AI web research agent for deal sourcing

Nimble's deal sourcing agent populates a ranked list of private companies that fit your investment thesis, with each company's ownership, size, growth signals and traction, from the live web. It searches funding and growth lists, company databases, trade and local business press and the companies' own sites, and gives the evidence for every criterion and the reason for each rank.

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Example runs

We ran Nimble's ready-made deal sourcing agent on the four theses below, at high effort. Each tab shows the exact input and the ranked list it returned, unedited.

European logistics SaaSflexport.comUS construction SaaSprocore.comHVAC add-onscarrier.comAI infrastructure seedycombinator.com

European logistics SaaS

Find bootstrapped European vertical SaaS companies for logistics or freight with 50-200 employees

Recorded

Input

What went in

Find bootstrapped European vertical SaaS companies for logistics or freight with 50-200 employees

Output

What came back, unedited

#1 · TIS GmbH (TIS Technische Informationssysteme GmbH)

Website
tis-gmbh.de
HQ
Bocholt, Germany
Employees
110 employees (regional employer profile); 80 employees per company fact sheet dated June 2021
Ownership
Family-owned/founder-owned: founded 1985 by Josef Bielefeld, who is still the owner together with his son; no PE/VC funding mentioned
Founded
1985
Headcount growth
80 employees (company fact sheet, June 2021) to 110 employees (Münsterland employer profile) — approx. +38%

Meets every hard criterion with published evidence: European (Bocholt) family-owned logistics/freight vertical software vendor, 110 employees within the 50-200 band, self-funded family growth; strongest headcount-growth evidence of the list

Traction: One of the German market leaders in telematics and mobile order management; named customers incl. Gebrüder Weiss, Emons, Zufall logistics group; Deutscher Telematik Preis 2022 (1st place, Transport); ISO/IEC 27001 and DIN EN ISO 9001 certified; kununu Top Company; 40th anniversary and second building extension in 2025

  • European vertical SaaS for logistics/freight "Over time, the company specialised in software solutions for the transport and logistics sector. Today, TIS is one of the German market leaders in the field of telematics and mobile order management."
  • Bootstrapped (family-owned, no external funding) "TIS Technische Informationssysteme GmbH is a medium-sized family business from Bocholt in Westmünsterland. It was founded in 1985 by Josef Bielefeld, who is still the owner of TIS today, together with his son."
  • 50-200 employees Sector profile lists "Software development / 110 employees / Bocholt"
  • Headcount growth (two dated counts) Company fact-sheet page "TIS_Fakten_Mitarbeiterzahl" shows "80 Mitarbeiter bei der TIS GmbH" (image dated 2021/06); regional profile shows 110 employees

#2 · Riege Software International GmbH

Website
riege.com
HQ
Meerbusch, Germany
Employees
120+ employees (company press kit)
Ownership
Family-owned: "Riege Software remains a family-owned business" — five second-generation Riege siblings jointly lead the company; no PE/VC funding mentioned
Founded
1985

Fully matches thesis: Meerbusch-based family-owned freight-forwarding TMS (Scope, SaaS), 120+ employees in band, decades of self-funded international growth; headcount growth unverifiable (only one published count)

Traction: 550+ freight forwarders, airlines and manufacturing customers in 41 countries (press kit); "more than 750 companies in 52 countries use the cloud-based transport management system" (Aug 2026); revenue EUR 10m net (2022); CEO succession to Christian Riege announced Aug 2026

  • European vertical SaaS for logistics/freight "As Software as a Service (SaaS), the freight forwarding software Scope is always up-to-date" — TMS for air freight, ocean freight and customs, headquartered in Meerbusch
  • Bootstrapped (family-owned, no external funding) "Riege Software remains a family-owned business: Five second-generation siblings jointly lead the company, which was founded four decades ago."
  • 50-200 employees Fact sheet: "Employees 120 +"
  • Traction (named customers, revenue) "Today, more than 750 companies in 52 countries use the cloud-based transport management system for air freight, ocean freight, and customs."

#3 · AndSoft

Website
andsoft.com
HQ
La Massana, Andorra
Employees
70 collaborators (company site 'In numbers'); 54 employees as of May 2026 (Tracxn); LinkedIn band 51-200 employees
Ownership
Unfunded/self-funded: "AndSoft is an unfunded company... AndSoft has not raised any funding yet" (Tracxn); founder/owner names not published
Founded
1998
Headcount growth
No two dated counts published: Tracxn reports 54 employees as of May 2026; company site states 70 collaborators (undated)

Independent Andorra-based e-TMS vendor in the employee band with verified no-funding history; founder identity not published, so ownership rests on the unfunded record

Traction: 300+ clients in 18 countries, 1,000 sites, 30,000 users, 50 million shipments/year; named customers Rhenus Logistics, Wallenborn, Mousset, Dispam; regular trade-fair exhibitor (SITL 2026, Solutrans 2025, SIL 2025)

  • European vertical SaaS for logistics/freight Andorran-origin vendor "since 1998" producing transport & logistics management software: e-TMS, e-TMS Maritime, e-FMS, TrackAPP, with offices in France, Spain, Italy and Lithuania
  • Bootstrapped (no external funding) "AndSoft is an unfunded company based in La Massana (Andorra), founded in 1998... AndSoft has not raised any funding yet."
  • 50-200 employees LinkedIn company size: "51-200 employees"; company site 'In numbers': "70 Collaborators"
  • Traction (named customers) Named customers incl. Rhenus Logistics, Wallenborn, Mousset, Dispam; "350 customers; 1500 sites; 18 countries"

#4 · Boltrics

Website
boltrics.com
HQ
Ede, Netherlands
Employees
68 employees (LinkedIn employee_count)
Ownership
Founder-owned: Jan Bolks, Founder and Managing Director (CB Insights); no funding/PE/VC records found
Founded
2007

Dutch 3PL-focused WMS/TMS/FMS SaaS with 68 employees and founder-ownership on record; no funding round ever published, but founder/bootstrapping evidence is thinner than the top three

Traction: Based on 450+ implementations worldwide; named customers incl. DHL, DSV, Samskip, Jan De Rijk, Lineage Logistics, Raben, KLG Europe, Eimskip, STEF Logistics

  • European vertical SaaS for logistics/freight One integrated platform combining WMS, TMS and FMS "specifically developed for logistics service providers and the chilled and frozen storage and transport sectors"; 100% focused on Third Party Logistics (3PL)
  • Bootstrapped (founder-owned, no external funding) CB Insights lists "Jan Bolks — Founder and Managing Director — Current"; no investor/funding record appears on the company profiles
  • 50-200 employees LinkedIn data.employee_count: 68 (founded 2007)
  • Traction (named customers, implementations) "Based on 450+ implementations worldwide"; customers include DHL, DSV, Samskip, Jan De Rijk, Lineage Logistics

