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The construction sector continues to face a number of massive challenges – skill and labour shortages, lack of standardisation, regulatory hurdles, and a massive carbon footprint, to name just a few. Zacua Ventures, the construction-tech focused VC firm launched last year by three alumni of construction CVC units, aims to alleviate them.
Every building is its own prototype, according to one of those founders, Juan Nieto, who joined me on the show to talk about how the new firm’s first year has been both challenging and productive, and how he’s found the transition from being a venture investor in one of the world’s largest companies, Cemex, to starting a new firm that currently boasts a team of six.
The major challenge in an industry as fragmented as construction, with such thin margins, Nieto says, is technology adoption. The industry is so vast, however, that even relatively small penetration can translate into significant gains.
While not a CVC itself, Zacua Ventures still boasts a roster of corporate LPs in its fund, who can still provide additional value for portfolio companies should they choose to collaborate.