Did you know that buildings account for as much as 40% of energy consumption in the European Union? The unsustainability of the building industry doesn’t stop there: as much as 37.5% of waste in the European Union derives from construction and demolition waste.
But what lies behind all that waste? According to Leo Salomaa, the CEO of Make a BIM, there is a lack of data and manual, labor-intensive processes. Without that data, buildings have gaps in energy efficiency, reducing waste, and managing maintenance costs. That could all be changed with something seemingly simple: artificial intelligence and efficient data collection.
Towards net zero and carbon neutrality with efficient data use
Make a BIM (Building Information Modeling) offers a solution using AI to automatically create detailed 3D models from existing architectural drawings.
“Drawings exist of all buildings and the industry is creating models manually of these all the time. What Make a BIM does, is that you feed the AI existing drawings, and it can analyze the contents and generate a visual representation of it. Traditionally, junior architects have had to draw 3D models out of 2D building maps, which is extremely time-consuming and repetitive, whilst the AI can generate those in a matter of minutes,” Salomaa says.
Early on in his career, he recognized a connection between the lack of data and old-fashioned processes – the key factors that contributed to an unsustainable construction industry.
“Buildings consume a huge amount of energy, and at the same time, there has been discussion about carbon neutrality and net zero. To achieve net zero, data on building efficiency is needed, and there was practically none out there. I’ve also got two kids, so I’m looking at the world through different eyes now,” he describes.
Tested in over 100 buildings: Better energy efficiency and acoustic simulations
Make a BIM has already delivered models for over 100 buildings, with applications ranging from energy efficiency improvements to acoustic simulations. Their strong case with real-world use cases and their diverse, experienced team impressed investors, leading to Make a BIM successfully closing their funding round.
The round was completed as a part of the cross-border investment program 4NGELS with investors like Kiilto Ventures, Innovestor, former FiBAN Chair, and angel investors Kim Väisänen, former FiBAN board member Esa Kinnunen, and Teemu Jokinen.
“What helped us to close the round is that our solution is easy to understand for the investors and our prospect customers. We also know the data and the technology firsthand as our team has previous founder and industry experience. I like that the investors challenge us and teach us beyond just money,” he says.
Optimizing heating and temperature with AI
Although AI has been part of the solution for some time, recent years’ leaps have integrated even more into Make a BIM’s solution, which has been tested in real life.
“Most building information models we have generated so far have been used for energy efficiency optimizations. Now, we’re also working on this circular economy simulation with the City of Helsinki to identify the materials and building parts that can be taken out of a building and reused, such as doors or concrete columns.”
Make a BIM’s future focus remains on understanding customer needs, removing bottlenecks, and scaling its solution. The focus now is on driving meaningful change in the construction industry and society.
“We want to help people who already work in the field change their thinking and use AI to optimize things. We can especially help companies that create building information models or real estate owner companies. I’d like to thank HEKA, Kiertotalous Klusteri, Urban Tech Helsinki, Kira Hub (Kiinteistö and rakentaminen), Innovestor Palo, and Ultrahack for the great cooperation so far,” he concludes.
About the 4NGELS program
Make a BIM took part in the EU-funded 4NGELS program, where startups and investors are brought together for cross-border investment collaboration. 4NGELS brings together four business angel networks: Estonian Business Angels Network EstBAN, Finnish Business Angels Network FiBAN, Business Angels of Slovenia, and COBIN Angels. The program is coordinated by CIVITTA. Find out more at International Projects.
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Contact FiBAN COO Milja Mäkelä at milja.makela@fiban.org