AI, Robotics, Sustainable Materials and a Laser Focus on Efficiency: Suffolk Technologies Convenes Innovative Startups at BOOST Demo Day, Showcasing Groundbreaking Contech Solutions

At BOOST Demo Day, tech startup founders showcased their industry-changing solutions to investors, influencers and thought leaders of the built world; startup solutions were tested and improved on Suffolk jobsites during the highly competitive and successful BOOST accelerator program

Suffolk Technologies, the venture capital affiliate of Suffolk, one of the nation’s most innovative and successful builders, convened fellow investors, construction and tech industry leaders and other key stakeholders at Suffolk Headquarters in Boston, filling the venue for the sixth annual BOOST Demo Day. The event marked the culmination of the intensive eight-week BOOST accelerator program and served as a powerful visual representation of this year’s broad range of technologies and Suffolk’s leading role as the convener of AI and machine learning in the built world, with the company boldly seeking to redefine what is possible for the construction industry.

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John Fish, Chairman and CEO of Suffolk, delivered welcome remarks, outlining his vision for the future of the industry and providing a clear call to action on the importance of driving forward innovation. 

Since launching BOOST in 2020, Suffolk Technologies has grown the program into the industry’s top built environment accelerator, with an impressive track record of strategic investment in high-impact, scalable solutions. BOOST has graduated a slate of 38 startups – Trunk Tools, WINT, Kaya AI, Exodigo, and Rugged Robotics among them – that have collectively raised more than $700 million in funding. Their innovative tools have been deployed on Suffolk jobsites and across the growing Operating Partner network, which increased by over 50% to reach 55 global organizations this year spanning the full value chain of the built environment. This gives the cohort of startups direct access to partners, customers, pilot projects and investors, helping solutions with the potential to be industry game-changers reach the market faster than ever.

The BOOST program is unique from other tech accelerators in its exclusive focus on built world solutions and unparalleled access for startups to deploy their tools on active jobsites due to collaboration with a leading national construction management firm, Suffolk, and an impressive network of 54 other operating partners. The significant value of exposure to the field enables startup founders to work with mentors and refine their technologies for market readiness.

BOOST Demo Day has also grown beyond a single day – it is now the anchor event of Boston Built Week, providing a center of gravity around which 18+ other built environment events hosted by 45 different partners have coalesced. Of note is the BuiltWorlds Venture East conference in Boston from November 19-20, 2025, a major gathering of innovators, venture fund investors and construction tech professionals at which Suffolk Chairman and CEO John Fish delivered keynote remarks, underscoring his leadership in successfully building an innovation-fueled company.

At Demo Day, John Fish welcomed the startups that hailed from around the world, and he spoke to the impetus behind the creation of the innovative BOOST accelerator program and the leader’s vision for the future of the industry. “The construction industry continues to face unprecedented challenges—from rising costs and labor shortages to evolving market dynamics—but with challenge comes great opportunity,” said Mr. Fish. “Innovation has never been optional at Suffolk; it’s essential. Our BOOST program empowers visionary startups to deliver technologies that make projects safer, faster, and more efficient and I truly believe that work is more important today than ever before. Together, we’re not just adapting to change—we’re driving it and redefining what’s possible in the built world.”

Jeevan Kalanithi, the Founder and CEO of OpenSpace, then gave the keynote speech. He shared insights on scaling innovation in the built world and provided practical advice for founders based on lessons learned, noting the importance of early investment from Suffolk Technologies and the prescient insights from Suffolk Technologies Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at Suffolk, Jit Kee Chin. Suffolk Technologies was an early investor in OpenSpace in 2019, and it has grown to become an industry standard for reality capture with a global footprint and a valuation of $902M in 2022.

The eight companies in the BOOST 6 cohort invited to pitch their innovative solutions at Demo Day were selected after a highly competitive application process – a four percent acceptance rate – and are representative of the solutions the market demands to address significant labor shortages in construction, the increasing cost of building and materials, and an intensified focus on sustainability. This year’s startups spanned a broad range of technologies – from AI, data and intelligent orchestration to dynamic robotic prototypes and the use of sustainable materials – seeking to solve critical industry-wide challenges across design, construction and infrastructure.

