Trunk Tools, an AI startup that aids the organization of unstructured construction files, has raised $20 million in a Series A funding round led by Redpoint Venture Capital. This latest investment brings the total funding for the New York City-based company to $30 million.
Founded by Sarah Buchner, who began working in construction at age 12, Trunk Tools utilizes natural language processing to enable teams to easily find answers within documentation. The platform can ingest various file formats like PDFs, spreadsheets, and drawings, then respond to queries in a conversational style. For example, a user may ask “What type of electrical outlets are installed in the workshop?” and receive a rapid response extracting that detail.
In addition to answering questions, Trunk Tools can link scheduled activities to relevant paperwork in an effort to proactively surface potential issues. This helps construction managers stay on schedule by getting the right information at the right time.
The need for such a solution isclear. A survey found that a third of construction professionals struggle to access crucial files, while inaccurate paperwork has delayed over 20% of projects. One high-rise development contained a staggering 3.6 million pages of documentation – an amount equivalent to stacking papers three times the height of the building itself. Sifting through that vast volume manually would take 50 years. Trunk Tools can structure and analyze it within seconds.
While some technology like Procore focuses on digitizing paper-based workflows, Trunk Tools represents a paradigm shift through natural language interactions. Customers reportedly include many large construction firms, with thousands of users collectively. The funding will not only expand the team but develop new capabilities to further streamline the industry's paperwork pains.
By applying AI to optimize an unwieldy yet vital part of construction, Trunk Tools hopes to significantly boost efficiency for clients and help build a more productive future of infrastructure development. Readers will be kept up to date on the progress of this innovative startup.