Search notes

Built the candidate pool from the published European TMS/logistics-software vendor landscape (transportmanagement.org market-by-market roundup, Dec 2025), logistics software directories (ezilon, Cargoson's 2026 TMS guide), VerkehrsRundschau's logistics Who-is-Who, and each vendor's own site, LinkedIn record and registry/ownership databases. Verified headcount, ownership and funding per company before inclusion. Qualifying: TIS GmbH (Bocholt, DE — family-owned by Josef Bielefeld, 1985, 110 employees, up from 80 in 2021), Riege Software (Meerbusch, DE — family-owned, 1985, 120+, Scope SaaS TMS), AndSoft (Andorra — unfunded per Tracxn, 1998, 70 collaborators), Boltrics (Ede, NL — founder Jan Bolks, 2007, 68 employees). Excluded after verification (criterion failed): Soloplan (family-owned but 260 employees), TIMOCOM (family-owned but >700 employees), Trans.eu Group (350 FTE), AEB SE (employee-owned but 800+ employees), AKANEA (subsidiary of Groupe Isagri, 270), TESISQUARE (501-1,000 employees), Solvares Group (330+ employees), Mandata (PE-backed by Tenzing), SINARI (Bridgepoint majority stake 2023), ecovium (FSN Capital since 2020), Inelo Group (acquired by Eurowag 2022), Opter (listed on Nasdaq First North since 2021), Vigo Software (part of Klipboard), HaulTech (11-50 employees, below band), Cargoson (17 employees, below band), Webtrans (seed-funded by BRAIN VC, 11-50). Alpega Group and its brands (Teleroute, Wtransnet, Alerce, Navitrans), Transporeon (Trimble), nShift, AddSecure, Pagero (Thomson Reuters), Microlise (listed) and Aptean 3T (PE group) are groups or external-capital-owned, not founder-owned independents.

US construction SaaS

Find US vertical SaaS companies for construction at seed to Series A, with 10-100 employees

Recorded

Input

What went in

Find US vertical SaaS companies for construction at seed to Series A, with 10-100 employees

Output

What came back, unedited

#1 · Digs

Website
digs.com
HQ
Vancouver, Washington, US
Employees
37 employees as of Aug 2026 (within 10-100)
Ownership
VC-backed and strategic-led: Series A led by Builders FirstSource; previously backed by Fuse, Flying Fish, Oregon Venture Fund, Cascade Seed Fund
Founded
2022
Last round
$25.3M Series A led by Builders FirstSource, announced Aug 2026; total funding over $47M
Headcount growth
37 employees as of Aug 2026, with a stated plan to more than double to 60+ by end of 2026 (mostly engineering, design, product)

Strongest traction in the qualifying set: a five-year strategic partnership with Builders FirstSource reaching 140,000 builder clients, national footprint across all 50 states, largest round ($25.3M Series A) with headcount squarely in the 10-100 band and growing

Traction: Five-year agreement integrating Digs' AI platform into Builders FirstSource's digital ecosystem reaching its 140,000 builder clients; platform spans pre-construction estimates, blueprint collaboration, and post-move-in maintenance/warranty; thousands of homes on the platform across all 50 states

  • Vertical SaaS for construction Vancouver, Wash.-based startup building AI software for residential construction; technology streamlines pre-construction estimates, blueprint collaboration, and post-move-in home maintenance and warranty care
  • US-headquartered Vancouver, Wash.-based; headquarters listed as Vancouver, Washington 98660, US
  • Stage: seed to Series A Raised $25.3 million in Series A funding led by building products giant Builders FirstSource
  • Employees 10-100 Digs has grown to 37 employees and Fink said they'll look to double that count to more than 60 by the end of the year
  • Founded 2022 by Ryan Fink and Ty Frackiewicz The deal represents a major milestone for Digs, which was founded in 2022 by Ryan Fink and Ty Frackiewicz

#2 · SubBase

Website
subbase.io
HQ
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US
Employees
43 employees (within 10-100)
Ownership
VC-backed: Series A led by FINTOP with participation from Fika Ventures; founder/CEO Eric Helitzer
Founded
2022
Last round
$7M Series A led by FINTOP, with participation from Fika Ventures (June 2026)

Quantified revenue-volume traction ($1B+ materials volume pace) and a dedicated materials-procurement wedge into subcontractor workflows, with headcount (43) comfortably mid-band

Traction: Processes thousands of orders each week and is on pace to reconcile more than $1 billion in materials volume this year; earned the trust of the nation's largest contractors and suppliers; total funding over $15M

  • Vertical SaaS for construction Fort Lauderdale-based SubBase raised $7 million in Series A financing to expand its materials procurement platform; construction technology company deepening its role in the industry's increasingly digital supply chain
  • US-headquartered Fort Lauderdale-based SubBase; headquarters listed as Fort Lauderdale, FL, US
  • Stage: seed to Series A Raised $7 million in Series A financing led by FINTOP, with participation from Fika Ventures
  • Employees 10-100 Workforce profile lists 43 employees for SubBase (subbase.io)
  • Traction: revenue/volume statements The platform processes thousands of orders each week and is on pace to reconcile more than $1 billion in materials volume this year

#3 · BoreDM

Website
boredm.com
HQ
Phoenix, Arizona, US
Employees
20 employees (within 10-100)
Ownership
VC/growth-backed: Series A growth investment from Five Elms Capital; founded by Louis Aaron (Founder & CEO)
Founded
2022
Last round
Series A growth investment from Five Elms Capital, announced June 1, 2026 (amount not disclosed)

Clear public-sector foothold (18 state DOTs) in an underserved geotech data niche; small headcount (20) leaves a long growth runway inside the 10-100 band

Traction: Trusted by geotechnical firms from regional consultants to global enterprises, with deployments across 18 state Departments of Transportation; customers across North America and Australia

  • Vertical SaaS for construction Leading provider of cloud-based borehole logging, geotech data management, and subsurface reporting software; platform spans geotechnical, environmental and construction materials testing workflows
  • US-headquartered PHOENIX dateline on the announcement; headquarters listed as Phoenix, Arizona, United States
  • Stage: seed to Series A BoreDM Announces Series A Growth Investment From Five Elms Capital (June 1, 2026)
  • Employees 10-100 Workforce profile lists 20 employees for BoreDM (boredm.com)
  • Traction: named deployments Trusted by geotechnical firms ranging from regional consultants to global enterprises, including deployments across 18 state Departments of Transportation

