Calgary-based construction technology startup PataBid has secured $2 million in Pre-Seed funding to modernize how contractors estimate complex subtrade projects. The round was led by Graphite Ventures, with participation from Sprout Fund, Bluesky Equities, Inverted Ventures, and previous angel investors. The capital will support AI product development, supplier partnerships, distribution channels, and commercialization across North America.
A Familiar Problem in Complex Construction
PataBid was founded by Melvin Newman, who brings more than 15 years of construction estimating experience and full-stack development expertise to the company. Contractors in complex subtrades such as electrical, plumbing, and fire protection still rely heavily on manual estimating methods and legacy software. More than 463,000 of these contractors operate across North America, and many work from spreadsheets, pen and paper, or desktop tools that are being retired.
Quantify Converts Drawings into Priced Estimates
PataBid built Quantify as a cloud-native, AI-powered estimating platform that can take drawings to a priced estimate in hours instead of days. Symbol recognition and natural language processing automate takeoff, while direct supplier integrations populate real-time pricing and allow contractors to order materials in one tool. Quantify is flexible enough to serve small and enterprise contractors across residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional projects.
Early Traction Across North America
More than 200 contractors across electrical, mechanical, and fire protection trades currently use Quantify, and the platform has processed more than $2 billion in bid value to date. Licenses are available now to electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and fire protection contractors across Canada and the United States, with pricing starting at $2,460 per year. This early adoption indicates that specialized trade contractors are ready for tools that reduce manual effort and improve bid accuracy.
Newton Adds Conversational Intelligence
PataBid is also developing Newton, a conversational AI estimating agent that can read complex drawings and specifications and respond to natural language queries. Estimators will be able to identify project risks before bidding and run what-if scenarios on material and labor changes. Newton is currently in beta with a select group of customers, and PataBid plans a commercial launch in 2027.
Investors Back a Practical AI Approach
Graphite Ventures Principal Adrian Mitchell said the company has created software that contractors genuinely need and that estimating remains one of construction's most outdated processes. He noted that Melvin and his team bring decades of industry knowledge to a pain contractors feel on every bid. Founder and CEO Melvin Newman said the company is building the software that will define preconstruction for the future.
Funding to Accelerate Product and Market Expansion
The new capital will deepen PataBid's AI product development capabilities, expand its supplier partnerships and distribution channels, and accelerate commercialization across North America. The company is focused on helping electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and fire protection contractors move faster and take on less risk with every bid. By integrating advanced tooling directly into the estimator's process, PataBid is targeting one of construction's most time-consuming workflows.
PataBid's $2 million Pre-Seed round signals growing investor interest in AI tools that address specialized construction workflows. With Quantify already used by more than 200 contractors and Newton moving toward a 2027 launch, the company is building a portfolio focused on speed, accuracy, and risk reduction. Its progress may offer a practical model for modernizing preconstruction across the electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and fire protection sectors.