Zero RFI, a San Francisco, CA-based provider of an AI-native platform targeting the construction industry, has raised $13.8 million in a seed funding round led by General Catalyst.
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The company plans to use the funds to execute a focused M&A strategy, acquiring and growing tech-enabled service firms to build a unified, AI-powered infrastructure for the built environment. At launch, Zero RFI announced acquisitions of Brookwood Group (project management), BuildingWorks (construction closeout), and KP Reddy Co. (innovation advisory).
Zero RFI is a new AI-driven platform designed to modernize the construction industry by combining advanced AI with expert human support. The company aims to bring clarity and confidence to critical decision-making. Initially, Zero will focus on helping building owners, and developers, who shape projects at the earliest and most important stages but often have the least access to technology.
Zero’s recent acquisitions include:
- Brookwood Group – A pioneer in owner’s representative services, Brookwood has been a trusted advisor in the built environment since 1989. The company leads in innovative project delivery systems that reduce risk and provide certainty for owners, completing projects worldwide with total valuations in the billions.
- BuildingWorks – A managed construction-closeout service provider that uses industry expertise and proprietary technology to organize documentation, ensure compliance, and protect building value throughout its lifecycle.
- KP Reddy Co. – A top innovation advisory firm in the AEC industry, KPRCo helps companies assess their innovation capabilities and plan digital transformation. The firm combines hands-on consulting with a network of 70,000 newsletter subscribers, a globally recognized podcast, and a community of startups and enterprises focused on advancing the built world.
The global construction industry handles about $10 trillion in projects each year, but has seen productivity decline over the past 40 years. Many construction methods are still the same as in the 1950s, making it hard to keep up with rising costs, labour shortages, complex regulations, and a fragmented industry.
“At General Catalyst, we work with founders to transform key industries using AI,” said Paul Kwan, Managing Director at General Catalyst. “Zero RFI brings our AI roll-up strategy to the physical economy, using AI not just for software but to improve how essential infrastructure is built. KP has decades of experience growing companies in construction technology and is the kind of founder we support when rethinking industries on this scale.”
Zero is led by tech veteran KP Reddy, founder and General Partner of Shadow Ventures and CEO of KP Reddy Co. A second-generation civil engineer with hands-on construction experience, he is an expert in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC), AI, robotics, and automation. KP has founded and successfully exited three tech companies and authored three books: Creating the Intangible Enterprise, What You Know about Startups is Wrong, and BIM for Building Owners and Developers. He is also a well-known speaker and hosts the top podcast in the AEC industry.
About Zero RFI
Founded by KP Reddy, Zero RFI is an AI-native platform designed to transform the construction industry by removing friction, reducing uncertainty, and bringing clarity to decision-making across the entire built environment. Through a portfolio of aligned companies, Zero helps partners focus on leading, orchestrating, and protecting projects to safeguard both the build process and their legacies. The company’s name comes from the construction concept “zero RFI” (zero Requests for Information), symbolizing a state where project direction is so complete and coordinated that no further clarification is needed, reflecting Zero’s belief that clarity can emerge from complexity and that construction chaos is not inevitable.
About General Catalyst
Founded in 2000 by David Fialkow, General Catalyst is a global investment and transformation firm that works with ambitious entrepreneurs to drive resilience and applied AI. The firm supports founders with a long-term approach, from seed stage to growth and beyond. With offices in the U.S., Europe, and India, General Catalyst has helped grow over 800 businesses, including Airbnb, Anduril, Anthropic, Applied Intuition, Commure, Glean, Gusto, Helsing, Hubspot, Kayak, Livongo, Mistral, Ramp, Samsara, Snap, Stripe, Sword, and Zepto.
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