#4 · Buildcheck AI

Website
buildcheck.ai
HQ
Palo Alto, California, US
Employees
41 employees (within 10-100)
Ownership
VC-backed: Series A led by Telescope Partners with WND Ventures, Uncork Capital, Salt VC and Xfund; founded at Stanford University by Alexander Michalatos, Andrei Molchynsky and Alex Gureiev
Founded
2023
Last round
$12M Series A led by Telescope Partners, announced Sep 2026, nine months after a $5.9M seed; total funding $18M

Named enterprise customers (DPR, EllisDon, Power) plus fast round cadence ($5.9M seed to $12M Series A in nine months); headcount (41) mid-band

Traction: More than 110 paying customers including DPR Construction, EllisDon, Power Construction, IMC Construction and EMJ Construction; over 150,000 drawings reviewed and 115,000+ comments flagged; customers report 10-35x ROI

  • Vertical SaaS for construction Palo Alto-based construction-software company seeking to automate the review of building designs before projects reach the field; AI-powered design review platform for contractors, developers and design firms
  • US-headquartered Palo Alto, Calif.-based Buildcheck AI; headquarters listed as Palo Alto, CA, US
  • Stage: seed to Series A Raised $12 million in Series A funding, led by Telescope Partners, with participation from WND Ventures and existing investors Uncork Capital, Salt VC and Xfund; comes just nine months after the company's $5.9 million seed round
  • Employees 10-100 Workforce profile lists 41 employees for Buildcheck (buildcheck.ai)
  • Traction: named customers Industry leaders use Buildcheck; announcement cites DPR Construction, EllisDon, Power Construction, IMC Construction and EMJ Construction among customers, 150,000+ drawings reviewed and 115,000+ comments flagged

#5 · Quotr.ai

Website
quotr.ai
HQ
San Francisco / Berkeley, California, US
Employees
26 employees (within 10-100)
Ownership
VC-backed: $4M seed led by Llama Ventures with strategic angels; product of FLOZ Inc.; started at UC Berkeley out of Batch 19 at Berkeley SkyDeck
Founded
2024
Last round
$4M seed round led by Llama Ventures, announced Sep 30, 2026

Hard usage and revenue proxies (80% takeoff-time reduction, $1.2B construction value estimated) at fresh seed; headcount (26) squarely in band

Traction: Contractors cut takeoff time by up to 80% (from roughly 20 hours to one or two); customers submitting 40% more bids a month; estimates supported over $1.2 billion in cumulative construction value; expanding into heavy industrial and mission-critical data-center estimating

  • Vertical SaaS for construction AI-powered construction estimation, takeoff, and procurement platform for subcontractors, general contractors (GCs), and developers; builds priced estimates and client-ready proposals from plan sets
  • US-headquartered Headquarters listed as San Francisco, CA, US; Quotr.ai started in 2024 at UC Berkeley, out of Batch 19 at Berkeley SkyDeck
  • Stage: seed to Series A Quotr.ai has raised a $4 million seed round, led by Llama Ventures, with a group of strategic angels alongside them
  • Employees 10-100 Workforce profile lists 26 employees for Quotr.ai (quotr.ai)

#6 · Scaffold

Website
getscaffold.com
HQ
Austin, Texas, US
Employees
50 employees (within 10-100)
Ownership
VC/strategic-backed: $15M seed led by Navitas Capital; investors include homebuilders D.R. Horton and Pulte Homes, Builders FirstSource, Windsor America, Grid Capital, Home Technology Ventures, Stage2 Capital, and housing analyst Ivy Zelman; co-founded 2024 by Ben Johnson (CEO) and Robert Eanes (CTO)
Founded
2024
Last round
$15M seed round led by Navitas Capital, announced Sep 15, 2026

Deepest strategic syndicate of any seed in the set (top homebuilders and BFS investing) with 200,000-home deployment footprint; headcount (50) mid-band

Traction: Deployed on more than 200,000 homes across 30 states; connects to the portals of 29 of the top 30 US homebuilders; investors include D.R. Horton, Pulte Homes and Builders FirstSource

  • Vertical SaaS for construction Scaffold, a software company that uses AI to coordinate the work of trade contractors in the $500 billion homebuilding industry; connects to the portals and platforms the industry already uses
  • US-headquartered Headquarters listed as Austin, Texas, United States; site footer states 'Built in Austin'
  • Stage: seed to Series A Has raised a $15 million seed round led by Navitas Capital
  • Employees 10-100 Workforce profile lists 50 employees for Scaffold (getscaffold.com)
  • Traction: deployments and named strategics The platform has been deployed on more than 200,000 homes across 30 states; investors include homebuilders D.R. Horton and Pulte Homes, Builders FirstSource

#7 · Structured AI

Website
getstructured.ai
HQ
New York City, US
Employees
11 employees (within 10-100, at the lower bound)
Ownership
VC-backed: $4.2M seed led by FCVC with participation from Y Combinator, 20VC, Cherry Ventures, Zero Prime Ventures, Transpose Platform and Sequoia Capital's Scout Fund; cofounder/CEO Raymond Zhao
Last round
$4.2M seed round led by FCVC, announced Jun 2026; total funding $5M

AEC design QA/QC niche with a named engineering-firm partnership (Syska Hennessy) and ENR coverage; qualifies on headcount at the lower bound (11)

Traction: Design review agent caught 400+ issues in a single 1,000-page set; partnership with Syska Hennessy Group; covered by ENR; named one of BuiltWorlds' 40 AI-Driven AEC Solutions to Watch in 2026; cofounders named to Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe 2026

  • Vertical SaaS for construction AI-powered QA/QC platform for construction/architecture drawing packages; raised $4.2M seed to build the quality layer for the built world
  • US-headquartered Headquarters listed as New York City, US; YC listing places the company in New York City, USA
  • Stage: seed to Series A Announcing our $4.2M seed round, bringing our total funding to $5M; the round was led by FCVC, with participation from Y Combinator, 20VC, Cherry Ventures, Zero Prime Ventures, Transpose Platform, and Sequoia Capital's Scout Fund
  • Employees 10-100 YC directory lists Structured AI with 11 employees, Active, New York City
  • Traction: partnership and awards Partnership with Syska Hennessy Group (Robert Ioanna, EVP); cofounders named to Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe 2026; named one of BuiltWorlds' 40 AI-Driven AEC Solutions to Watch in 2026

