By
Robert Scammell
Every time Robert publishes a story, you’ll get an alert straight to your inbox!
By clicking “Sign up”, you agree to receive emails from Business Insider. In addition, you accept Insider’s
Terms of Service and
Privacy Policy.
Follow Robert Scammell
- Krane raised $9 million for its AI agents that handle construction supply chain tasks.
- Eshan Jayamanne, Krane's CEO, said about a third of its work is with data center construction projects.
- Check out the nine-page pitch deck that Krane used to secure the seed funding.
Krane, a startup building AI software for construction supply chains, has raised $9 million in funding.
The San Francisco-based startup has developed AI agents that help construction teams manage materials procurement and delivery for projects such as data centers, healthcare facilities, and schools.
Its platform pulls in data from spreadsheets, project schedules, and supplier communications into a single system. It then uses AI agents to automate tasks such as tracking orders, following up with vendors by phone or email, and reconciling invoices.
Eshan Jayamanne, the founder and CEO of Krane, told Business Insider that his company's platform typically starts by identifying the equipment and materials specified in a construction project.
"Then we look at 'what are all my quotes across all my suppliers, and who can I actually work with' by comparing lead times, by comparing requirements for the spec. This is where AI comes in," he said.
The startup has created multiple AI agents that specialize in different areas of the supply chain, such as deliveries and flagging supply risks.
Jayamanne, a former engineer and construction operator who worked on data center projects, founded the company in 2023. It aims to reduce delays in construction projects and prevent them from going over budget, and integrates with existing construction tools like Autodesk and Procore.
About half of Krane's customers are healthcare projects, and around a third are data center buildouts, Jayamanne said. Data centers are complex projects that can be held up by any delays to critical equipment, such as generators, he added.
Construction tech has become increasingly competitive, and companies like TrunkTools and Mastt are also leaning into AI agents. While construction has historically been slower than other industries to adopt software tools, Jayamanne says that's no longer true.
"This LLM moment has changed everything," he said, referring to large language models, the technology underpinning AI like ChatGPT.
Jayamanne said that humans are "in the loop" to approve the decisions of Krane's AI agents, but its voice agents have greater autonomy.
The startup's seed round was co-led by Glasswing Ventures and Link Ventures.
The new funding will be used to expand its product and add new features, including tools aimed at subcontractors and additional automation for procurement and payments.
"I'm really focused on raising 'just enough' because larger rounds don't make sense anymore," he said, adding that companies like his can use AI to operate with smaller engineering teams.
Here's an exclusive look at the nine-page pitch deck Krane used to raise $9 million.
Krane's platform is for owners, subcontractors, and general contractors.
The startup has tools throughout the construction process.
It's aiming to reduce delays in projects that add costs.
Krane's AI pulls together data from different sources.
It describes itself as 'AI-native.'
The startup says its platform improves predictability in construction supply chains.
It uses multiple specialized agents to support construction teams with various tasks.
The technology integrates with existing construction software.
Krane's key sectors include data centers and healthcare.
