Q: What Is BuiltWorlds Venture West Conference & Why is it important?
A:
Venture West brings together corporate leaders, innovators, and investors who are at the heart of the built environment’s digital transformation.
BuiltWorlds Venture Conference series has become the world’s premier symposium for innovators and investors driving the development of emerging technologies across construction and the built ecosystem.
Construction, Building, and Infrastructure tech including planning and design, pre-construction services, construction, modularization, building products & materials, advanced tools & equipment, robotics, logistics & supply chain, and building/infrastructure operations & management are among the topics we cover.
BuiltWorlds Venture Conferences cut through the noise of this heavily nuanced industry addressing the real pain points and identifying the most viable areas of innovative growth opportunities.
Leading VCs, corporate venture investors, and founders gather each year to take the pulse of the industry’s startup ecosystem at the BuiltWorlds Venture West Conference.
Reasons to Join Us at Venture West if You Are a (click one of the following):
Q: How Can DealMaker’s Alley Propel My Business?
A:
DealMaker’s Alley at Venture West 2024 is an opportunity for attendees to connect with leading strategic investors in BuiltWorlds Venture Forum and industry-advancing VCs in the built ecosystem.
Deals are made at BuiltWorlds Venture Conferences each year, and BuiltWorlds is formalizing an effective process to connect startups, investment professionals, legacy AEC giants, and other industry-leading innovators.
The hotel lobby will no longer be the preferred meeting place for deal-driving conversations at Venture East.
Venture West ticket holders will be able to select from a list of 15+ industry-leading DealMakers (strategic innovation teams & pure-play VCs) for an opportunity to meet one-on-one with these AEC-innovation financiers & customers.
DealMaker’s Alley will take place in a room adjacent to the main Venture West event over the course of the 2-day conference.
Q: Why Should I Care As an Early-Stage BuiltWorld Founder?
A:
The value of the high-level conversations that early-stage founders will be uniquely positioned to have with collegiate AEC leaders at this conference is unparalleled. Whether you’re coming up for air on that next round of fundraising or looking to expand your customer base, built-world founders should view their attendance at this event as mission-critical to their survival in this space.
Most Important Venture West Sessions for Startups:
Go-To-Market Strategies
- April 3rd - 9:30 AM to 10:10 AM (Day 1)
This panel will dissect the different strategies AEC founders have taken to penetrate this slow-to-adopt industry. The panelists will assess the best/worst paths forward for built-world innovators across technology types.
Speakers: Atul Khanzode, Chief Technology Officer, DPR Construction; Daniel Dart, General Partner, Rock Yard Ventures; Sadanand Sahasrabudhe, Co-Founder & CEO, ConstructivIQ; Maxime De Scheemaeker, VP of US Business Development, JUUNOO.
Optimizing Your Cap-Table: Strategic vs. Financially Motivated Ownership
- April 3rd - 1:55 PM to 2:35 PM (Day 1)
Having the right balance of corporate venture capital (CVC) and traditional VC is critical for success in this nuanced innovation niche. This panel will dive into the benefits and drawbacks of both strategic and financially motivated venture ownership.
Speakers: Zach Aarons, Co-Founder & General Partner, MetaProp; Benny Baltrotsky, VP of Commercialization, Stanley Black and Decker; Serena Crivellaro, Managing Director, Construction Sector Lead, KPMG; Gavin Myers, Managing Partner, Prudence; Ariana Pareja, President & Co-Founder, Pareja Foundation.
Exit Strategies
- April 4th - 11:20 AM to 12:00 PM (Day 2)
This panel will focus on startup exits in an industry that hasn’t seen very many. The discussion will dive into what that exit process could look like and how investors and founders should prepare.
Q: What Value Is There for Me as an Investor at Venture West?
A:
This conference is built for investors of all shapes and sizes, with our panel selection pulling valuable insights across the innovation lifecycle (from MVP to Exit). Whether you’re in VC, CVC, IB, PE, or just a Family Office, Venture West provides an unmatched platform for investors to meet with some of the best-positioned startups in the built environment.
The collegiate and diverse mix of industry expertise allows investors focused across business maturities to bounce ideas and insights off one another, creating a conducive environment for value-creating Socratic dialogues. Our industry-leading panel sessions will undoubtedly spark some investor conversations that you won’t want to miss.
Most Important Venture West Sessions for Investors:
Financing FinTech In Construction
- April 3rd - 1:15 PM to 1:55 PM (Day 1)
Digital financial solutions have become top of mind for contractors, subcontractors, and tradesmen, that can't afford to wait 30 days to get paid for work they've already completed. This panel will discuss emerging FinTech & Insurtech solutions in the AEC space and their potential impact on this space.
Speakers: Ray Levitt, Operating Partner, Blackhorn Ventures; Bassem Hamdy, CEO, Briq.
