Brick & Mortar Ventures

Brick & Mortar Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm exclusively focused on investing in technology solutions for the built world. The firm identifies, backs, and nurtures emerging companies developing innovative software and hardware solutions across architecture, engineering, construction, and facilities management industries. With a hyper-focused mandate on these sectors, the firm leverages deep industry expertise and relationships to provide hands-on support to portfolio companies, helping them navigate challenges, scale operations, and drive transformation across one of the world's largest economic sectors.

Founded in 2015 by Darren Bechtel, a pioneer in construction technology with over 10 years of venture investing experience and 7 years as an engineer, operator, and turnaround CEO in the AEC and medical device industries, Brick & Mortar Ventures was established to help entrepreneurs disrupt the built world industries. Bechtel, a member of the prominent Bechtel family whose eponymous global engineering and construction firm has shaped the industry for over 120 years, recognized vast opportunities for innovation in the AEC sector and founded the firm to bridge the gap between early-stage risk capital and established construction industry expertise. In 2019, the firm closed a $97.2 million fund backed by global leaders including Ardex, Autodesk, Cemex, United Rentals, Hilti, Obayashi, and Google sister company Sidewalk Labs.

The firm's portfolio includes over 60 past and present investments in notable construction technology startups. Key portfolio companies include PlanGrid (acquired by Autodesk), Levelset (acquired by Perforce), Fieldwire (backed by Hilti), BuildingConnected (acquired by Autodesk), Rhumbix, and BuildZoom. These investments span cloud-based collaboration tools, workforce telematics, asset tracking systems, reality capture technologies, and autonomous construction equipment, reflecting the firm's commitment to both incremental improvements and radical disruptions in the built environment.

The investment team comprises experienced professionals with deep AEC industry backgrounds. Kaustubh Pandya, General Partner, brings over 8 years of strategy and industry experience, including time at McKinsey & Company advising engineering and construction firms. Curtis Rodgers, Partner, has six years of construction process improvement experience at Kiewit and McCarthy Construction. Austin Yount, Partner, combines investment banking expertise with early-stage venture experience. Guillaume Bazouin, Partner for EMEA, leads construction technology investments across Europe, Middle East, and Africa from Paris. Alice Leung, Principal of Platform & Product Strategy, brings construction technology implementation experience from DPR Construction. Aditya Thakur, Venture Partner based in Pune, India, contributes over 7 years of construction technology expertise and previously held leadership roles at Autodesk and PlanGrid.