Leasi, a construction tech company has secured a strategic investment from globally leading contractor Skanska and Norway’s top early-stage investor StartupLab, in addition to Gnist Capital, and Weseed. This brings Leasi’s total raised funds to about € 1.1 Million, including grants from Innovation Norway.
Skanska’s investment follows their search for a system to optimise their machine fleets composition and usage, a search that revealed no existing market solutions could meet their needs. Meanwhile, the founders of Leasi had already engaged in dialogues with over a hundred industry players, identifying gaps and advancing the development of their much-needed solution. Founded in Trondheim in 2022 by three master’s students at that time, is now making waves in the construction industry with its innovative solution for machine management.
“We aim to establish Leasi as the industry standard on a global scale, and having a leading global player like Skanska recognize the value we provide is an incredible validation. We are also receiving interest from other global actors and look forward to the road ahead with such strong players by our side,” said Scott A. Bekke, CEO of Leasi.
In January, Leasi signed a contract with Skanska, and the inbound leads and waiting list has just been filling up with other key industry players reaching as far as the Japanese market.
“Bringing onboard both leading industry player Skanska and Norway’s top early-stage investor StartupLab as shareholders is a crucial step for us now. It enhances our credibility and market reach, even beyond Norway. The collaboration accelerates the transition from development to testing and implementation, giving us more room for innovation and allowing us to deliver faster and more effectively,” Bekke added.
Leasi’s software solution enables Skanska and other contractors to capture and consolidate data from all machines and equipment across its operations. This encompasses data on operations, service and maintenance, utilisation rates, emissions, capital allocation, and other financial information. For Skanska Norway, Leasi will effectively be handling more than 8000 machines and equipment units.
“Leasi has demonstrated an understanding of our needs and the capability to develop a solution based on our specifications. Their robust and flexible technology is adaptable as our requirements evolve. With shared access to all critical information about our machine fleet, we can operate more efficiently across projects and business units. Leasi’s system will enhance our competitiveness and execution capabilities, providing a solid foundation for future investments in our machinery,” commented Anders Geirsta, Executive Vice President of Civil Construction at Skanska Norway.
Scott A. Bekke in Leasi values the collaboration with Skanska, which offers invaluable insights and practical experience as the solution is implemented in Skanska and its subsidiaries throughout 2024.
“Norway is far ahead in digitising the construction industry compared to the rest of the world, and we see significant international interest in what we are developing. With strong investors behind us, we are well-positioned to advance both in Norway and internationally,” concluded Bekke.
The solution combines data and features from areas that historically have resided in separate siloed solutions. By combining these aspects, Leasi is a key enabler for improved operational efficiency, more sustainable operations, and optimised capital allocation and capital efficiency.”
Gisle Østereng, Head of Investments at StartupLab Ventures, added: “We at Startuplab are delighted to become an investor in Leasi. Over time, our team has observed Leasi’s development and, together with our partners in construction, we have become convinced that we should also participate as an investor in the company’s growth. We look forward to the coming years and hope the entire industry will recognise the commercial and environmental benefits that Leasi offers. In the construction sector, Startuplab contributes to digitalisation and efficiency, which in turn reduces emissions. Leasi fits very well into this framework.”
Read the orginal article: https://www.eu-startups.com/2024/07/norwegian-contech-startup-leasi-raises-e1-1-million-pre-seed-to-step-up-machine-management/
