BOSTON, MA — Suffolk Technologies, the venture capital affiliate of Suffolk, convened fellow investors, construction and tech industry leaders, and other key stakeholders at Suffolk Headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts, filling the venue for the sixth annual BOOST Demo Day. The event marked the culmination of the eight-week BOOST accelerator program and served as a visual representation of this year’s broad range of technologies and Suffolk’s role as a convener of AI and machine learning in the built world.
Since launching BOOST in 2020, Suffolk Technologies has grown the program into the industry’s top built environment accelerator, with a track record of strategic investment in high-impact, scalable solutions. BOOST has graduated a slate of 38 startups — Trunk Tools, WINT, Kaya AI, Exodigo, and Rugged Robotics among them — that have collectively raised more than $700 million in funding. Their innovative tools have been deployed on Suffolk job sites and across the growing Operating Partner network, which increased by over 50 percent to reach 55 global organizations this year. This gives the cohort of startups direct access to partners, customers, pilot projects, and investors, helping solutions reach the market faster.

BOOST Demo Day is now the anchor event of Boston Built Week, providing a center of gravity around which 18-plus other built environment events hosted by 45 different partners have coalesced. At Demo Day, Suffolk Chairman and CEO John Fish welcomed the startups that hailed from around the world, and he spoke to the impetus behind the creation of the innovative BOOST accelerator program and his vision for the future of the industry.

“The construction industry continues to face unprecedented challenges — from rising costs and labor shortages to evolving market dynamics — but with challenge comes great opportunity,” Fish said. “Innovation has never been optional at Suffolk; it’s essential. Our BOOST program empowers visionary startups to deliver technologies that make projects safer, faster, and more efficient, and I truly believe that work is more important today than ever before. Together, we’re not just adapting to change; we’re driving it and redefining what’s possible in the built world.”
Jeevan Kalanithi, the Founder and CEO of OpenSpace, then gave the keynote speech. He shared insights on scaling innovation in the built world and provided advice for founders based on lessons learned, noting the importance of early investment from Suffolk Technologies and the insights from Suffolk Technologies Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at Suffolk, Jit Kee Chin.

The eight companies in the BOOST 6 cohort invited to pitch their innovative solutions at Demo Day were selected after a highly competitive application process — a 4 percent acceptance rate — and are representative of the solutions the market demands to address significant labor shortages in construction, the increasing cost of building and materials, and an intensified focus on sustainability. This year’s startups spanned a broad range of technologies — from AI, data, and intelligent orchestration to dynamic robotic prototypes and the use of sustainable materials — seeking to solve critical industry-wide challenges across design, construction, and infrastructure.
The BOOST 6 cohort featured the following startups:

• ARKI: A design system that helps architecture and engineering firms complete projects 50 percent faster by intelligently leveraging past data
• Cyphra Autonomy: An autonomous material movement solution tailored for the built environment to multiply human labor and allow crews to focus on higher value activity
• Dig Energy: A geothermal drilling technology that is more cost-efficient, compact, and thermally effective than traditional equipment
• Hardline: A voice-first orchestration platform built specifically for construction teams
• MOD: A platform that evaluates prefab potential in architectural designs and organizes supply chain opportunities to accelerate prefabrication adoption
• Neuron Factory: An AI coworker platform designed to optimize and improve the daily tasks of construction workers
• Ouros Materials: Ultra-tough, fire-resistant composites made with captured CO2, delivering strength and sustainability at lower cost
• Puppet Robotics: A semi-autonomous robotic arm that keeps workers safe during high-risk tasks like welding and abatement, while maintaining human precision and control

Awards were also presented following the pitches. Cyphra Autonomy was honored with the "People’s Choice Award” through a live vote, and Neuron Factory was honored with Autodesk’s “Make Anything” award. The event also featured presentations from Suffolk Technologies portfolio companies Geolava, Thalo Labs, Trayd, and Trellis Air.
“Every year, BOOST attracts some of the most forward-thinking entrepreneurs in the built world, and this year is no exception,” said Parker Mundt, Partner and Head of Platform at Suffolk Technologies. “By pairing their ingenuity with the industry expertise of Suffolk and that of our operating partners that make up our innovation ecosystem, we are accelerating the adoption of technologies that make construction safer, more efficient, and more sustainable. The future of our industry is being shaped today.”