UAE-based AI robotics startup Buildroid AI has emerged from stealth after securing $2 million in a pre-seed funding round, led by renowned venture capitalist Tim Draper, known for backing global innovators such as Tesla, SpaceX, Skype, and Robinhood.
Founded in 2025 by Slava Solonitsyn and Anton Glance, Buildroid AI integrates specialised and general-purpose robots directly into contractor workflows, aiming to address labour shortages and productivity challenges in the region’s rapidly expanding construction sector, valued at $42.75 billion.
Solonitsyn, a Y Combinator alumnus and founder of Mighty Buildings—which raised over $100 million and delivered more than 50 3D-printed homes—teams up with Glance, creator of the Glance Clock (acquired by NeXtime). Together, they are positioning Buildroid to reshape construction automation, starting with the labour-intensive partition wall segment.
At the Big Five Construction Conference, Buildroid unveiled its first AI-powered block-laying robot, developed using BIM-to-BUILD simulation. The robot is already being piloted on active construction sites across the UAE. Supporting Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) will soon join the robotic fleet, delivering concrete blocks directly to the block-laying robot to eliminate manual handling.
“UAE’s construction growth demands solutions to persistent labour shortages and productivity bottlenecks,” said Solonitsyn, Buildroid’s CEO. “With rapid advancements in AI, it has become possible to bring general-purpose and industrial robots to construction.”
Buildroid’s core platform integrates Building Information Models (BIM) with AI-driven Digital Twin simulations powered by Nvidia Omniverse, enabling more efficient project scheduling, cost reductions, and improved on-site execution. The company claims productivity gains of up to 10x and cost savings of up to 4x compared to traditional manual labour.
Positioning itself as the future “Procore for Robotics in Construction,” Buildroid plans to open its platform to robotic operators, vendors, and contractors—allowing them to test and validate solutions in simulation before deploying them on live job sites. This approach, the company says, is a key differentiator from single-purpose robotic vendors, especially as the MENA construction market is projected to reach $401.2 billion by 2030.
Industry Interest Grows
“ALEC self-performs significant blockwork across our projects. In line with our robotics strategy, we are piloting Buildroid’s robotic block-laying system on one of our sites,” said Imad Itani, Head of Innovation at ALEC. “We also look forward to leveraging their BIM simulation tools to de-risk on-site deployment.”
Investor Tim Draper added: “Buildroid’s platform combines the best robotic technologies validated through BIM-based simulations. This scalable, vendor-agnostic approach empowers builders while maintaining the critical role of skilled human operators.”
Next Steps
With the new funding, Buildroid plans to expand its pilot programmes, enhance simulation and autonomous robotic capabilities, and advance toward commercial deployments. Beginning in Q2 next year, the company aims to deploy the first commercially available AI-powered robotic teams through partnerships with leading contractors, generating revenue by sharing a portion of the net savings delivered by its systems.
Starting with non-load-bearing walls, Buildroid plans to scale into interior fit-out and broader construction workflows, aiming to accelerate the adoption of robotics across the UAE and the wider region.
