Autodesk acquires construction software firm founded by Indian techies

Autodesk Inc, the US-based design software maker on Wednesday said it is acquiring a construction software provider co-founded by Indian entrepreneurs Sunil Dorairajan and Karuna Ammireddy. Pype provides cloud-based solutions for automating construction project management workflows. Autodesk did not reveal the financial details of the deal.
 

The acquisition will empower general contractors, subcontractors and owners to gain more value from Autodesk Construction Cloud. This includes automation of critical construction workflows such as submittals and close-outs to increase productivity and mitigate project risk.
 

“I could not be more optimistic about the future of the building industry,” said Andrew Anagnost, CEO of Autodesk. “Even in challenging times such as those we are currently facing, Autodesk remains focused on making the jobs of people who build easier. Pype’s robust machine learning capabilities will empower Autodesk customers to connect workflows across the building lifecycle in new ways and optimize their businesses for long-term resiliency,” he said.
 

Autodesk is the largest maker of software for designing three-dimensional objects ranging from high-performance cars, smartphones to skyscrapers. Its software has also been used in movies such as Avatar, Spider-Man, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
 

Pype’s suite of software reduces tedious manual entry and human error that can lead to rework, cost overruns and schedule delays on construction projects. The company’s technology leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning to automatically analyse and extract critical construction data such as project plans and specifications to be used throughout the project lifecycle.
 

By automating these traditional manual workflows and converting real-time data into actionable insights, construction teams have the power to increase collaboration and project efficiency. Pype customers include top general contractors such as Barton Malow, JE Dunn, McCarthy, Mortenson and Skanska.
 

“We’re incredibly proud of the rapid growth Pype has experienced since its founding in 2013,” said Sunil Dorairajan, CEO and co-founder of Pype. “We’ve launched four widely adopted solutions to-date, each rooted in our ongoing mission to automate manual construction workflows for increased productivity and reduced risk. Now as part of Autodesk, we look forward to expanding these automated capabilities to ensure construction teams efficiently progress through projects, from design to closeout," said Dorairajan, an alumnus of IIT-Madras.
 

Since 2017, Autodesk has invested in 9 construction technology startups. The company also acquired Assemble, Building Connected and PlanGrid. These three acquisitions total more than $1.1 billion.