Construction automation startup TerraFirma raises $115M

TerraFirma Inc., a startup with a platform that enables construction teams to remotely operate heavy machinery, has raised $115 million in funding.

The bulk of the capital arrived in the form of a $100 million Series A round led by Kleiner Perkins. TerraFirma disclosed today that Bain Capital, Definition and more than a half-dozen other institutional investors chipped in as well. The company’s investor roster also includes employees at several major tech firms including SpaceX Corp.

TerraFirma was launched in 2024 by former SpaceX engineers Noah Schochet and Noah McGuinness. Its platform enables construction teams to remotely pilot excavators, tractor loaders and other vehicles using joysticks. TerraFirma says that removing the need for users to sit in a construction vehicle’s cab boosts safety while significantly improving productivity.

Customers don’t have to manually coordinate every construction task. According to TerraFirma, its software provides the ability to create “autonomous workflows” that automate repetitive chores. The platform also promises to ease several related tasks.

Creating a price estimate for a construction project is a highly technical task. Engineers have to account for factors such as a construction site’s elevation, the type of building that it will host and the amount of soil that must be added or removed. The task can take weeks in some cases.

TerraFirma says its software speeds up the process. Furthermore, engineering firms can use it to plan each step of the construction workflow. They can then test the workflow for inefficiencies with the help of a built-in simulation tool.

Once construction is underway, TerraFirma’s platform uses an obstacle avoidance algorithm to keep remote-controlled vehicles from colliding. The company says that the software makes it possible to operate multiple vehicles on the same construction site.

Autonomy features such as automated collision avoidance require real-time data from vehicle sensors. TerraFirma’s website doesn’t specify how it collects sensor data. However, the company does note that it retrofits existing machinery to work with its software. That suggests TerraFirma equips customers’ vehicles with a sensor module.

Atoms Inc., a newly launched robotics startup led by Travis Kalanick, equips trucks with autonomy features by adding in a ruggedized computer. The system combines a GPS module, cameras and radar sensors in a case designed to withstand severe weather.

“Making construction truly faster and cheaper requires innovating on operations and technology together across the full stack,” said McGuinness. “We believe autonomy is a part of the solution, but driving real change requires building a whole ecosystem of technology that is directly informed by rapid iteration and lessons from the field.”

CNBC reported that TerraFirma will use its new funding to hire 300 workers over the next year. Additionally, the company will build a new facility from which it plans to orchestrate customer vehicles. 

Photo: Unsplash