TruBuild Raises $1 Million Seed Round to De-Risk Construction Projects and Prevent Cost Overruns

Wa'ed Ventures and Dar Ventures participated in the round. The funding will accelerate TruBuild's expansion across Saudi Arabia and into global markets.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – 14th April 2025

TruBuild, the AI-powered construction technology startup focused on preventing delays and unexpected costs in project delivery, has successfully closed a $1 million seed round. The round included participation from Wa'ed Ventures, the $500 million venture capital arm of Saudi Aramco, Dar Ventures, the venture arm of Dar, as well as Plug & Play Ventures, OQAL, Taz Investment, and strategic angel investors including Simon Moon, former VP at Procore.

The funding will support TruBuild's product expansion, market development in Saudi Arabia, and preparation for international growth across the GCC and beyond.

The Problem: Billions Lost to Procurement Inefficiency

Construction is one of the world's largest industries, yet it remains plagued by inefficiency. According to McKinsey, the industry loses up to $1.6 trillion annually through poor productivity, cost overruns, and project delays. A significant driver of these issues is procurement—the process of selecting contractors, consultants, and suppliers.

Traditional tender evaluation is slow, manual, and prone to inconsistency. Teams spend weeks reviewing proposals, often with limited transparency and high potential for error. The result? Projects delayed before they even break ground.

The Solution: AI That Thinks Like a Project Manager

TruBuild's AI platform automates and accelerates tender evaluation, contract analysis, and risk assessment. Built specifically for construction, the system processes complex technical and commercial proposals in hours—not weeks—while maintaining full transparency and auditability.

Early adopters report:

• 70% reduction in evaluation time
• 50% fewer staff hours required for tender processing
• Complete audit trails for compliance and governance

The platform doesn't replace human judgement—it enhances it, allowing procurement teams to focus on strategy and stakeholder engagement rather than spreadsheet management.

Why Now? Vision 2030 and the Digital Transformation of Construction

Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 has positioned the Kingdom as a global construction hub, with megaprojects like NEOM, The Red Sea, and Qiddiya reshaping the landscape. These projects demand speed, precision, and accountability at unprecedented scale.

"TruBuild is solving a critical bottleneck in construction delivery," said Bisrat Degefa, Co-Founder and CEO of TruBuild. "Our AI doesn't just speed up procurement—it makes it fairer, more transparent, and more defensible. In a market moving as fast as Saudi Arabia, that matters."

The company's initial deployments have been with government-affiliated entities and large developers, demonstrating measurable impact on evaluation speed and decision quality.

Strategic Backing from Industry Leaders

The seed round brings together investors with deep domain expertise:

• Wa'ed Ventures (Saudi Aramco's VC arm) backs Saudi entrepreneurs building transformative businesses
• Dar Ventures represents one of the region's most established engineering and project management firms
• Plug & Play is a global innovation platform with a strong construction tech portfolio
• Simon Moon, former VP at Procore, brings operational insights from leading construction software

"We're impressed by TruBuild's ability to deliver immediate value in real-world deployments," said a spokesperson from Dar Ventures. "Their approach to AI in construction is pragmatic, focused, and aligned with how the industry actually works."

What's Next: Scaling Across the GCC and Beyond

With the new funding, TruBuild will:

1. Expand its product suite to include automated contract analysis and risk intelligence
2. Grow its presence in Saudi Arabia by onboarding more developers and contractors
3. Prepare for GCC expansion, targeting the UAE, Qatar, and Kuwait
4. Build strategic partnerships with engineering firms, law firms, and project management consultancies

"This is just the beginning," said Dr. Sari Sabban, Co-Founder and CTO. "We're building the AI infrastructure that will power construction procurement globally. Saudi Arabia is the perfect launchpad."

About TruBuild

TruBuild is an AI-powered construction intelligence platform that accelerates tender evaluation, contract analysis, and risk assessment. Founded by Bisrat Degefa and Dr. Sari Sabban, the company is headquartered in Riyadh and backed by Wa'ed Ventures, Dar Ventures, and leading industry angels.

For more information, visit www.trubuild.io or contact hello@trubuild.io

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