Construex
CONSTRUEX connect key stakeholders and information in the construction, architecture and design industry.
| Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | investor | €0.0 | round |
* | $4.6m | Seed | |
| Total Funding | 000k | ||
Construex operates as a B2B software-as-a-service (SaaS) enabled marketplace specifically tailored for the Latin American construction industry. The company was established to digitize and streamline the historically inefficient and fragmented procurement process within this sector.
The venture was founded in 2019 by brothers Roberto and Nicolás Arroyo. Roberto's background in his family's construction business exposed him to the significant challenges in sourcing materials and services, which sparked the idea for the platform. This first-hand experience of industry inefficiencies was the primary catalyst for creating a digital solution. Before Construex, Roberto and Nicolás had prior entrepreneurial experience, having created and sold a real estate website, which funded Roberto's master's degree in business in France. The company initially bootstrapped its operations for nearly four years, achieving profitability before securing its first round of venture capital.
Construex functions by connecting construction product suppliers with a wide range of clients, including real estate developers, contractors, and general users of construction materials. The platform addresses a major market gap, given that only about 4% of construction suppliers in Latin America were tech-enabled prior to such solutions. The business model incorporates several revenue streams. While it offers free SaaS tools for both buyers and sellers to drive adoption, Construex generates income from transactions conducted on the site and through premium subscription-based services. These subscription plans offer suppliers enhanced features such as an advanced CRM system, virtual reality showrooms, WhatsApp integration, and improved brand positioning to help them increase sales.
The platform provides a comprehensive digital marketplace with over 80,000 registered suppliers and hundreds of thousands of products, ranging from architectural and engineering goods to furnishings. For buyers, it offers tools to find suppliers, compare prices, and manage procurement, which can reduce costs by up to 15% and shorten project timelines by as much as 30%. Construex also provides a concierge service for large-scale buyers needing end-to-end project sourcing. Having established a presence in Ecuador, the company has expanded to Chile, Guatemala, Argentina, and Mexico, with plans to enter Brazil and other Spanish-speaking markets. In late 2023, Construex raised US$4.6 million in a seed funding round co-led by Zacua Ventures and Fifth Wall to fuel this expansion.
Keywords: Construex, construction marketplace, Latin America, B2B SaaS, procurement platform, digital construction, ConTech, PropTech, Roberto Arroyo, Nicolás Arroyo, construction materials, building supplies, digital supply chain, supplier management, Zacua Ventures, Fifth Wall, construction procurement, Ecuador startup, real estate technology, SaaS marketplace, construction logistics, project materials sourcing, South America construction, Central America construction, construction tech