Startup.Flanders’ Post

Future of Railway Construction 2026 – New Startup Program with Strong Partners 🚀   Railway construction is evolving. Increasing digitalization, automation, and sustainability are transforming how infrastructure projects are planned and delivered. At the heart of this change lies collaboration — combining the expertise of established players with the creativity of startups to drive innovation for the entire construction industry.   We are proud to be the platform of choice for 12 strong players from the construction industry: A+S Consult GmbH, BUG Verkehrsbau SE, DB Bahnbau Gruppe GmbH, KAF Falkenhahn Unternehmensgruppe, LEONHARD WEISS GmbH & Co. KG, Firmengruppe Max Bögl, OBERMEYER Gruppe, Swietelsky AG, W. MARKGRAF GmbH & Co KG, Rhomberg Sersa Rail Group, SPITZKE SE & Willke Unternehmensgruppe. These join forces with DB InfraGO and Zukunftsinitiative Bahnbau (ZIB) to tackle today’s challenges in railway construction through a cooperative program connecting innovators, builders, and technology pioneers.   Our Focus Areas: 🤖 Robotics & Automation – Smart solutions that reduce physical strain, improve safety, and boost productivity through autonomous machines, exoskeletons, and assistive robots. 🧱 Digital Construction – Tools that digitize the full construction lifecycle, enabling real-time data exchange between field operations and project management. 🌍 Faster & Smarter Construction – Startups that boost project efficiency through AI-based cost planning, digital workflows, and data-driven tendering processes. 📐 Precision & BIM Automation – Sensor- and AI-based technologies that create accurate digital twins, improving precision and reducing rework.   Why Join? Participants receive hands-on collaboration with experts and partners, exclusive access to railway construction environments, €25,000 in funding (no equity), and the opportunity to pilot directly within the ecosystem.   Join us in building innovation together — and shape how future railways are built: faster, safer, and more sustainable than ever before.   👉 Applications can be submitted until October 19, 2025: https://lnkd.in/eixStQwu   #DBmindbox #StartupHub #DeutscheBahn #Startups #Digitalization #Innovation #NewProgramn #RailwayInnovation #ConstructionTech #Robotics #Automation #BIM #Sustainability #FutureOfRailwayConstruction

Calling all innovators that want to contribute to a more sustainable, modern and technologically advanced railroad construction industry with Deutsche Bahn Group and strong industry partners from Zukunftsinitiative Bahnbau (ZIB)! 🚀 For the 4th time they are hosting a program together with partners from the rail construction industry and planning offices from the industry initiative.   Within the program, they are focusing on four major topics:  - Robotics and Physical Relief on Construction Sites  - Digital Construction Documentation  - Transforming Construction Processes for Efficiency and Sustainability  - Building Information Modeling (BIM) The 100-day program gives startups the chance to customize and live-test their solution to real challenges faced by the construction companies and DB. What's in for your startup?  - Connect with companies from the construction industry as well as DB experts while gaining access to relevant data   - Receive EUR 25,000 in funding – no equity taken  - Tap into a curated network of coaches and mentors  - Full-time access to our vibrant coworking space at Berlin-Jannowitzbrücke  - Get hands-on guidance from a dedicated DB mindbox startup manager This is a great opportunity to lay the foundation for joint projects and successful long-term collaboration with leading construction companies as well as Deutsche Bahn Group, Europe’s largest mobility and infrastructure provider. ✅ Sounds interesting? Get more info here and apply by 19 October: https://lnkd.in/ecRb8jgf  

🚀 OPTIMUSE is setting a new standard for cost-efficient and sustainable buildings through AI-based engineering – we are very happy to welcome them as the newest member of the seed + speed Ventures portfolio family! 💡 The OPTIMUSE AI platform shows builders, developers, and planners early on which technical solutions for heating, cooling, ventilation, and building envelopes deliver the best results in terms of costs and emissions – in both new construction and renovation projects. 🏢 Optimuse uses existing plans and documents to create a realistic digital building model, compares thousands of variants, and recommends the most economical, climate-friendly solution. 🔎 By leveraging Optimuse’s technology, construction projects can be 💻 70% faster in preliminary engineering, achieve 💰 10% lower construction costs, and realize an 📈 additional 20% in emission savings. With this seed funding round, the company has secured 4 Million €. The round was led by seed + speed Ventures and Blum Ventures, and realized together with existing investors Matterwave Ventures and aws Gründungsfonds. 🎉 Congratulations to the founders Dominik Pezzei, Fabian Pitscheider, and Felix-Maximilian Hoffer! We are very much looking forward to our journey together with you! And special thanks to Andreas for a phantastic deal team work 🤝   For more detail on the news and what comes next for Optimuse, check out the comments below 👇 cc André Hammerer Philipp M. Roth Lukas Punzet Patrik Cesky Ines Kolmsee Alexander Kölpin

