#14 011h

Faster, greener and smarter construction

Read time: 5 minutes

Hi, I’m Javi Gascón.

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Today we’ll distill a company that’s transforming construction with scalable, sustainable, and tech-driven building methods: 011h ????

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What Problem Does 011h Tackle?

They deal with several interconnected problems within the construction industry:

1. Environmental Impact: Construction and building materials account for 10% of global CO2 emissions. Concrete and steel are by far the main contributors but there are many other chemicals and materials involved too.

2. Productivity and Efficiency: Construction processes are often disjointed, with architects and builders working separately, leading to inefficiencies and delays. This means not meeting the housing demand efficiently.

3. Housing Shortage: There is a significant shortage of housing in many European countries, exacerbated by increased materials costs and interest rates among others.

4. Labor Shortages: The industry is struggling with labor shortages, both in Europe and the US, which further complicates the construction process.

So yes, we need and innovative, sustainable, and efficient construction industry.

Product / Service ??

011h is both a tech platform and a construction company operating as 2 integrated pieces.

By combining virtual building design with actual construction execution they turned the traditional construction process into a more efficient, sustainable, and scalable model.

Why is this awesome?

Sustainability: They use prefabricated components assembled like LEGO made from sustainable materials like timber, reducing CO2 emissions by up to 70% compared to traditional construction methods.

Cost-Effectiveness: The use of standardized building models and an integrated digital platform helps in maintaining market costs while reducing execution timeframes. Users can upload components and receive optimized building designs.

Speed and Reliability: Construction time is reduced by 40%, with only a 4% deviation from initial budgets, ensuring faster and more reliable project completion.

Quality and Scalability: The platform integrates all stakeholders, from design to construction, ensuring high-quality and scalable construction processes.

They help real estate developers build quickly, at scale, and in a sustainable way.

Market ??

The sustainable construction industry is shifting towards prefabricated building systems, circular materials like mass timber, and digitized construction processes to enhance efficiency, sustainability, and scalability. The broader construction sector is also adopting sustainable practices to meet environmental standards and reduce CO2 emissions.

The global green building market, a related sector, was valued at around $260 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.9% from 2023 to 2030.

Other Key Players

011h is the only one that streamlines the whole construction process and provides much more scalable solutions for different types of buildings and locations.

These players make cool 3D houses though.

Mighty Buildings ????: Uses 3D printing and robotic automation to build sustainable, modular homes and buildings.

ICON ????: Specializes in 3D printing technology for constructing homes and buildings, focusing on affordability, sustainability, and innovative construction methods.

Founding Story ??

011h was founded in late 2020 by Lucas Carné and José Manuel Villanueva. The founders previously co-founded and sold the e-commerce company Privalia for about €500 million in 2016.

They could have retired but… they identified the construction industry as a sector that had barely been transformed by digital technology. They noted the industry's low productivity and its significant contribution to global CO2 emissions.

Carné and Villanueva were motivated by these challenges and aimed to create a technological solution to make the construction sector more efficient, sustainable, and scalable. They wanted a model based on using prefabricated components, an integrated supplier network, and extensive digitization of the entire construction process.

They have raised over $35 million since then and they are consistently among the most promising climate tech companies in the world.

Top Impact Stats ??

1. All their projects achieve an AA rating for both non-renewable primary energy consumption and CO2 operational emissions.
2. In their projects, 011h has reduced energy consumption from non-renewable sources by approximately 70% and cut overall consumption significantly.
3. 011h achieves zero emissions from both embedded and operational carbon in their buildings.

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Thanks for reading today’s issue! If you liked it feel free to hit the ?? button and share it with someone who might like it too. See you next Sunday :)