Trunk Tools Secures $40 Million to Bring ChatGPT-Style AI to Construction Sites
Trunk Tools Secures $40 Million to Bring ChatGPT-Style AI to Construction Sites
Trunk Tools, a New York-based startup, has secured $40 million in Series B funding to expand its AI solutions designed for construction workflows. The company transforms unstructured construction data—such as blueprints, schedules, and documents—into structured datasets usable by its AI tools.
Workers on construction sites can interact with the AI by asking simple questions like, “Does this door require electricity?”, to which the AI responds with a clear answer and its source. “So it’s a ChatGPT for your job site,” CEO Sarah Buchner told Business Insider.
Over the past 18 months, Trunk Tools has deployed agents that autonomously manage tasks like project tracking and scheduling. According to Buchner, general-purpose models aren’t effective in this field, so the company built proprietary large language models using construction-specific data including object types and room dimensions.
The software is sold mainly via subscription, with newer agents billed per business outcome. Clients include Suffolk Construction, DPR Construction, and Gilbane. The firm has 60 employees across the US and Canada.
Buchner began her career as a carpenter at 12 in Austria, later becoming a group leader, founding a construction safety app, and earning a PhD in civil engineering and data science. She compared embedding AI specialists into client teams to how “Palantir does with forward-deployed engineering.”
The $40 million round was led by Insight Partners, with participation from Redpoint Ventures, Stepstone, Liberty Mutual Strategic Ventures, Prudence, and Innovation Endeavors. This brings total funding to $70 million, including a $20 million Series A raised in 2024.
Buchner shared with Business Insider that the new capital will be split equally between product development and go-to-market efforts.
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About TRUNK TOOLS
Trunk Tools is a New York-based startup revolutionizing the construction industry with artificial intelligence tailored specifically for job sites. Founded by Sarah Buchner, a former carpenter turned civil engineer and data scientist, the company focuses on converting unstructured construction data—such as drawings, blueprints, schedules, and site documents—into structured formats that AI can process effectively. This enables construction workers to interact with AI using plain language, asking questions like “Does this door require electricity?” and receiving direct, data-backed answers.
Unlike general-purpose AI tools, Trunk Tools develops proprietary large language models built entirely from scratch using domain-specific inputs such as room boundaries and construction objects. Its AI agents can autonomously handle time-consuming administrative workflows, including scheduling, task tracking, and progress updates. The platform is primarily offered as a subscription service, with some solutions billed per business outcome.
Trunk Tools works with major construction firms including Suffolk Construction, DPR Construction, and Gilbane. Operating across the US and Canada, the 60-person company emphasizes embedded deployment, placing AI specialists directly within clients’ organizations to facilitate adoption—similar to Palantir’s forward-deployed engineering approach.
With over $70 million raised in venture funding, Trunk Tools is emerging as a key player at the intersection of construction and advanced AI technology.
Featured image source: Business Insider
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