Transforming How Railway Infrastructure Is Built 🚆 At DB mindbox, we believe that the future of railway construction will be shaped through collaboration. We are working with startups to co-create and improve digital and data-driven solutions that help make rail construction safer, faster, and more resource-efficient. Our Future of Railway Construction 2026 program provides the space to test these solutions in real-world environments together with Deutsche Bahn and external experts. 🌍 Rethinking Construction Processes How can we plan, build, and maintain rail infrastructure with greater efficiency and lower environmental impact? We are looking for approaches that optimize workflows, integrate digital tools, or apply modular and sustainable construction methods. Data-driven planning, AI-supported scheduling, or circular material use are examples that can make processes more consistent and transparent. 📐 Measurement & Automated BIM Modeling Precise and up-to-date digital representations of construction sites are essential for effective project execution. We seek technologies that enable automated and accurate data capture - such as sensor-based systems, drones, or AI-driven BIM integration - to reduce manual effort and improve coordination between field and design teams. 💡 About the Program Selected startups will work in close collaboration with specialists from Deutsche Bahn and 12 key players from the construction industry to pilot and optimize their solutions in practical construction environments. The program includes collaboration support and €25,000 in funding (no equity). 👉 Learn more and apply by October 19: https://lnkd.in/eixStQwu #DBmindbox #StartupHub #DeutscheBahn #Startups #Digitalization #Innovation #NewProgramn #RailwayInnovation #ConstructionTech #Workflow #DigitalTools #Planning #Measurement #BIM #Automation #FutureOfRailwayConstruction

✅ Subscribe for the full drop: https://lnkd.in/dWtSj_hQ Here’s what stood out in the AEC world: > New Innovations and Partnerships SSAB, a Swedish specialty steelmaker, and German construction group DEPENBROCK Gruppe have partnered to promote the use of fossil-free steel in civil and hydraulic engineering projects. The collaboration aims to cut carbon emissions in construction while providing clients with ecological and economic benefits, strengthening sustainable practices, and enhancing competitiveness in green infrastructure. > Funding Rounds and M&A Activity Prefab, a Tokyo-based AI-SaaS provider for the construction industry, has raised ¥41.5 million in a Seed round led by ANOBAKA with participation from East Ventures, Mint, and angel investors. The funding will be used to expand hiring and accelerate development of its AI-powered construction estimation platform that automates blueprint reading and quotation processes. --- The Daily Blueprint is Foundamental’s daily newsletter covering what’s shaping the future of construction — from AEC tech and robotics to 3D/CAD and supply chains. Built by the leading global VC in project-based industries. Want to chat or collaborate? Reach out to Nina. #AEC #ConTech #Architecture #Design #ConstructionTech #VC #startup

✅ Subscribe for the full drop: https://lnkd.in/dWtSj_hQ Here's what stood out in the AEC World: > New Innovations and Partnerships Morguard Corporation, CENGN, and Nokia have launched three Smart Building Living Labs across Montreal, Toronto, and Ottawa as part of a $6.5 million project to help Canadian startups develop technologies for safer, more efficient, and connected buildings. The labs will enable innovators to test solutions like AI-driven predictive maintenance, automation robotics, and real-time energy management systems in actual office, residential, and retail properties. > Funding Rounds and M&A Activity Duke Street acquires McAvoy Group, a modular building specialist that grew revenue from £59 million to £75 million in the year ending April 2024. The deal positions McAvoy with one of Europe's respected investors for continued expansion. --- The Daily Blueprint is Foundamental's daily newsletter covering what's shaping the future of construction - from AEC tech and robotics to 3D/CAD and supply chains. Built by the leading global VC in project-based industries. Want to chat or collaborate? Reach out to Nina. #AEC #ConTech #Architecture #Design #ConstructionTech #VC #startup

