Robotics Startup Lands $25M for Brick-Laying Robots

Robotics startup Monumental has raised $25 million to scale its AI-powered, autonomous construction robots across Europe.

The latest funding round was co-led by Plural and Hummingbird, with participation from Northzone, Foundamental, NP-Hard Ventures and Material Ventures, as well as other angel investors.

Monumental said its mission is to transform the construction industry, addressing ongoing labor, cost and sustainability problems by automating processes such as building walls. 

Currently, the company’s robots focus on bricklaying. However, with the latest funding round, Monumental hopes to expand the range of construction tasks the robots can handle.

“The construction industry is one of the largest and most important in the world, yet it’s held back by global labor shortages and rising supply chain costs,” said Salar al Khafaji, Monumental’s CEO. “At Monumental, we’re working to help the industry meet these challenges,

“Our agile, intelligent and adaptable robots and software blend human expertise with robotic efficiency in a way that the industry has never seen before. They will revolutionize not just how buildings are constructed but transform the economics of the construction industry itself."

The robots are fitted with an array of sensors, computer vision and small cranes so they can autonomously navigate a building site and take on bricklaying tasks for industrial and residential buildings. Monumental said the robots can operate with “human-level precision, accuracy and efficiency.”

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The robots are powered by Monumental’s AI-powered software, Atrium and are designed to be small enough to fit wherever humans can, including through doorways or in a van.

Following pilot projects in the Netherlands, Monumental completed its first large-scale, 49.2-foot facade for an office and warehouse building last year. Since then, the company has deployed its autonomous robots to projects including social housing.

“Monumental’s approach is the perfect coming together of ambition and expertise, the rising power and impact of AI and the shrinking cost and size of cutting-edge hardware to address an industry that’s at breaking point,” said Sten Tamkivi, partner at Plural. “Something significant has to happen if we’re to meet the housing demands of millions and reduce the economic and environmental burden of the built world and Monumental is going to be something significant.”