HighWired.com

Highwire operates as a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform focused on contractor risk management for capital projects and operations. The company serves general contractors and owners of capital projects across a variety of sectors, including construction, data centers, manufacturing, and renewable energy, with notable clients like Google and Skanska. Its business model is centered on providing enterprises with tools to reduce delays, incidents, and liabilities by accurately pre-qualifying subcontractors and vendors. Revenue is generated through both contractor-pays and client-pays subscription models, positioned as a more cost-effective alternative to traditional compliance vendors.

The company's origins trace back to Harvard University, where its founder, Garrett Burke, was the Associate Director of Occupational Safety. Tasked with managing the risks associated with hundreds of contractors on campus, Burke was dissatisfied with existing archaic solutions for compliance and prequalification. This led him to design and build an internal software solution with the support of Harvard faculty and staff. Following requests from the contracting community, the platform was spun out as an independent company in 2008, initially named ConstructSecure. After more than a decade of bootstrapping, Highwire accepted a significant growth equity investment from Summit Partners in 2021, which also introduced seasoned entrepreneurs Don Fornes (Chairman & CEO) and Austin Merritt (President) to the leadership team to complement Burke's domain expertise.

Highwire's platform is designed to manage the entire scope of contractor risk, covering financial viability, safety performance, experience, insurance coverage, legal, environmental, quality, and cyber threats. It moves beyond a simple pass/fail system by using dynamic assessments that tailor questions based on a contractor's specific industry, scope of work, and location. This allows clients to engage with contractors to collaborate on risk mitigation plans. The software provides tools for every stage of a project lifecycle, from initial prequalification to real-time, on-site monitoring through integrated applications for inspections and incident management.

Keywords: contractor risk management, vendor prequalification, supply chain risk, construction technology, project management software, safety compliance, financial viability assessment, subcontractor management, capital projects, operational risk, SaaS platform, PropTech, risk mitigation, contractor success, compliance management, vendor onboarding, insurance tracking, safety analytics, third-party risk, facility management