#8 · Primepoint

Website
primepoint.ai
HQ
San Mateo, California, US
Employees
18 employees (within 10-100)
Ownership
VC-backed: funded by Navitas Capital, Penny Jar Capital, NextView Ventures, GS Futures, Aglaé Ventures and angel Dr. Yann LeCun; co-founded by AI veterans Lubomir Bourdev, PhD and Hamid Palo
Founded
2024
Last round
$10M seed closed Apr 13, 2026, in two portions: initial $4M co-led by Penny Jar Capital and NextView Ventures, then $6M led by Navitas Capital

$10M seed (largest of the seeds in the set) with a marquee angel (Yann LeCun) and named GC partner Sundt Construction; young team (18) with room to grow in band

Traction: Initial deployments included an Aeronautical University Campus in Arizona with early industry partner Sundt Construction; expanding rollout with Sundt to a data center, higher education and residential projects

  • Vertical SaaS for construction Primepoint is a construction intelligence platform built specifically to read, connect, and act on construction drawings; automates constructability review, RFI drafting, and submittal analysis
  • US-headquartered Founded in 2024 and headquartered in San Mateo, California; SAN MATEO, Calif. dateline
  • Stage: seed to Series A Closed a $10M seed round; received funding in two portions: an initial $4M co-led by Penny Jar Capital and NextView Ventures, followed by a $6M sum led by Navitas Capital
  • Employees 10-100 Workforce profile lists 18 employees for Primepoint (primepoint.ai)
  • Traction: named customer/partner Initial deployments included an Aeronautical University Campus in Arizona, with early industry partner Sundt Construction instrumental in shaping the platform; expanding rollout with Sundt to a data center, higher education, and residential construction

#9 · Guthrie AI

Website
guthrieai.com
HQ
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US
Employees
12-person team as of Jul 2026, planning to add six more Philadelphia-based roles (within 10-100)
Ownership
VC-backed: $4M seed led by Chicago Ventures, first external capital after bootstrapping and a friends-and-family round; founded by CEO Ted Baumgardner with cofounder Tuneer De
Founded
2024
Last round
$4M seed round led by Chicago Ventures, announced Jul 13, 2026
Headcount growth
12-person team (Jul 2026); plans to add six more Philadelphia-based roles from the seed

Narrow but deep wedge (glazing contractors) with 52 named deployments of its Virtual Bid Assistant and a stated $2M-to-$20M revenue goal; headcount (12) just above the lower bound

Traction: 52 glaziers and vendors have hired a Guthrie AI Virtual Bid Assistant, cutting bid turnaround from weeks to days and enabling 70% more bidding without added staff; goal of growing revenue from $2M to $20M within a year

  • Vertical SaaS for construction Guthrie AI Raises $4 Million Seed Round Led by Chicago Ventures to Put a Virtual Bid Assistant on Every Glazing Team; automates bid preparation for commercial glass contractors
  • US-headquartered Philadelphia (Center City) construction-tech startup; Baumgardner is betting Philadelphia is where that structure gets built at scale
  • Stage: seed to Series A Guthrie AI has secured a $4 million seed round led by Chicago Ventures
  • Employees 10-100 Demand had already outpaced what the 12-person team could handle before the raise closed; the company now plans to add six more Philadelphia-based roles
  • Founded 2024 Founded in 2024 by CEO Ted Baumgardner and cofounder Tuneer De

#10 · TruTec.ai

Website
trutec.ai
HQ
San Francisco, California, US
Employees
10 employees as of Sep 20, 2026 (at the lower bound of 10-100)
Ownership
VC-backed: $4.6M seed led by Pear VC; also backed by Aglaé Ventures; PearX W26 cohort company; co-founders Ross Stitts (CEO) and Ryan Brown (CTO)
Founded
2025
Last round
$4.6M seed round announced May 29, 2026, led by Pear VC
Headcount growth
Aug 24, 2026: grew 125% QoQ from 4 to 9 employees; Sep 20, 2026: grew 100% QoQ from 5 to 10 employees

Fast-growing (5 to 10 employees in one quarter) with a dozen named paving customers at seed, but headcount sits exactly at the 10-employee lower bound and the company is the youngest in the set (launched Jan 2026)

Traction: Named customers include The Pavement Group, G-Force, Rose Paving, Shield Asphalt, Morgan Pavement, Strike Force Striping, Heartland, Royal Pavement Solutions, Crown Paving, Action Asphalt, Delaware Valley Paving and EnRoads Paving; usage: 29,458 takeoffs run and 2.64B square feet measured

  • Vertical SaaS for construction AI-powered construction takeoff platform that turns aerial imagery and site plans into instant, bid-ready measurements and cost estimates for paving and construction contractors; extends into estimating, proposals, a paving-focused CRM, field reporting and invoicing
  • US-headquartered TruTec.ai operates in Enterprise Software and is based in San Francisco, California
  • Stage: seed to Series A Seed round of $4.6M announced May 29, 2026, led by Pear VC; TruTec.ai's most recent funding round was Seed Round on May 29, 2026
  • Employees 10-100 Sep 20, 2026: Grew 100% QoQ from 5 to 10 employees; Aug 24, 2026: grew 125% QoQ from 4 to 9 employees
  • Traction: named customers Named customers including The Pavement Group, G-Force, Rose Paving, Shield Asphalt, Morgan Pavement, Strike Force Striping, Heartland, Royal Pavement Solutions, Crown Paving, Action Asphalt, Delaware Valley Paving, EnRoads Paving; 29,458 takeoffs run, 2.64B square feet measured

Search notes

Searched 2025-26 construction-tech funding roundups (Growth List 650+ funded construction startups; VCBacked 454 seed construction companies; SeedTable construction-tech rankings; Cemex Ventures Top 50 Contech 2026; YC construction/real-estate directories; bricks-bytes weekly roundups; Nymbl Q3-2025 contech market report), then verified each candidate's stage from its own funding announcement or press coverage, and headcount from company profile data, YC directory, or dated press. Qualification applied strictly: US HQ, vertical software for construction (robotics/materials/services companies excluded), last round Seed or Series A, 10-100 employees. Ten companies qualify. Excluded on headcount (>100): CivilGrid (110), Agave (101), Buildforce (111), Track3D (156); on headcount (<10): Punch (4), Parcodata (3), ProBlu (2), Captus AI (7); on business model: Gritt AI (construction robotics, not SaaS), Trebellar (corporate real estate), Origin (robotics), Rise Modular/Kind Designs/Everframe (manufacturing); on geography: Truss (Victoria, Canada), SubBase originally checked and confirmed US HQ Fort Lauderdale; on unverifiable stage: SmartBarrel (rounds undisclosed, cannot confirm seed-Series A) and DrawScale (seed confirmed but no published employee count); Miter, PermitFlow, Adaptive, GreenLite, Trunk Tools, Kojo, Kahua, Higharc, PlanHub are past stage; Document Crunch was acquired by Trimble in April 2026 and no longer qualifies. Headcount caveat: Guthrie AI's press coverage (Jul 2026) reports a 12-person team while one data profile lists 77; the dated, specific press figure is used. Digs' profile data lists 60 employees while GeekWire (Aug 2026) reports 37 with a plan to exceed 60 by year-end; both fall inside the band.

