Quotr AI, a construction technology startup founded in 2024 at UC Berkeley, has raised a US$4 million Seed round led by Llama Ventures with participation from strategic angel investors. The company, which emerged from Batch 19 of the Berkeley SkyDeck accelerator, is focused on automating preconstruction estimating and takeoff workflows. Quotr AI stated that the new capital will support enterprise deployments, supplier network growth, and broader platform availability.
Addressing Preconstruction Friction
Quotr AI's core argument is that construction projects rarely fail because of poor building work, but because initial bids are based on incomplete information, outdated material prices, or missed scope. Preconstruction remains one of the most manual and time consuming parts of the industry, with estimators measuring drawings and counting symbols by hand before they can price a job. The company positions the estimate as the commercial operating system for the entire project, meaning every later decision traces back to that first cost calculation.
How the Quotr AI Platform Works
Users can upload PDF or image plan sets, after which the AI measures lengths, calculates areas, and counts quantities across all sheets in metric or imperial units. The platform then generates a priced estimate and a client ready proposal while allowing plain language questions about the drawings. For teams with limited capacity, an estimating desk pairs the AI with in-house estimators to deliver finished takeoffs within days.
Early Traction and Reported Results
Quotr AI said contractors using its platform have cut takeoff time by up to 80%, reducing roughly 20 hours of work to one or two hours. Customers also report that bid turnaround has moved from days to hours, and that they are submitting 40% more bids each month. According to the company, estimates supported by Quotr AI now represent more than US$1.2 billion in cumulative construction value.
Funding Priorities and High Stakes Markets
The US$4 million Seed round will be used for three main priorities: expanding enterprise deployments, growing the supplier network behind the procurement layer, and scaling the platform to contractors. Quotr AI is also targeting high stakes sectors, including data center construction, where the company cites projections of nearly 9% annual growth through 2031. Those projects often involve more than 20 trade categories and require specialized labor and equipment to be locked in before construction starts, making traceable estimating especially valuable.
Origins at Berkeley SkyDeck
Quotr AI was founded in 2024 at UC Berkeley and graduated from Batch 19 of the Berkeley SkyDeck accelerator. The company has been in production with developers, general contractors, and subcontractors, working across residential, multifamily, and commercial projects. These early deployments have helped the platform prove itself on real jobs with meaningful financial stakes.
Industry Events and Next Steps
The Quotr AI team plans to attend several industry events this fall, including the NECA Convention and Trade Show, the ULI Fall Meeting, and Chicago Build Expo in October. It will also appear at Phoenix Build Expo in December, inviting estimators, general contractors, and developers to test the platform with their hardest plan sets. The company said this direct engagement is part of its effort to keep building tools that reflect the real bid process.
Quotr AI's Seed round highlights growing investor interest in construction technology aimed at reducing manual work in preconstruction and improving estimate accuracy. With reported time savings, higher bid volumes, and more than US$1.2 billion in supported construction value, the company is building a case for AI as a core part of commercial estimating workflows. Its next phase will test whether the platform can scale across enterprise customers and more complex mission critical projects.