Saudi startup Wakecap raises $28 million to digitalize construction sites with real-time worker intelligence

Construction remains one of the least digitized industries on the planet. Billions of projects have spreadsheets, transceivers and a lot of speculation. The outdated methods (human personnel, paper logs, delayed reports) remove project managers who are blinded to what is actually happening.

Workers are not tracked. Safety issues go through cracks. Productivity? No one really knows. It’s too late.

Now, Saudi startup Wakecap wants to fix it.

Building a sensor-based system that tracks real-time activity at construction sites, Wakecap has closed its $28 million Series A round to improve safety and productivity. The funds were led by UP.PARTNERS and supported by graphene ventures and several strategic investors in the US, Saudi Arabia and Asia.

Wakecap was founded in 2017 by Dr Hassan Albarawi and addressed the lack of digital infrastructure for job sites. Instead of forcing the team to work, the company has built non-intrusive systems that fit existing workflows and provided plug-and-play solutions that help projects run more efficiently. Ishida Sood joined the company as co-founder and chief operating officer in mid-2017, intervening to shape the company’s early operations and growth.

Since launching eight years ago, Wakecap has equipped construction sites with hardware and software that tracks the presence of the workforce, equipment use, productivity and safety without disrupting daily operations. It has already been deployed on $80 billion worth of active projects, and has tracked over 150 million working hours to date. Clients include Aramco, Neom, Qiddiya, King Salman Park, and projects in the US, UAE and Japan.

“Wakecap’s ability to capture and act on real-time field data is important for high-performance project management,” says Albalawi. “As we expand our global footprint, this round will drive the next stage of growth and increase the value we deliver to our customers through richer insights, faster reporting and increased operational efficiency. This will allow us to deepen our integration with key ecosystem partners such as Oracle and Openspace.

The company’s hardware is built to withstand site confusion, namely debris, rough handling, while quietly collecting critical data from wearables and equipment. The company said the system reduced safety by 91%, caused a 25% productivity conflict, and improved 70% how fast the team responds to on-site issues.

“We are pleased to announce that we are committed to providing a range of services and management partners,” said Adam Grosser, Chairman and Managing Partners. of this important industry. ”

Construction technology space has seen a recent surge in interest, particularly as governments increase infrastructure spending and promote accountability. Saudi Arabia alone has invested nearly $1 trillion in development projects. Operated in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Japan and the United States, Wakecup is one of the few local startups to acquire high-tech in Silicon Valley.

Nabil Borahanu, founder and managing partner of Graphene Ventures, said: “Wakecap continues to support us as it is uniquely set up to lead this transformation with a proven platform, mission-driven culture and deep partnerships in the public and private sector.”

With new capital, Wakecap will expand its footprint in existing markets, enter new markets and expand integration with key platforms. The team also employs engineering, product and customer success.

The whole picture? Wakecap bets on how smarter data from meeting rooms as well as from ground boots to implement future construction sites.