HVAC add-ons

Find founder-owned US commercial HVAC services companies with 50-500 employees that could be add-on acquisitions for a PE-backed platform

Recorded

Input

What went in

Find founder-owned US commercial HVAC services companies with 50-500 employees that could be add-on acquisitions for a PE-backed platform

Output

What came back, unedited

#1 · Tate Engineering Systems, Inc.

Website
tate.com
HQ
Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Employees
146 associates (ACHR NEWS, July 2026); 157 employees (Baltimore Business Journal, May 13, 2026); ~126 on LinkedIn (LeadIQ)
Ownership
Family-owned, fourth generation (founder William J. Tate, 1924; fourth-generation family member Alec Baker President & CEO since 2018); no institutional investors named on its site or in trade coverage
Founded
1924
Headcount growth
146 in July 2026 with 15 associates added since January 2026; 157 reported May 13, 2026

Best fit in the set: pure commercial/industrial HVAC-mechanical services, mid-band headcount with two dated counts showing growth, founder-family ownership, and a top 2026 industry award.

Traction: Named ACHR NEWS 2026 Commercial Contractor of the Year (July 2026); commercial/industrial HVAC, boiler and mission-critical service for health systems, data centers and large commercial facilities from seven Mid-Atlantic locations

  • Founder/family-owned with no institutional investors Fourth-generation family-owned: William J. Tate founded the firm in Baltimore in 1924; fourth-generation family member Alec Baker has been President and CEO since 2018.
  • 50-500 employees (verified, dated source) 146 associates as of July 2026, with 15 added since January 2026 across seven Maryland/Virginia locations; the Baltimore Business Journal reported 157 employees on May 13, 2026.
  • US commercial HVAC services company Commercial and industrial mechanical/HVAC services - boilers, HVAC, mission-critical and data-center service, preventative maintenance - across seven US locations in Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
  • Not already PE-owned (no institutional backing found) No institutional investor is named on tate.com or in ACHR NEWS/Baltimore Business Journal coverage; Tate was honored as a 2026 Baltimore Business Journal Family-Owned Business Awards honoree.

#2 · Mullins Mechanical

Website
mullins-mechanical.com
HQ
Carrollton, Georgia, USA
Employees
Approximately 254 employees as of October 2026 (LeadIQ); the Inc. 5000 profile self-reports company size 501-1,000 - the two published counts conflict
Ownership
Founder-owned: the company's about page names 'Jacob Mullins, Chief Executive Officer & Founder'; no institutional investors are named on its site
Founded
2008
Headcount growth
~254 as of October 2026 (LeadIQ) vs the Inc. 5000 profile's self-reported 501-1,000 band; published counts conflict, so a growth rate cannot be stated

Large founder-owned commercial/industrial mechanical contractor at the top of the band; Inc. self-reports 501-1,000, so headcount sits at the band boundary and needs diligence.

Traction: No. 1,016 on the Inc. 5000 (2026); commercial/industrial HVAC, boiler & chiller, piping, plumbing, prefabrication and BIM/VDC for industrial, mission-critical, healthcare, food/beverage and aerospace facilities

  • Founder/family-owned with no institutional investors The company's about page names 'Jacob Mullins, Chief Executive Officer & Founder' and lists no institutional investors or PE/VC backing.
  • 50-500 employees (verified, dated source) LeadIQ: 'Mullins Mechanical has approximately 254 employees as of October 2026' (201-500 band); its Inc. 5000 profile self-reports 501-1,000.
  • US commercial HVAC services company Industrial mechanical contractor offering HVAC, plumbing, piping and equipment installation; its own site lists commercial/industrial HVAC systems, boiler & chiller systems and mission-critical work.
  • Not already PE-owned (no institutional backing found) No institutional investor appears on mullins-mechanical.com, its Inc. 5000 profile or LeadIQ; the company does not appear on 2025-26 HVAC PE roll-up trackers.

#3 · Classic Refrigeration

Website
classicrefrigeration.com
HQ
Brea, California, USA
Employees
Nearly 200 employees and more than 150 service trucks (own site, 2026); Inc. 5000 company size band 201-500
Ownership
Family-owned and operated, founded by Danny Lamping (VP/COO) with Dave Rogers (third-generation refrigeration professional) on the leadership team; no institutional investors named
Founded
2019
Headcount growth
Nearly 200 employees in 2026 per its own site; Inc. 5000 rank improved from No. 3,880 (2025) to No. 3,423 (2026) on 84% three-year growth

Fast-growing family-owned commercial/industrial refrigeration-HVAC services firm squarely in band, though refrigeration-led rather than pure HVAC.

Traction: No. 3,423 on the 2026 Inc. 5000 with 84% three-year growth (second consecutive year); design, installation and 24/7 maintenance for supermarket, pharmaceutical and cold-storage customers nationwide; leadership installed North America's first CO2 refrigeration system

  • Founder/family-owned with no institutional investors Its about page states the company is 'family-owned and operated' and names founder Danny Lamping (VP/COO) who founded it in 2019; no institutional investors are named.
  • 50-500 employees (verified, dated source) Its own site reports nearly 200 employees plus 150+ service trucks; the Inc. 5000 profile lists company size 201-500.
  • US commercial HVAC services company A commercial and industrial refrigeration company providing design, installation and service to the supermarket, pharmaceutical and cold storage industries (Inc. profile); commercial/industrial HVAC and refrigeration services nationwide.
  • Not already PE-owned (no institutional backing found) No institutional investor is named on classicrefrigeration.com, its Inc. 5000 profile or ZoomInfo/LeadIQ records.

#4 · Accurate Heating, Cooling & Plumbing

Website
accuratehvac.com
HQ
Chillicothe, Ohio, USA
Employees
Over 150 employees (Chillicothe Gazette, June 20, 2022); ~94 LinkedIn-derived profiles (LeadIQ/index, 2026)
Ownership
Founder-owned and family-led: founder Thomas White is Chairman of the Board, son Brian White is President, Michael Linton is co-owner/CFO; locally owned and veteran-owned; no institutional investors named
Founded
1977
Headcount growth
Over 150 employees in June 2022 (Gazette) vs ~94 LinkedIn-derived profiles in 2026; LinkedIn-derived counts undercount field trades staff, so treat as directional only

Founder-succession moment (founder transitioning to son) plus ACCA commercial-contractor recognition; headcount sources conflict, which caps the rank.

