Technology & Innovation

Suffolk Announces Third BOOST Cohort

Suffolk Technologies’ BOOST program is a six-week business accelerator that connects tech startups in the built world with Suffolk leaders, industry experts and academics. 

Boston – Suffolk announced that seven construction technology startups have been chosen for the BOOST program, the third cohort to be selected.

Recognizing the immediate need to leverage digital solutions to address labor, supply chain, design, sustainability and automation goals, three years ago Suffolk Technologies, the venture investment affiliate of Suffolk, created the BOOST program. BOOST is an intense six-week business accelerator that connects technology startups in the built world with Suffolk leaders, industry experts and academics. The BOOST program will allow these new participants to test their solutions on Suffolk jobsites so they can demonstrate and improve their products while building key relationships with industry professionals.

BOOST received 185 applications this year, which is a 76% increase from the previous year, with applicants representing 32 countries. Key themes among this year’s applicant group include sustainability, design, planning, robotics, advanced data analytics and smart building, among others. The following seven finalists were chosen to participate in the program:

  • BuildClub, which provides contractors a solution to the late delivery of construction materials, allowing them to order materials on demand for delivery in as little as one hour.
  • CalcTree, which brings together engineering teams, designs and calculations onto one cloud-based management platform, where calculations can be easily shared and translated to streamline engineering work.
  • Carbon Title, which provides an end-to-end software platform designed to empower the real estate industry to calculate carbon impact and reach carbon neutrality goals.
  • Constrafor, which aims to increase productivity and cost-efficiency regarding how general contractors and subcontractors procure and cashflow their projects.
  • PLOT, whose Delivery Calendar, Logistics Map and Structured Messenger aim to ensure constant alignment within project teams.
  • Qualis Flow (Qflow), whose digital platform enables construction teams to collect and make decisions based on real-time materials and waste data at the source.
  • TrustLayer, which offers a collaborative risk management platform helping to reduce friction between stakeholders by automating the verification of insurance, licenses and compliance documents that contractors receive from their business partners.

These seven startups were chosen through an application and interview process driven by Suffolk Technologies. Their applications highlighted excellent team collaboration, bold visions for the built environment and well-defined business challenges that can be solved by their cutting-edge technologies.

This year, BOOST is presented in partnership with Autodesk, Moog Construction, Procore, Liberty Mutual, MIT DesignX and Gunderson Dettmer.

“The construction industry has long had a reputation for being resistant to innovation and change, but the business acumen, pedigree and passion demonstrated by entrepreneurs and startups entering the construction technology space today has been exciting to watch and bodes well for the future,” said Parker Mundt, vice president of platform for Suffolk Technologies. “By leveraging Suffolk’s tremendous resources and national platform and partnering with innovative startups through the BOOST program, we are identifying the forward-thinking leaders, organizations and solutions that will unlock our industry’s potential and eventually help us redefine the built world.”