We are pleased to welcome Assemble Systems to the Forge Family.
This investment represents Autodesk’s fourth investment in a construction tech startup in five months (third investment in a Boston-area contech startup in five months). When connected with Autodesk’s BIM 360 construction management platform, Assemble Systems’ capability extends the value of our platform across more of the construction project workflow, especially the pre-construction phase, bringing in new sets of users and value to our customers. This strategy is in line with Autodesk’s vision for the next generation BIM 360 platform, to cover more construction workflows with shared project data in the BIM 360 database, reducing the need to move files from system to system and create silos of information.
Forge really wanted to focus on startups, especially in the Boston area with the recent move to the Seaport district.
The startup, Assemble Systems Inc., allows builders to easily access 3D models, 2D drawings and more data about their construction projects while on site.
“You can load up your iPad in the morning and have everything at your fingertips that you used to carry in a large roll of drawings,” said Donald Henrich, Assemble System's president and CEO.
It's an example of digital tools slowly making their way into the fractured construction industry. Henrich said 40 of the top 100 biggest contracting firms in the U.S. are Assemble customers. Local customers include Suffolk Construction, Turner Construction and Skanska USA.
The investment will allow Assemble to approximately double its 20-person Salem team in the next six months, Henrich said. The startup will also build out its integrations with Autodesk's (Nasdaq: ADSK) new construction management platform.
“Our growth is good, our user count and customer base is good, but they can help us go global so we’re very excited about that,” Henrich said of the partnership with Autodesk. Henrich, a long-time presence in the New England startup world, moved Assemble from Houston to Salem earlier this year soon after he took on the CEO role. He said Assemble plans to eventually open an office in the Seaport District near Autodesk's BUILD Space.
We can't wait to welcome them as a neighbor as well. And if you are at Autodesk University, be sure to stop by there booth.