A screenshot from Kaya AI鈥檚 website showing its personal AI assistant Jarvis. (Image courtesy Kaya AI)

Founded in 2023 by Ojonimi Bako (CEO) and Nicholas Selz (president), the company also recently competed in the supply chain category at Cemex Ventures Construction Startup Competition in 2024.

Kaya AI didn鈥檛 take home the competition鈥檚 top prize, but they were just one of eight companies featured and the champion representative from the contest鈥檚 supply chain category. They showcased their AI-powered platform for procurement and project delivery management designed for the industry on Pitch Day, which was held at Trimble Dimensions user conference in November last year.

Nicholas Selz didn鈥檛 reveal for Construction Briefing the specific projects or contractors the company has worked with in just the last year-and-a-half, but he noted the firm is 鈥渃urrently installed with some of the nation鈥檚 largest general contractors.鈥� Kaya AI鈥檚 website said it is 鈥渢rusted by leading construction companies鈥� including Ferrovial, Axiom, Holcim, and Caterpillar, among others.

Earlier this year, the company announced a US$5.3-million pre-seed investment by 53 Stations, Suffolk Technologies and Soma Capital, with additional backing from Barclays Black Formation Investments, managed by Zeal Capital Partners, RXR, Mantis VC, Virta Ventures and others.

What is Kaya AI鈥檚 focus in construction?

A creative illustration of artificial intelligence aiding the supply chain and construction environments. (Image generated by AI)

鈥淒ata centres, infrastructure and other mission critical projects are at the forefront of global growth, yet their supply chains remain riddled with inefficiencies and delays,鈥� said Ojonimi Bako, CEO and co-founder of Kaya AI.

He added the company鈥檚 core mission is to provide high-tech solutions 鈥� including an AI personal assistant named 鈥淛arvis鈥� 鈥� to simplify a firm鈥檚 supply chain processes and get the most out of its network.

鈥淜aya AI鈥檚 AI-native platform addresses [supply chain] challenges, reducing the time teams spend from managing procurement through delivery by 80% and ensuring seamless project execution,鈥� Bako said.

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Selz discussed with Construction Briefing the three key components of the business as it seeks to achieve 鈥渆nd-to-end supply chain visibility鈥�:

1. Automating materials delivery: 鈥淛arvis,鈥� the AI assistant, coordinates deliveries for site superintendents, reducing procurement management time by up to 80%
2. Enhancing lead time tracking & workflow automation: Real-time intelligence enables proactive delay mitigation and streamlined operations
3. Seamless integration: As an AI-native platform, Kaya easily integrates with existing technology stacks, simplifying implementation

鈥淜aya AI will power the next decade of mission-critical infrastructure from pre-construction to delivery, driven by the first digitally native vertical supply chain intelligence that handles the grunt work,鈥� Selz said. 鈥淎s the company grows and evolves its AI agent capabilities, Kaya AI will further enhance automation, predictive analytics, and intelligent decision-making. This will allow construction teams to proactively address challenges, optimise resources, and accelerate project timelines with unprecedented efficiency.鈥�

Winners of Construction Start Up Competition 2024 unveiled Three winners were announced at the final in Las Vegas, US