Building Ventures
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Building Ventures gets the infrastructure game better than most VCs because Jesse and Travis have been in the trenches for 15+ years specifically in construction tech. They're one of the very few specialist funds solely dedicated to the "built environment" across the full lifecycle rather than treating construction/real estate as a side vertical. Their "sapling stage" positioning is smart marketing for post-seed investing, but what founders really care about is their proprietary network of 100+ senior AEC/design executives providing portfolio companies with access to industry leaders for pilots, feedback, distribution, and customer introductions. Founders consistently praise them for doing "due diligence differently" - prioritizing getting to know teams and how they communicate rather than just running numbers. The downside? This is a narrow, capital-intensive sector where customer sales cycles are brutal and regulatory hurdles are real.
- —Best for: Construction/PropTech founders who need deep AEC industry connections and patient capital
- —Known for: Genuine partnership approach and 100+ executive network that actually opens doors
- —Watch out for: Narrow sector focus means limited exit paths and long development cycles
Our mission at Building Ventures is to invest in and support entrepreneurs harnessing technology and innovation to deliver a better built world. The physical world is programmable hardware and we invest in entrepreneurs transforming the built environment across design, build, operate, and experience.
They focus on "sapling" stage investments - just after seed but before Series A - where they believe they can make the biggest impact. Founded in 2018 by Jesse DeVitte and Travis Connors, the firm focuses exclusively on early-stage entrepreneurs transforming the built environment across the design, build, operate, and experience lifecycle, with their core thesis centered on democratizing and digitizing the AEC (Architecture, Engineering, Construction) industry.
Previously co-founder of Borealis Ventures where his team made over 20 investments and 10 successful exits in the built world space. Has deep expertise in built environment innovation and entrepreneurship with a consistent track record of genuine engagement with founders and long-standing relationships in the VC space. His background includes corporate governance and strategic oversight through board directorships at SpaceClaim, Newforma, and Google.
Before joining Borealis, Travis was a partner at Egan-Managed Capital, an early-stage venture firm with $225 million AUM, where he led or sourced investments in Verivo, Groove Mobile, OwnerIQ, Applause, Currensee, and Acacia, and negotiated over 40 rounds of financing and several M&A transactions. He and Jesse did their first deal together in 2006 which was a Smart Cities company long before the term existed.
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