Demo Day Competition
- April 3rd - 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM (Day 1)
12 category leading built world startups that are actively fundraising and looking for strategic partnerships. This competition will be split into an Early-Stage (Pre-Series A) cohort and a Commercialization-Stage (Post-Seed) cohort. The winners will be chosen by our panel of judges and the attending audience who will also have the option to cast their vote.
Robots Place in The Built World
- April 4th - 9:00 AM to 9:40 AM (Day 2)
Interest in robotic solutions has grown materially in recent quarters as the skilled labor shortage becomes an apparent issue. Labor augmenting robots could be the answer, but join this session to learn more.
Speakers: Mihir Somalwar, Corporate Innovation Lead, Hensel Phelps; Kevin Albert, CEO, Canvas; Alice Leung, Vice President, Brick & Mortar Ventures; Derrick Morse, Founder & CEO, Rugged Robotics.
The Future of Physical Infrastructure
- April 4th - 9:40 AM to 10:20 AM (Day 2)
The physical infrastructure of the built world needs a facelift as we enter the next digitized stage of our advancing civilization. Regulators, legacy AEC players, innovators, and investors are pouring an enormous amount of resources into the build-out of Industry 4.0. This panel will discuss the latest infrastructure innovations and what the future of this part of the built world could look like as the $1.2T IIJA funding begins to be deployed.
The Journey To Net Zero
- April 4th - 10:40 AM to 11:20 AM (Day 2)
The built world accounts for ~40% of global emissions. This panel will discuss where leading AECO are adopting sustainable technologies and some of the innovations at the forefront of this adoption curve.
Exit Strategies
- April 4th - 11:20 AM to 12:00 AM (Day 2)
This panel will focus on startup exits in an industry that hasn’t seen very many. The discussion will dive into what that exit process could look like and how investors and founders should prepare.
Q: Why Should I Be Engaged At Venture West As A Corporate Player
A:
Corporate AEC leaders are at the foundation of this industry’s technological adoption and have the onerous responsibility of piloting and validating startups in this space. Venture West’s topic discussions will dive into mission-critical best practices for built-world pilot programs, with this industry's siloed stakeholders coming together to collaborate on innovation-advancing initiatives.
Whether you're leading a corporate innovation team scouting new tech or a contractor interested in what's coming next for the construction industry, this conference will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of where technological adoption sits today and where it's headed.
Most Important Venture West Sessions for Corporate Leaders & Innovation Heads:
Standardizing Pilot Programs
- April 3rd - 10:40 AM to 11:20 AM (Day 1)
This discussion will look at how different AEC innovation teams approach new innovation. Questions that will be addressed include: What are the best practices when partnering with a built-world startup? How do you vet out the studs from the duds? How to assess the business impact following a product pilot?
Speakers: Parker Mundt, Vice President of Platform, Suffolk Technologies; Rodrigo Zetina, Strategy & Business Development Manager, Progreso X.
Demo Day Competition
- April 3rd - 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM (Day 1)
12 category leading built world startups that are actively fundraising and looking for strategic partnerships. This competition will be split into an Early-Stage (Pre-Series A) cohort and a Commercialization-Stage (Post-Seed) cohort. The winners will be chosen by our panel of judges and the attending audience who will also have the option to cast their vote.
Robots Place in The Built World
- April 4th - 9:00 AM to 9:40 AM (Day 2)
Interest in robotic solutions has grown materially in recent quarters as the skilled labor shortage becomes an apparent issue. Labor augmenting robots could be the answer, but join this session to learn more.
Speakers: Mihir Somalwar, Corporate Innovation Lead, Hensel Phelps; Kevin Albert, CEO, Canvas; Alice Leung, Vice President, Brick & Mortar Ventures; Derrick Morse, Founder & CEO, Rugged Robotics.
The Future Of Physical Infrastructure
- April 4th - 9:40 AM to 10:20 AM (Day 2)
The physical infrastructure of the built world needs a facelift as we enter the next digitized stage of our advancing civilization. Regulators, legacy AEC players, innovators, and investors are pouring an enormous amount of resources into the build-out of Industry 4.0. This panel will discuss the latest infrastructure innovations and what the future of this part of the built world could look like as the $1.2T IIJA funding begins to be deployed.
Speakers: Chris Fortunato, Vice President, CRH Ventures; Rae Oakley, Investment Manager, Prologis Ventures; Matthew Rosenthal, CEO, SewerAI.
The Journey To Net-Zero
- April 4th - 10:40 AM to 11:20 AM (Day 2)
The built world accounts for ~40% of global emissions. This panel will discuss where leading AECO are adopting sustainable technologies and some of the innovations at the forefront of this adoption curve.
Speakers: Allison Myers, Co-Founder & General Partner, Buoyant Ventures; Leila Banijamali, CEO, Symbium; Joselyn Lai, Co-Founder & CEO, Bedrock Energy; Nick Martin, COO & Co-Founder, Carbon Reform.
This article was originally published on Nov. 28 and updated on March 4.
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