.5 million in seed funding in a round led by Index Ventures. The investment also included participation from Pebblebed, Puzzle Ventures, and Tiny.vc.
The round attracted several prominent angel investors, including Sarah Friar, former CEO of Nextdoor and Chief Financial Officer at OpenAI, and John Stecher, Chief Technology Officer at Blackstone.
The company said it will use the new funding to strengthen its engineering team, accelerate research and development, and expand its commercial operations across North America and Europe.
AI Platform Simplifies Real Estate Development
Founded by James Stirrat-Ellis and Ben McClusky, Build develops an AI-powered platform designed to support real estate developers throughout the early stages of a project.
The platform brings together a wide range of tasks into a single workflow. It helps users identify development opportunities, perform infrastructure and technical due diligence, evaluate power availability, and assess site constraints. By automating these processes, Build aims to reduce manual work and help development teams make faster decisions based on reliable data.
Connected to More Than 1,600 Data Sources
One of Build’s key strengths is its extensive data network. According to the company, the platform integrates with more than 1,600 live data sources and software tools, allowing users to analyse information from multiple systems within one interface.
Build says its technology has already supported more than 100 real estate projects. Its customer base includes major real estate firms such as Tishman Speyer, which has used the platform to improve development planning and infrastructure analysis.
Funding Will Drive Product Development and Expansion
The newly raised capital will help Build continue improving its AI platform while growing its engineering, product, and commercial teams.
The company also plans to expand its presence across North America and Europe, where demand for AI-powered tools in real estate development continues to grow. By investing in product innovation and market expansion, Build aims to support developers facing increasingly complex planning and infrastructure challenges.
Meeting the Growing Demand for AI in Property Development
Real estate development often requires teams to review large volumes of technical, infrastructure, and planning data before a project can move forward. This process can be time-consuming and involve multiple software systems.
Build’s platform is designed to bring those workflows together, helping developers access relevant information more quickly and make decisions with greater confidence. The latest funding gives the company additional resources to expand its technology and reach more customers as AI becomes a larger part of the property development industry.
With backing from leading venture capital investors and experienced technology executives, Build is positioned to continue developing tools that simplify infrastructure analysis and support faster, data-driven real estate development.