The BOOST 6 cohort featured the following startups and demonstrated how Suffolk Technologies is investing in the future, driving efficiency, improving safety and increasing sustainability in construction:

ARKI: A design system that helps architecture and engineering firms complete projects 50 percent faster by intelligently leveraging past data.

Cyphra Autonomy: An autonomous material movement solution tailored for the built environment to multiply human labor and allow crews to focus on higher value activity.

Dig Energy: A geothermal drilling technology that is more cost-efficient, compact, and thermally effective than traditional equipment.

Hardline: A voice-first orchestration platform built specifically for construction teams.

MOD: A platform that evaluates prefab potential in architectural designs and organizes supply chain opportunities to accelerate prefabrication adoption.

Neuron Factory: An AI coworker platform designed to optimize and improve the daily tasks of construction workers.

Ouros Materials: Ultra-tough, fire-resistant composites made with captured CO₂, delivering superior strength and sustainability at lower cost.

Puppet Robotics: A semi-autonomous robotic arm that keeps workers safe during high-risk tasks like welding and abatement, while maintaining human precision and control.

Awards were also presented following the pitches. Cyphra Autonomy was honored with the "People’s Choice Award” through a live vote, and Neuron Factory was honored with Autodesk’s “Make Anything” award. The event also featured presentations from Suffolk Technologies portfolio companies Geolava, Thalo Labs, Trayd and Trellis Air.

“Every year, BOOST attracts some of the most forward-thinking entrepreneurs in the built world, and this year is no exception,” said Partner and Head of Platform at Suffolk Technologies Parker Mundt. “By pairing their ingenuity with the industry expertise of Suffolk and that of our operating partners that make up our innovation ecosystem, we are accelerating the adoption of technologies that make construction safer, more efficient and more sustainable. The future of our industry is being shaped today.”

About Suffolk Technologies

Suffolk Technologies is a venture capital platform funding the next generation of companies solving built environment challenges. Led by Managing Partners Wan Li Zhu, Jit Kee Chin, and Puneet Mahajan, Suffolk Technologies invests in early and growth-stage startups transforming the built world across real estate and development, architecture, engineering and construction, property management, and smart cities. Leveraging Suffolk’s expertise and broad network of industry leaders, Suffolk Technologies partners with visionary founders to accelerate industry-wide adoption of breakthrough innovations ranging from pre-product to growth stages. For more information about Suffolk Technologies’ strategy and investments, visit SuffolkTech.com.

About Suffolk

Suffolk is a national enterprise that builds, innovates, and invests. Suffolk is an end-to-end business that provides value throughout the entire project lifecycle by leveraging its core construction management services with vertical service lines that include real estate capital investment, design, self-perform construction services, technology start-up investment (Suffolk Technologies), and innovation research and development.

Suffolk – America’s Contractor – is a national company with more than $9 billion in annual revenue, 3,000 employees, and offices in Boston (headquarters); New York City and Westchester County, New York; Miami, West Palm Beach, Tampa, and Estero in Florida; Dallas; Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego; Las Vegas; Portland, Maine; New Haven, Connecticut; Herndon, Virginia; and Salt Lake City. Suffolk manages some of the most complex, sophisticated projects in the country, serving clients in every major industry sector, including healthcare, life sciences, education, gaming, transportation/aviation, federal government and public work, mission critical, advanced technology, and commercial. Suffolk is privately held and led by Founder, Chairman and CEO John Fish. Suffolk is ranked #8 on ENR’s list of “Largest Domestic Builders” and #10 on its list of “Top CM-at-Risk Contractors.” For more information, visit www.suffolk.com and follow Suffolk on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

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“Every year, BOOST attracts some of the most forward-thinking entrepreneurs in the built world, and this year is no exception,” said Partner and Head of Platform at Suffolk Technologies Parker Mundt.