Traction: ACCA 2025 Commercial Contractor of the Year; dedicated commercial HVAC, hydronics, design-build and data-center practice across eight Ohio locations (Chillicothe HQ plus Wilmington, Circleville, Columbus, Washington CH, Lancaster)

  • Founder/family-owned with no institutional investors Its leadership page titles Thomas White 'Founder, Chairman of the Board', Brian White 'President' and Michael Linton 'Co-Owner, CFO'; locally owned since 1977.
  • 50-500 employees (verified, dated source) The Chillicothe Gazette reported 'a company that employs over 150 people' (June 20, 2022); a 2026 LinkedIn-derived count shows about 94 profiles - both inside/outside band only by source method, so diligence required.
  • US commercial HVAC services company Services include commercial HVAC, hydronics, plumbing, design-build and data centers across Central & South Central Ohio; the site promotes its ACCA 2025 Commercial Contractor recognition.
  • Not already PE-owned (no institutional backing found) No institutional investor is named on accuratehvac.com, in the Gazette profile or on LeadIQ; the company does not appear on 2025-26 HVAC PE roll-up trackers.

#5 · Atlas Mechanical, Inc.

Website
atlasmechanical.com
HQ
San Diego, California, USA (Las Vegas office)
Employees
95 employees (RocketReach, 2026)
Ownership
Founder-owned: Sam Shekhter, Founder and CEO, leads the company he founded in 1991; privately held with no institutional investors named on its site or leadership pages
Founded
1991

Pure commercial/industrial HVAC contractor, founder-led, verified mid-band count; thinner dated momentum and a single dated headcount source.

Traction: Positions itself as 'contractor of choice' for large-scale HVAC construction across the United States serving world-class general contractors and developers; RocketReach lists revenue of $34.3 million

  • Founder/family-owned with no institutional investors RocketReach lists Sam Shekhter as 'Founder and CEO'; his leadership bio says he founded Atlas Mechanical, Inc. in 1991 and provides overall vision and leadership; no institutional investors are named anywhere.
  • 50-500 employees (verified, dated source) RocketReach: 'Atlas Mechanical Inc employs 95 employees.'
  • US commercial HVAC services company The company provides mechanical construction services for large-scale commercial projects across the United States - engineering design, design-assist, installation, warranty and maintenance.
  • Not already PE-owned (no institutional backing found) No institutional investor appears on atlasmechanical.com (homepage and leadership page) or RocketReach; RocketReach's '$2 million funding' line is a legacy data artifact, not a PE round.

#6 · Jarrell Contracting (Charles E. Jarrell Contracting Company, Inc.)

Website
jarrellcontracting.com
HQ
Earth City, Missouri, USA (new Hazelwood, MO headquarters announced 2026)
Employees
~99 employees (LinkedIn-derived, November 2026)
Ownership
Family-owned (Jarrell family, 70+ years): President Michael Jarrell and EVP Kimberly Jarrell; no institutional investors named
Founded
1954
Headcount growth
~99 on LinkedIn-derived counts (Nov 2026); the $40M Hazelwood headquarters project plans 105 new jobs by 2027 (announced September 2, 2026)

Clear founder-family ownership and a large dated capacity-expansion signal; headcount is verified only via a LinkedIn-derived count while its own site does not publish a figure.

Traction: $40 million, 191,000-sq-ft headquarters and operations center in Hazelwood announced September 2, 2026, creating 105 new jobs, supported by $5,188,632 in Missouri Works incentives

  • Founder/family-owned with no institutional investors 'Since 1954, Jarrell has grown from its St. Louis roots into one of the Midwest's largest family-owned mechanical contractors'; President Michael Jarrell cites 'the values that have guided us for over 70 years'; no institutional investors named.
  • 50-500 employees (verified, dated source) LinkedIn-derived workforce total is 99 (November 2026); its own site pages do not publish a headcount figure.
  • US commercial HVAC services company Delivers HVAC, piping, plumbing, refrigeration and building automation for complex commercial and industrial projects nationwide (design-build).
  • Not already PE-owned (no institutional backing found) No institutional investor is named on jarrellcontracting.com, the Missouri DED release or press coverage; the company does not appear on 2025-26 HVAC PE roll-up trackers.

#7 · McCloskey Mechanical Contractors, Inc.

Website
mccloskeymechanical.com
HQ
Blackwood, New Jersey, USA
Employees
About 96 employees (LeadIQ, November 2026); LinkedIn shows 97 employees
Ownership
Family owned & operated: 'the McCloskey family has built a strong foundation' over 39+ years; no institutional investors named
Founded
1985

Squarely commercial/industrial and family-owned with verified mid-band headcount, but the most recent dated traction signals are 2025, not 2026.

Traction: National family-owned one-stop HVACR/plumbing mechanical contractor - design through construction, preventative maintenance and 24-hour emergency service - with nationwide coverage; federal and county mechanical-service awards continue through 2025

  • Founder/family-owned with no institutional investors Its LinkedIn about page describes a 'national, family-owned mechanical contractor' where 'the McCloskey family has built a strong foundation' over more than 39 years; tagline: 'Family Owned & Operated - Nationwide Coverage'.
  • 50-500 employees (verified, dated source) LeadIQ: 'McCloskey Mechanical Contractors, Inc. has about 96 employees' (51-200 band) as of November 2026; LinkedIn shows 97 employees.
  • US commercial HVAC services company A national one-stop-shop for HVACR/plumbing needs - design to construction, preventative maintenance to 24-hour emergency service - serving contractors and commercial customers nationwide.
  • Not already PE-owned (no institutional backing found) No institutional investor is named on its site, LinkedIn or LeadIQ; the company does not appear on 2025-26 HVAC PE roll-up trackers.

#8 · Hoffmann Brothers

Website
hoffmannbros.com
HQ
St. Louis, Missouri, USA (also Nashville, Tennessee)
Employees
Over 300 dedicated professionals (own site, 2026)
Ownership
Founder-owned and family-run: Robert Hoffmann is 'the original owner and founder' (took over Linton Heating & Cooling in 1988); family members Chris Hoffmann (CEO) and Joe Hoffmann (GM/VP) run the company; no institutional investors named
Founded
1988
Headcount growth
Grew 'from just four employees' at the 1988 founding to 'over 300 dedicated professionals' today (own site)

In band and founder-owned with strong growth, but the book is residential-led with a commercial division, weakening the pure commercial-HVAC-services fit.

