Bricklaying is a demanding profession, requiring significant skill and experience, and often leading to strain on the back, knees, and hands due to the physical nature of the work. Moreover, the need to work outdoors in various weather conditions makes it less appealing for young individuals to pursue apprenticeships in this field. The scarcity of skilled brick masons is exacerbating housing shortages across Europe and causing delays in major construction projects in the United States.
Now, Monumental, a startup based in Amsterdam and founded by a seasoned team of serial entrepreneurs and AI specialists, has emerged from a two-and-a-half-year period of operating in stealth mode with what it believes to be the solution: a new generation of bricklaying robots.
The company has also announced a fresh round of funding totaling $25 million, co-led by Plural, an early-stage European venture capital fund comprising successful former startup founders, and VC firm Hummingbird. Northzone, Foundamental, and NP-Hard Ventures are among the other participants in this funding round. Monumental’s post-financing valuation remains undisclosed.
Utilizing AI technology originally developed for self-driving cars and a new range of cost-effective robotic components, Monumental has engineered robots capable of operating on almost any construction site while maintaining costs comparable to those of human bricklayers.
This initiative exemplifies a scenario where robots are not displacing human jobs but rather addressing an existing gap in the labor market that is unlikely to be adequately filled by human workers in the foreseeable future.
For instance, in the Netherlands, the demand for 100,000 new homes annually is outpacing the available construction workforce, leading to a shortfall in bricklayers. Similarly, in the U.S., where the construction industry faces a shortage of over half a million workers, bricklaying stands out as one of the specialties with the most acute deficit.
Salar al Khafaji, the CEO and co-founder of Monumental, became fixated on the concept of applying AI to real-world projects, particularly in construction and manufacturing, after selling his previous startup, Silk, to data analytics giant Palantir in 2016.
The construction industry, with a staggering $14 trillion contribution to global GDP in 2022, initially led al Khafaji to explore automating large-scale infrastructure projects like high-speed rail lines and bridges. However, the complexity of these projects, involving lengthy contract bidding processes and consortium partnerships, steered his focus towards residential construction. In discussions with European general contractors, the acute shortage of skilled bricklayers emerged as a significant source of construction delays.
In the United Kingdom, for instance, there exists a gap of 75,000 skilled bricklayers compared to the number needed to meet the housing targets set by the government.
Sten Tamkivi, a partner at Plural, led the firm’s investment in Monumental, aligning with his belief that capitalizing on the AI boom involves targeting specific verticals where technology addresses niche needs.
Tamkivi, a former Skype executive and serial entrepreneur from Estonia, highlighted Monumental’s adaptation to the changing landscape of robotics. Unlike previous attempts that relied heavily on hardware innovation, Monumental’s focus on software as the primary differentiator, with increasingly commoditized hardware, reflects this shift.
While other companies have attempted to develop bricklaying robots, Monumental distinguishes itself by addressing key issues. Their robots, compact and adaptable, employ autonomous navigation techniques to navigate construction sites efficiently. Additionally, their business model differs from predecessors by offering bricklaying services rather than selling physical robots, ensuring cost-effectiveness and accessibility.
Despite requiring human masons for certain tasks, Monumental’s robots, priced comparably to human labor, have garnered interest from construction contractors. Monumental plans to leverage its funding to scale its robot fleet and workforce, aiming to enhance its presence in the construction industry.
