When
Mar 11, 2026 - Mar 12, 2026
Where
,PRICING AND REGISTRATION
$3,000
Non-members interested in membership can learn more here.
1 MEMBER TICKET
Members can also find the registration form at the bottom of this page.
PRICING VARIES
Pricing is based on group size. Register your interest and a member of our team will reach out with information shortly.
BUILDING TOMORROW, BACKED TODAY
The annual Venture West Conference is one of two BuiltWorlds events focused on venture investing and overall activity in the built environment. The event examines the flow of and thinking behind investment in the AEC industry from the perspective of investors, startups and contractors. It explores not only what sectors of technology and innovation are receiving attention and the trajectories they’re currently on, but also the myriad strategies stakeholders are implementing to identify and attract potentially valuable startups and investors, go to market and exit in various regions and sectors, and develop relationships and talent for mutual growth and benefit.
INVESTOR OF THE YEAR AWARDS
BuiltWorlds’ Investor of the Year Awards honor the investment leaders driving innovation in built environment tech. This year’s categories are Venture Capital, Corporate Venture Capital, Sustainability, and Accelerator Program, with winners to be celebrated at Venture West 2026 in San Francisco, March 11–12.
DEALMAKER'S ALLEY
SIGN UP NOW FOR SCHEDULING PRIORITY
Dealmaker’s Alley at Venture West is a dedicated space for startups and investors to connect around actionable partnership and funding opportunities. It’s an open, informal environment where emerging companies can discuss investment and fundraising opportunities, pilot projects, strategic partnerships, accelerator programs, customer connections, and other collaborative initiatives with active investors and industry leaders.
YOU MUST BE REGISTERED FOR VENTURE WEST TO PARTICIPATE
2026 Speakers Include:
Venture West Pre-Event & General Sessions
Day 1 Schedule
Formwork Labs Happy Hour presented by Brick & Mortar Ventures
YOU MUST ME REGISTERED AND ACCEPTED TO ATTEND
Day 2 Schedule
Venture Working Group Meeting (Restricted to Venture & Investments Research Track Members)
Construction Tech & Infrastructure Working Group Meeting (Restricted to Construction Tech & Infrastructure Research Track Members)
Speaker:
Anton Ricafort, Innovation & Technology Director - North America, Acciona
Demo Day | Startup Pitch Competition (Open to all attendees)
Presenting Companies:
SADE, ConstructionClock, Hardline, Matterhaul, FixerUp, SkyCentrics, Provizual, SocrateX.ai, SmartDrone, crbnx inc.
Judges:
Paulina Szyzdek, Principal, E12 Ventures
Aki Manda, Technology Development Manager, Kajima
Jackie DiMonte, General Partner, Grid Capital
Eliot Jones, Principal, Corporate Venturing and Partnership Development, Trimble
Leonardo Rocchetti, Principal, Plug and Play Ventures
Drew Kriens, Principal, Ironspring Ventures
Kushal Dagli, AI-Optimization Lead, Data Centers, Microsoft
Daniel Stein, Venture Investments, DivcoWest
Investor of the Year Awards Ceremony & Reception (Open to all attendees)
Venture Capital Investor of the Year Finalists: Navitas Capital, Zacua Ventures, Suffolk Technologies, Ironspring Ventures, MetaProp, Brick & Mortar Ventures
Corporate Venture Capital Investor of the Year Finalists: WND Ventures, Trimble Ventures, UFP Ventures, Hilti Ventures, NOVA By Saint-Gobain, GS Futures
Sustainability Investor of the Year Finalists: VoLo Earth Ventures, Undivided Ventures, Cemex Ventures, Energy Impact Partners, Breakthrough Energy, Clean Energy Ventures
Accelerator Program of the Year Finalists: Trimble 0-60, BOOST (Suffolk Technologies), Formwork Labs (Brick & Mortar Ventures), EllisDon ConTech Accelerator, Leonard (VINCI), CRH Ventures Accelerators
Day 3 Schedule
Breakfast & Networking
Opening Remarks
Keynote
Keynote Presentation
Speaker:
Darren Bechtel, Founder & Managing Director, Brick & Mortar Ventures
Funding the Physical Future: Investing in Built-World Tech That Has To Work in the Field
Panel Discussion
This panel will unpack how investors are underwriting hardware-heavy, field‑deployed construction and infrastructure technologies that must perform under real‑world jobsite conditions. The discussion will explore how VCs and strategics evaluate technical risk, durability, safety, installation complexity, and service models alongside traditional SaaS metrics, and what proof points founders need to show from pilots and early deployments. Panelists will also dig into capital intensity, commercialization timelines, and partnership structures that can help hardtech startups scale from prototype to portfolio‑wide rollout without losing sight of what works for crews in the field.