Traction: Expanded beyond St. Louis into a second market, Nashville; commercial HVAC, commercial heating, commercial plumbing, industrial air quality and commercial electrical service lines

  • Founder/family-owned with no institutional investors Its 'the-owner' page states Robert Hoffmann is the original owner and founder who acquired Linton Heating & Cooling in 1988 and incorporated it as Hoffmann Brothers; Chris Hoffmann is CEO and Joe Hoffmann GM/VP - 'Meet the Hoffmann Family'.
  • 50-500 employees (verified, dated source) Its own site: the company grew 'from just four employees' to 'over 300 dedicated professionals' - inside the 50-500 band.
  • US commercial HVAC services company Service lines include commercial HVAC, commercial heating, commercial plumbing, industrial air quality and commercial electrical, alongside residential services, in St. Louis and Nashville.
  • Not already PE-owned (no institutional backing found) No institutional investor is named on hoffmannbros.com or its LinkedIn page; the company does not appear on 2025-26 HVAC PE roll-up trackers.

#9 · Lawson Air Conditioning & Plumbing, Inc.

Website
lawsonac.com
HQ
Gainesville, Georgia, USA
Employees
100+ team members (HVAC Insider, October 2026); LinkedIn self-declared size range 51-200, with the company description stating it 'employs 100 people'
Ownership
Third-generation family-owned: founder L.D. Lawson (1946); CFO and owner Debbie Lawson Davis; VP Travis Davis; no institutional investors named
Founded
1946

Family-owned with a dated capacity-expansion signal and a commercial HVAC division, but the business also carries substantial residential/plumbing work.

Traction: Opened a new 64,000-sq-ft headquarters with a training lab on October 22, 2026; commercial HVAC and plumbing service divisions serving 20,000+ customers in Northeast Georgia

  • Founder/family-owned with no institutional investors HVAC Insider: family-owned and operated Gainesville company founded in 1946; CFO and owner Debbie Lawson Davis; VP Travis Davis. LinkedIn: 'Our third generation, family-owned company'; founder L.D. Lawson.
  • 50-500 employees (verified, dated source) HVAC Insider (October 2026) reports '100+ team members'; the company's LinkedIn self-declared size range is 51-200 and its description says it employs 100 people.
  • US commercial HVAC services company Commercial HVAC and commercial plumbing service divisions; the new headquarters includes a training lab and a warehouse stocked via a Mingledorff's partnership.
  • Not already PE-owned (no institutional backing found)No institutional investor is named on lawsonac.com, HVAC Insider or its LinkedIn record (no funding rounds listed).

Search notes

Screened award rosters (ACHR NEWS 2026 awards, ENR 2026 Specialty Contractor of the Year), the 2026 Inc. 5000 HVAC coverage, SMACNews family-business features, HVAC Insider trade press, local business journals, a 2026 HVAC PE roll-up tracker and a 2025-26 HVAC M&A log, then verified founder/family ownership, US HQ and a dated 50-500 employee headcount for each name from its own site, LinkedIn/LeadIQ/RocketReach/PitchBook records and news pages. Nine companies qualify. Excluded for failing the 50-500 band or unverifiable criteria: F.E. Moran (~1,550), John E. Green (1,000+), RK Industries (platform-scale), United Mechanical (PitchBook status: acquired/merged), Old Dominion Mechanical (61 employees, private with no backing, but founder ownership not verifiable), Geauga Mechanical (~37), Willis Mechanical (33), Western Sheet Metal (32), Sav Mor Mechanical (28 now vs 130 in 2022), A&P Air Conditioning (24), The Cooling Company (20), LCS Heating & Cooling (20), Mohr Air (12), Slavik & Co. (8), Anchor Heating & Air (7), C.R. Wolfe (11-50), J.W. Poole (11-50), Carl's Quality (~40), and residential-led shops (Watkins ~60, Parham ~50, Bonfe ~275). The PE tracker and M&A log list none of the nine qualifying names as acquired. Conflicts flagged: Mullins Mechanical (LeadIQ ~254 vs Inc. self-report 501-1,000) and Accurate (150+ in 2022 vs ~94 LinkedIn-derived 2026).

AI infrastructure seed

Find AI infrastructure startups founded since 2024 that have raised a seed round

Recorded

Input

What went in

Find AI infrastructure startups founded since 2024 that have raised a seed round

Output

What came back, unedited

#1 · RadixArk

Website
radixark.ai
HQ
Palo Alto, California, US
Ownership
VC-backed (Accel, Spark Capital, NVentures, Walden Catalyst Ventures, HOF Capital, LDV Partners, AMD, MediaTek plus angels)
Founded
2026
Last round
$100M seed at $400M post-money valuation, led by Accel, co-led by Spark Capital, with NVentures (NVIDIA), AMD, MediaTek and angels; announced May 5, 2026

Cleanest fit: brand-new AI-inference infrastructure company (launched May 2026) with an exceptionally large $100M seed, top-tier investors, and rare pre-revenue traction via SGLang's de-facto-standard open-source adoption

Traction: Built by the creators and core maintainers of SGLang, the open-source inference engine deployed across hundreds of thousands of GPUs worldwide, generating trillions of tokens daily for Google, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Oracle, AMD, Nebius, LinkedIn, xAI, Thinking Machines Lab and humans&; day-0 support for all major open model families and hardware (NVIDIA/AMD GPUs, Intel CPUs, Google TPUs)

  • AI infrastructure startup RadixArk 'emerges to build frontier AI infrastructure for all' — managed inference/training infrastructure built on SGLang and the Miles RL framework
  • Founded since 2024 Company launched May 5, 2026; 'RadixArk was founded by Ying Sheng and Banghua Zhu, AI infrastructure and modeling veterans from xAI and NVIDIA'
  • Raised a seed round 'launched today with $100 million in Seed funding at a $400 million post-money valuation. The round was led by Accel and co-led by Spark Capital'

#2 · Unconventional AI

Website
unconv.ai
HQ
Mountain View, California, US
Employees
61
Ownership
VC-backed (a16z, Lightspeed, Sequoia, Lux Capital, DCVC, Future Ventures, Databricks; angel Jeff Bezos; co-founder CEO Naveen Rao personally invested $10M)
Founded
2024
Last round
$475M seed (first installment toward up to $1B) at ~$4.5B valuation, led by Lightspeed Venture Partners and Andreessen Horowitz, with Sequoia, Lux Capital, DCVC, Future Ventures, Databricks and Jeff Bezos; announced Dec 8-9, 2025

One of the largest seed rounds ever in AI compute infrastructure, led by first-tier investors around a proven repeat founder; founding year rests on TechCrunch's 'one-year-old' description (Dec 2025) rather than a formal incorporation date