Happy Friday! Here's what stood out in the AEC World: > New Innovations and Partnerships \\ Brick & Bolt launched GARANT - a comprehensive real estate consultancy platform that guarantees outcomes for developers, landowners, and investors through its proprietary Asset Recommendation Engine, milestone-linked funding, and end-to-end project management from land acquisition to sales. \\ Universität Stuttgart's Institute for Building Energetics developed a BIM-based data exchange framework that automates calculation of the EU's Smart Readiness Indicator at the floor level, reducing assessment time from hours to minutes while eliminating subjective expert decisions. > Funding Rounds and M&A Activity Space Quarters, a Tohoku University spinout, secured $5 million in seed funding led by Frontier Innovations to develop robotic welding systems that assemble large-scale structures in orbit and on the lunar surface. The Tokyo-based startup plans to use modular materials and autonomous welding robots to bypass traditional payload limits, with on-orbit and lunar demonstration missions targeted for 2027–2028. ✅ Subscribe for the full drop: https://lnkd.in/dWtSj_hQ --- The Daily Blueprint is Foundamental's daily newsletter covering what's shaping the future of construction - from AEC tech and robotics to 3D/CAD and supply chains. Built by the leading global VC in project-based industries. Want to chat or collaborate? Reach out to Nina. #AEC #ConTech #Architecture #Design #ConstructionTech #VC #startup

“The accelerator allowed us to use our product outside of its normal comfort zone, which is buildings, which we wouldn't have been able to do without an initiative like this.” Tommy Cooke, Buildots Four alumni of the HS2 (High Speed Two) Ltd Innovation Accelerator who were shortlisted at this summer’s Digital Construction Awards share their experience of the programme and the importance of innovating in rail. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ecuayq4u 🔔 Applications are open for the eighth round of the HS2 Innovation Accelerator, seeking innovative ideas to streamline the railway’s delivery, improve productivity and deliver value for money. https://lnkd.in/eDkf6vcm Harry Yates, BuildPrompt, Raj Chawla, DMRC Technologies, Mo Shana’a, Morta #HS2 #Rail #RailInnovation

Here's what stood out in the AEC World: ✅ Subscribe for the full drop: https://lnkd.in/dWtSj_hQ > New Innovations and Partnerships The GEAR by Kajima partners with Glodon International to advance digital construction education through training programs and exhibitions. The collaboration features programmable tiling robots and AR-powered prefabricated construction learning tools to strengthen industry skills development. > Funding Rounds and M&A Activity Verustruct closed an oversubscribed $2.44 million pre-seed round led by Necessary Ventures and Anorak Ventures on September 24, 2025. The sustainable construction startup will use the funding to advance its R&D capabilities and innovation pipeline. --- The Daily Blueprint is Foundamental's daily newsletter covering what's shaping the future of construction - from AEC tech and robotics to 3D/CAD and supply chains. Built by the leading global VC in project-based industries. Want to chat or collaborate? Reach out to Nina. #AEC #ConTech #Architecture #Design #ConstructionTech #VC #startup

Key Highlights of the Deep Rack Venture Studio A partnership between Arup and Cambridge Future Tech (CFT), leading to the Deep Rack Venture Studio, which aims to reinvent the design and sustainability of data centres. The studio, set to launch in 2026, is designed to be a decisive intervention against the growing power, cooling, and space constraints facing global digital infrastructure. • Core Objective: To drastically improve data centre sustainability and efficiency by addressing system-level bottlenecks in performance and energy use. • Startup Focus: The studio will develop 16 start-ups dedicated to solving the most critical industry issues, including power limitations, cooling efficiency, and infrastructure scalability. • CFT’s Expertise: CFT applies its "Scientific Venture Creation model" to identify radical scientific breakthroughs from academia and build commercial ventures around them. • Arup’s Expertise: Arup provides the engineering and design oversight necessary for real-world deployment, ensuring innovations meet the strict requirements for uptime, resilience, and operational efficiency in mission-critical facilities. Steve Raffe, Commercial Director at Cambridge Future Tech, on the urgent need for innovation: “Without breakthroughs in infrastructure, the expansion of rack-scale compute will hit real-world limits across power, heat and space.” Gareth Williams, Arup’s UKIMEA Technology Leader, on making science scalable: “Through the Deep Rack Venture Studio, Arup will help bring breakthrough science into real-world data centres - solutions that are scalable, sustainable and engineered for deployment from day one.” #DataCentre #DataCenter