Kraaft, a French construction tech startup, has scooped €13 million in Series A funding. The investment round was led by Dawn Capital, one of the largest European specialist B2B software investors that recently backed Omi and Flatpay. It saw participation from Brick & Mortar Ventures, Chalfen Ventures, Stride VC, and OSS Ventures.
The startup will use funds to fuel product development and accelerate expansion into key markets including the UK and Germany. In 2025, the company will release new features, including planning and timesheets that simplify project management for teams on the go; API and key integrations for seamless connectivity with platforms like Procore; and AI-driven features that enhance productivity through smart automation.
Fills productivity gap in construction
Construction is one of the world’s largest industries. In 2023, $13 trillion worth of gross annual output was devoted to construction projects globally, representing 7% of global gross output. Yet productivity has stagnated for over 20 years, and the sector lags in digitisation, with construction companies investing 1 to 2% of their revenue in IT, compared with the 3 to 5% average across other industries.
A key reason that the construction sector has been so slow to go digital is the lack of digital access and literacy among frontline workers. Until now, there has also been a lack of industry-specialised software and the products that do exist are often complicated and require training to use.
Bringing productivity to the industry, Kraaft requires no user training and is collaborative and fun to use. It enhances project margins, delivering a 15% improvement in handling change orders. adjustments to construction plans made during a project.
First super app for construction
Kraaft was founded by Marc Nègre, Cédric Boidin, and Thomas Reygagne in Paris in 2020, The founders originally launched the company to streamline communication within factories, but when Kraaft took off organically on construction sites during the Covid-19 pandemic, they knew they had a winning product that could tackle much larger challenges for construction companies. Workers in France started using Kraaft to manage their field operations, which directly improved profit margins and solved communication issues. So, in 2021, Marc, Cédric, and Thomas pivoted to focus exclusively on the construction industry.
Kraaft offers an unprecedented solution for managing construction projects. It reconciles field and office operations through real-time group conversations. Unlike traditional messaging, Kraaft combines the simplicity of WhatsApp with specialised modules like photo geolocation, document management, customisable reporting, AI-powered workflows, and planning, making workflows seamless.
The “super-messaging” application, whose interface initially resembles WhatsApp, can be picked up in a matter of seconds by anyone, regardless of their level of digital literacy. As easy to use as WhatsApp, it enables construction industry players to streamline their communication on job sites.
The platform is now available in five languages, including English, Spanish, German, Italian, and French, and facilitates over 1 million messages per month. In 2024, Kraaft secured landmark agreements with leading European construction companies, including SAUR, NGE, SPIE CityNetworks, Ramery, Serfim, Sade, and Gagneraud, further establishing itself as an essential tool in the industry.
Hundreds of smaller subcontractors also rely on Kraaft to manage their projects, as the app’s free plan makes it highly accessible for small businesses. It has already been adopted by over 1,000 industry leaders including VINCI and Bouygues.
“We are thrilled to partner with Dawn Capital, Brick & Mortar, and our previous investors who share our vision of empowering frontline construction workers through our easy-to-use, fun, and productivity-enhancing app,” said Thomas Reygagne, co-founder and CEO at Kraaft. “Our rapid growth demonstrates the appetite for a platform that bridges the gap between field and office. With this funding, we’re set to redefine how construction teams collaborate globally. Construction has been left behind by tech innovation for too long, and we are here to simultaneously improve working lives and transform productivity in the sector.”
“Messaging is eating the world, and we’ve shown that a simple, intuitive tool like Kraaft can deliver amazing results in an industry that’s been slow to go digital,” said Marc Nègre, co-founder and CPO at Kraaft. “Whenever foremen praise the app as the easiest to use on the App Store, our team is delighted. We’re incredibly excited for what this next stage of growth means for our users.”
“We needed a solution that would be simple for our field teams to use while being versatile enough to support the wide range of operations at VINCI,” said Julien Villalongue, Director of Leonard at the VINCI Group’s foresight and innovation platform. “Kraaft’s ability to adapt seamlessly to our job sites – each of which is unique – has received outstanding feedback, even from those less accustomed to digital tools.”
Investors’ views
“Despite giant machines and space age materials, construction is powered by people. Many of them. In fact one in every ten humans works in construction,” said Norman Fiore, co-founder and General Partner at Dawn Capital. “So success in construction means success in making working lives easier. And we believe Thomas, Marc and Cédric have built the right, powerful solution, which is seamless to adopt and loved by workers and managers alike.”
“Kraaft is transforming the construction industry by bridging the gap between field and office operations,” said Guillaume Bazouin, Partner at Brick & Mortar Ventures. “We invested because Kraaft replaces outdated tools with an intuitive, purpose-built platform that enhances collaboration, boosts productivity, and improves project margins. We’re excited to support the team as they scale globally.”
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