Speakers:
Kaushal Diwan, Corporate Director, Strategic Investments & Partnerships, DPR Construction
Diana Kay, Partner, Suffolk Technologies
Subham Kedia, Investor, Hilti Venture, Hilti
Mike Heller, Principal, Navitas Capital
Networking Break
Climate-First Construction: Investing in Carbon, Codes, Circularity and Sustainability
Panel Discussion
From low-carbon materials and high-performance structural systems to retrofit platforms and circular solutions, climate is no longer a side theme—it is reshaping how assets are designed, upgraded, and financed across the built environment. This panel brings together investors, founders, and corporate innovators focused on technologies that cut embodied carbon, improve operational efficiency, and deliver better structural and occupant performance while still meeting increasingly stringent safety and code requirements. Discussion topics will include how evolving regulations and disclosure rules create both opportunity and compliance risk, how to quantify and communicate both carbon and performance benefits in ways that resonate with LPs, insurers, and owners, and what commercialization paths are working for climate-aligned building and infrastructure technologies that must prove themselves on real projects—not just in models.
Speakers:
Elaine Hsieh, Partner and COO, VoLo Earth Ventures (Moderator)
Jesus Ortiz De La Fuente, Head, Cemex Ventures
Jordan Darling, Founder & COO, Supersede
Laura Katzman, Partner, Buoyant Ventures
Sam Ruben, Co-Founder & CBDO, HyWatt
Accelerator 2.0: Rethinking Startup Support for Built-World Innovation
Breakout Session
As emerging companies tackle complex built environment challenges, traditional accelerator models are being reexamined. From hands-off programs focused on milestone funding to deeply engaged, sector-specific accelerators - and even fractional GTM/mentor-in-residence models - the ecosystem is innovating how startups grow and connect with customers. This session will unpack what “Accelerator 2.0” looks like: how accelerators are evolving beyond alumni batches into long-term value partners, the role of strategic corporate engagement, and alternative frameworks (e.g., fractional go-to-market support) that boost product traction. Panelists representing founders, operators, and corporate partners will share successes, pitfalls, and pragmatic advice for designing acceleration experiences that deliver real adoption and revenue, not just exposure.
Session themes:
1. Comparing classic vs. modern approaches to acceleration
2. Role of corporate partners & fractional GTM support
3. What founders really need at each stage of growth
Speakers:
Simon Ryschka, Partner, BuildTech
Alexey Dubov, Founding Partner, BuildTech VC
Afonso Moreirão, Investor, BuildTech VC
Robotics Case Study by Kajima | Thursday, March 12
Case Study Presentation
Lunch
Research Presentation & Upcoming Events
Investing From the Owner & Operator Perspective
Case Study Presentation
Join Stellifi Managing Partner, Matt McDonnell and three Stellifi portfolio company founders to hear how AI is transforming multifamily operations today and what the future of AI in the built environment has in store.
Speakers:
Matt McDonnell, Managing Partner, Stellifi VC
Arunabh Dastidar, Founder & CEO, Leni Inc.
