Supply chain management in construction, despite its complexities, has remained stubbornly resistant to technology upgrades. Cloud-based platforms allow projects to be managed in a more lean and efficient manner, but the complex web of vendors, relationships and schedules in supply chains often consign them to familiar, cost-effective and flexible Excel spreadsheets. But now an artificial intelligence start-up is looking to untangle construction supply chains.

In January, Kaya AI launched out of stealth mode with $5.3 million in pre-seed funding led by 53 Stations, Suffolk Technologies and Soma Capital, with further backing from Barclays Black Formation Investments, RXR, Mantis VC, Virta Ventures and other investors.

While Kaya has initially focused its growth on data centers and other mission critical infrastructure projects, its ability to use artificial intelligence for data analytics and automation allows it to optimize procurement processes for any construction project. It was a standout member of Suffolk’s BOOST 4 cohort in 2023.

“Kaya’s platform has made it easier to identify meaningful data points in a traditionally opaque workflow, bringing greater visibility to each stakeholder and simplifying decision-making,” says Mack Rush, emerging technology associate with Suffolk Boost.

“We share Kaya’s vision for the future of construction and supply chain innovation, and we’re excited to support them as they scale this transformative technology across our industry.”

AI “teammates” such as Jarvis act as personal assistants, centralizing communications, automating tasks such as ordering and delivering information on everything from delivery delays to facility shutdowns. Having an automated assistant for the judgement and analysis of a human worker is a multiplier, allowing Suffolk to get things done faster than just hoping the AI sorts it out on its own.

“If you think about what AI is powering today, our goal is to create a way that information and data flows through construction fundamentally differently,” explained Kaya’s CEO and Co-founder Ojonimi Bako, speaking at the BuiltWorlds Innovating Building Materials and Supply Chain conference June 12 in Chicago. “There’s a world in which it’s possible now [for] information [to] actually flow bidirectionally to all these different stakeholders, where I’m not sending information from the owner to the architect, architect to the subcontractor, subcontractor to the supplier, and then all the way back up that chain.”

Bako and Kaya co-founder and president Nicholas Selz spoke on a panel with Lovisa Tedestedt, Schneider Electric’s strategic account executive for cloud and service providers; Phill Lawson-Shanks, chief innovation officer at Aligned Data Centers; Eric Whobrey, vice president of innovation at general contractor ARCO; and Jesse Brodhagen, data systems product and customer success manager at Nucor Data Systems, the dedicated mission critical services provider of the U.S.-based steelmaker.

While there are other platforms available that apply data analytics to construction scheduling and procurement, Kaya’s focus on mission critical projects allows the growing startup to deal with the tightest timelines, the fastest schedules and, at times, the most demanding owners.

Explaining how getting suppliers such as Schneider Electric involved early on has helped data center clients, said Tedestedt. “There’s so much advantage to digital transparency. That is really where I think Kaya can step up and be a huge part of this.... We have to have a digital solution to get away from spreadsheets. We need to have more of the step-by-step approach, digitally involved from beginning to end.”

Blah. Not really impressed with this application of AI. 80% to 90% efficiency gains should affect the bottom line right? This just feels like a puff piece to justify spending on AI. If this was as great as its claiming to be margins in construction would rise substantially! But this isn’t the case!