Helping Construction Companies Reconcile Economic and Ecological Performance: Backing Optimiz Construction!

“​​Helping to build the virtuous construction of tomorrow”

That is the ambitious vision of Optimiz Construction, our latest portfolio addition which aims to help construction firms enhance their environmental and financial efficiency.

Today, we are thrilled to announce having taken part in Optimiz’s first round of €1.5m alongside our friends at AFI Ventures (Ventech through Alliance For Impact) and Kima Ventures, and alongside key angel investors including Alexandre Brochot, Chairman of Saqara, Jérôme Manuguerra, co-founder of Masteos and Nicolas Mondollot, co-founder of Drivy.

Addressing the Construction Material Waste Challenge

Optimiz Construction was born to deliver a three-fold mission: “Helping construction firms optimize materials to save time, money and CO2.”

But concretely, what are we talking about?

For the construction of (new) buildings, and to reinforce the solidity of floors & walls, firms use welded wire mesh (or treillis soudés in French) that are made out of steel bars. Thing is, those materials are typically sold in standard sizes and cut on-site, which logically result in a significant amount of waste that is nearly unusable. More specifically, in France alone, the equivalent of 18 times the weight of the Eiffel Tower in welded mesh is discarded each year. Optimiz Construction tackles this issue by providing a tool that optimizes the use of standard steel in reinforced concrete.

”Requiring to be melted at over 1000°C to be reused, steel waste processing has a significant environmental impact. Avoiding waste from the beginning is Optimiz’s mission to reduce carbon impact in construction” explains Marion Malandain, founder of Optimiz Construction.

A Commitment Born from heritage

Optimiz Construction was born from the mind of Marion Malandain in 2018. After having worked first hands in two different start-ups, her concern for overconsumption and waste of materials, discovered on the field alongside her father — the owner of a civil engineering business — could not help but increase.

When Covid hit, and with it, the rise in the price of steel (x3 in a few months to reach 1800€/T), she decided to take the big leap and start developing by herself a very innovative algorithm for optimizing the cutting and laying of welded mesh.

Today, it reduces the amount of steel used on site by an average of 15%.

Her commitment and execution amazed us. On top of bringing a unique blend of technical and business skills, Marion succeeded in two years, to establish her brand, Optimiz Construction, as a key player in the very traditional building industry, with over 50 projects completed with major construction companies (Vinci, Spie Batignolles, Demathieu Bard, Fayat, GCC…) as well as with SMEs.

Revolutionizing Construction Efficiency: the SaaS Optimiz Construction

Optimiz Construction offers a comprehensive solution that encompasses both web applications and plugins to be implemented directly into existing construction software.

By providing tools for pre-construction preparation and on-site implementation, the company empowers construction firms to optimize their material usage, reduce waste, save time, and ultimately cut costs. Their pioneering approach combines high technology with low technology, ensuring a seamless transition for workers while driving significant improvements in construction efficiency.

While the French construction materials market is valued at approximately €45 billion, recent events, such as the global pandemic and geopolitical factors, have led to a threefold increase in material prices since 2020, further underscoring the need for optimized usage.

Raising €1.5m to Accelerate National Roll-out on Construction Sites

As the first field-proven solution in this domain, Optimiz Construction already stands out as a pioneer, with early adopters including industry leaders like Vinci Construction and Eiffage, who have recognized the value and potential of this innovative solution.

Being fully tailored to each building site, Optimiz Construction is also the promise of a profitable service from the very first piece of steel installed, a key selling point to companies.

This first fundraising aims to enhance Optimiz’s offering and deploy it throughout France. For that matter, the team plans hiring new key sales people (Carole Minatchy is joining Optimiz as Head of Sales in June 2023, after several years at Groupama, Société Générale and Groupe Macif) as well as technical hires to consolidate their technological expertise.

We, at SISTAFUND, are excited to be part of Optimiz Construction’s journey. Our belief in their mission, coupled with the immense potential for growth and impact in the construction industry, fuels our commitment to supporting their vision.

With our collective investment and collaboration, we aim to drive the adoption of this revolutionary solution, helping construction companies optimize their operations, reduce waste, and build a more sustainable future.

Learn more about Optimiz Construction here.

#ConstructionEfficiency #SustainableConstruction #Optimiz

SISTA Fund I is a French Private Equity Professional Fund (FPCI) managed by 50 Partners Gestion, AMF registered number GP20000037.