Arjun Kannan, Founder, ResiDesk
Will Gottfried, Co-Founder & CEO, PropUp
Blueprints for the Buy‑Side: How Strategic Acquirers Are Shaping the Future of Contech M&A
Panel Discussion
As construction technology matures, corporate M&A has become the dominant exit path and a key lever for building horizontal platforms across the project lifecycle. This session features Scott Roth of Alliant Partners alongside senior leaders from major strategic acquirers including leading OEMs, general contractors, and diversified software providers to unpack how they think about M&A, minority investments, and partnerships. Panelists will discuss their current acquisition theses, how they evaluate targets, what makes a deal successful post-close, and where they see the next wave of consolidation across design, build, and operations software. Founders, investors, and corporate development teams will come away with a clearer view of valuation drivers, timing, and how to position for an eventual strategic outcome in today’s market.
Speakers:
Scott Roth, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Alliant Partners
James Park, Sr. Director, Strategy, Trimble
Puneet Raj, CEO, Fieldwire by Hilti
Erik Swennumson, Director, Corporate Development, Autodesk
Networking Break
The Contractor’s Edge: How Builders Are Becoming Tech Companies
Panel Discussion
Leading contractors are no longer just technology buyers; they are building their own innovation engines. From internal product teams, R&D groups, and digital divisions to venture arms, accelerators, and JV labs, progressive builders are turning jobsite pain points into scalable products, data platforms, and new revenue lines. This session will feature innovation and technology leaders from top contractors and their partners who are experimenting with new organizational models, investing in startups, and co-developing tools with the broader ecosystem. Panelists will discuss how they structure innovation (labs, spin-outs, funds), make build vs. buy vs. partner decisions, and what startups need to know about co-creating with contractors that now act as sophisticated— and selective—technology collaborators.
Speakers:
Daniel Meissner, VP, Growth & Strategic Partnerships, EllisDon
Jacob Raskin, Technical Operations Manager, STO Building Group
Sam Larson, Innovation Developer, ARCO/Murray
Aaron Anderson, Director of Innovation, Swinerton Builders
From Seed to Scale: Proven Strategies From Seasoned Founders
Panel Discussion
How do startups successfully scale from early traction to sustainable growth and market leadership? This interactive session brings together executives from growth-stage companies who have navigated the challenges of rapid expansion. Panelists will share firsthand perspectives on building strong teams, refining go-to-market strategies, scaling operations, and preparing for growth-stage investment. Attendees will come away with practical insights, frameworks, and cautionary lessons to help accelerate their company’s next stage of growth with focus and confidence.
Speakers:
Chaitanya NK, Co-Founder & CEO, Track3D
Paul Reynolds, Founder & CEO, CALMFLOOR
Josh Whisenat, CEO, Roger
Hamid Palo, Co-Founder & CPO, Primepoint
Emily Marineau, CEO, Juno Technology
Networking Break
Batting Cleanup: The Year’s Industry Heavy Hitters & Top Investors
Panel Discussion
This closing session brings together a select group of BuiltWorlds Top 50 investors to break down the deals that defined their year, the theses behind those bets, and how those decisions are reshaping the future of the built world. Panelists will unpack where they actually deployed capital across 2024–2025, what they learned from winners and misses, and how those lessons are shaping what they will look for next in AI, robotics, climate, offsite, and beyond. The conversation will dig into where they see the most acute pain points emerging for owners, contractors, and the supply chain, how startups and strategics will need to adapt, and what this means for pricing, timelines, and adoption. Attendees will hear concrete advice for both sides of the table: how other investors should refine their strategies, and how founders can position themselves, run better processes, and build truly fundable, scalable businesses in the coming 12–24 months.
Speakers:
Allen Preger, Partner, Building Ventures
Aaron Toppston, Managing Partner, GS Futures
Varad Mohod, Investor, Zacua Ventures
Alice Leung, Principal, Brick & Mortar Ventures
Closing Reception
Member Registration
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