27% of contractors are using PERSONAL MONEY to keep their businesses alive—and it's worse than you think.

In this episode of Bricks, Bucks & Bytes, Owen, Dustin, and Martin break down the biggest shakeups in construction tech, from the PlanGrid founders' surprise return to AI, to the shocking payment crisis threatening to sink contractors across the industry.

We’re joined by Will Mitchell from Rabbet, David from NxLite, and Vardhan Mehta from Acelab to unpack what's really happening in construction payments, energy efficiency, and materials management.

Key Topics:

• Tiger Eye's big pivot: Why Tracy Young and Ralph Gootee are bringing AI back to construction after PlanGrid

• The AI arms race: Will there be one winner or will construction tech fragment like consumer markets?

• Rabbet's 2025 Construction Payments Report: 44% of firms are getting paid late and 20% hit negative cash flow

• The personal finance nightmare: Why nearly 1 in 3 GCs are dipping into their own pockets to cover payroll

• NxLite's $9.2M Series A: How smart window coatings can slash building energy costs by 25%

• Acelab's $13.5M raise: The two-sided marketplace that's won over half the top 100 AEC firms

"None of these companies are building their own foundational models. They're using other people's models. So I think it's going to be a go-to-market race." — Dustin DeVan

Sponsors:

BuildVision -   streamlining the construction supply chain with a unified platform - www.buildvision.io

Archdesk -  “The #1 Construction Management Software for Growing Companies - Manage your projects from Tender to Handover” check archdesk.com

Aphex is the multiplayer planning platform where construction teams plan together, stay aligned, and deliver projects faster – check out aphex.co

Chapters 

00:00 Intro

01:30 Introduction to New AI Player in Construction 

04:16 Trimble Dimensions: Key Takeaways 

07:10 The Future of AI in Construction 

10:11 Trimble's Innovations and Market Position 

12:56 Challenges in Construction Payments 

15:50 Insights from the 2025 Construction Payments Report 

38:35 The Challenges of Payment Processes in Construction 

41:46 Incentives for Faster Payments

42:44 The Impact of Payment Delays on Project Costs 

45:26 Innovations in Payment Solutions 

48:26 Advancements in Energy Control Coatings 

51:22 The Future of Coating Technologies 

57:17 The Role of Patents in Tangible vs. Software Businesses 

59:10 Building a Robust Materials Management System 

01:09:06 Funding and Growth Strategies for Startups