Traction: Building an energy-efficient computer for AI (probabilistic/'brain-scale' compute substrate); founded by Naveen Rao (ex-Databricks VP of AI, sold MosaicML to Databricks for $1.3B; Nervana Systems sold to Intel), with co-founders Sara Achour, MeeLan Lee and Michael Carbin

  • AI infrastructure startup 'Unconventional AI is set on building a new, energy-efficient computer for AI' — rethinking the foundations of the computer for AI workloads
  • Founded since 2024 TechCrunch (Jan 19, 2026) calls it 'the one-year-old startup, which is rethinking the foundation of computers in the age of AI' — i.e. founded ~late 2024; new company announced by Naveen Rao in Sept 2025
  • Raised a seed round 'Unconventional AI announced a monster $475 million seed round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners and Andreessen Horowitz on December 8. The round valued the one-year-old startup ... at nearly $4.5 billion'

#3 · Starcloud

Website
starcloud.com
HQ
Redmond, Washington, US
Employees
15
Ownership
VC-backed (Y Combinator, Andreessen Horowitz, NFX, Balderton Capital, Benchmark, EQT Ventures, Sequoia and a16z scout funds, In-Q-Tel)
Founded
2024
Last round
$170M Series A led by Benchmark Capital and EQT Ventures at $1.1B post-money (Mar 30, 2026); seed was ~$34M across two 2024-2025 tranches backed by Sequoia and a16z scout funds and In-Q-Tel

Founded January 2024, seed raised on schedule, and already a $1.1B-valuation Series A company with two satellites launched — strongest executed traction on the list, though it has already graduated beyond seed stage

Traction: First data-center-class GPU in space: Starcloud-1 launched Nov 2025 carrying an NVIDIA H100 in low Earth orbit; Starcloud-2 launched Oct 2026 with a Blackwell GPU; fastest YC company to unicorn status (17 months after demo day); NVIDIA Inception partner and Defense Innovation Unit accelerator program

  • AI infrastructure startup Starcloud builds space-based data centers / GPU compute for AI ('orbital data centers')
  • Founded since 2024 Company fact table lists 'Founded | January 2024' (formerly Lumen Orbit; YC Summer 2024 batch)
  • Raised a seed round 'The seed round - roughly $34 million across two tranches in 2024 and 2025 - was backed by Sequoia and a16z scout funds with In-Q-Tel'

#4 · Upscale AI

Website
upscaleai.com
HQ
Palo Alto, California, US
Employees
Over 100 technologists on the team
Ownership
VC-backed (Mayfield, Maverick Silicon, Qualcomm Ventures et al.); incubated by Auradine
Last round
$100M+ seed co-led by Mayfield and Maverick Silicon with StepStone Group, Celesta Capital, Xora, Qualcomm Ventures, Cota Capital, MVP Ventures and Stanford University (announced Sep 17, 2025); subsequently added $190M Series A extension (~half-billion total funding)

New independent AI-networking infrastructure company launched from stealth in Sept 2025 with a $100M+ seed and 100+ team; legal founding year not published (incubated inside Auradine), so the since-2024 criterion is met by its 2025 launch rather than a stated incorporation date

Traction: Open-standard AI networking (silicon + systems + software on SONiC, Ultra Accelerator Link, Ultra Ethernet, SAI); member of Ultra Ethernet Consortium, UAL, Open Compute Project and SONiC Foundation; AMD endorsement; targets the $20B+ AI networking market with strong pre-launch customer/partner interest

  • AI infrastructure startup 'Upscale AI launched today with more than $100 million in seed funding to build open-standard, high-performance networking infrastructure for artificial intelligence'
  • Founded since 2024 Newly launched company: 'launched today' (Sept 17, 2025), 'incubated by Auradine'; no founding year published on any page checked
  • Raised a seed round Company press release: launched with over $100 million seed round, co-led by Mayfield and Maverick Silicon, with StepStone Group, Celesta Capital, Xora, Qualcomm Ventures, Cota Capital, MVP Ventures and Stanford University

#5 · hosted.ai (HostedAI, Inc.)

Website
hosted.ai
HQ
San Jose, California, US
Ownership
VC-backed (Creandum, Repeat VC, People Ventures, Z21 Ventures, Golden Sparrow, Hersir Ventures, Tekton); founder-led by Ditlev Bredahl (CEO) with Narendar Shankar, Julian Chesterfield, James Withall
Founded
2024
Last round
$19M seed led by Creandum, with Repeat VC and existing investors People Ventures, Z21 Ventures, Golden Sparrow, Hersir Ventures and Tekton; announced March 19, 2026

Fits both hard criteria with the company's own published statement ('founded in 2024, launched publicly in 2025') and a closed seed round from a top-tier lead (Creandum); earlier-stage and smaller round than the mega-seeds above

Traction: GPU-infrastructure software (multi-tenant/federated GPU resource sharing) claiming up to 5x GPU utilization improvement; operates hosted.ai platform, packet.ai neocloud and GPUaaS.com; teams across US, EMEA and Asia-Pacific; founders previously scaled UK2 Group and founded OnApp

  • AI infrastructure startup 'hosted.ai is building the operating system for the GPU-powered AI economy ... transforms GPU economics to deliver profitability for AI infrastructure operators'
  • Founded since 2024 'hosted.ai was founded in 2024, launched publicly in 2025, and has teams across the US, EMEA and Asia-Pacific'
  • Raised a seed round 'hosted.ai has closed a $19M seed funding round ... The round was led by Creandum, with Repeat VC following, and participation from existing investors People Ventures, Z21 Ventures, Golden Sparrow, Hersir Ventures and Tekton' (San Jose, 19th March 2026)

#6 · Liquid Compute

Website
liquidcompute.com
HQ
New York, US
Ownership
VC-backed (FirstMark, Chemistry, Y Combinator et al.); founded by Ronit Jain (CEO) and Aarav Patel
Founded
2024
Last round
$15M seed co-led by FirstMark and Chemistry, with K8 Capital, Night Capital, TrueBridge, Brainchild Holdings, UFO Holdings and angel Dmitry Balyasny; announced Sep 15, 2026

Founded 2024 (YC W24 batch) with named trading partners and a live regulatory path — concrete traction — but the 'founded 2024' year is inferred from its YC W24 batch rather than a stated incorporation date

Traction: Signed trading and data-licensing partnerships with Susquehanna Predictions, BGC Group and Wintermute; pending CFTC applications for Designated Contract Market and Derivatives Clearing Organization status for its regulated compute-power marketplace (formerly Pluto; YC W24)

  • AI infrastructure startup Building 'the financial infrastructure for compute' — a regulated marketplace/exchange for AI computing power (compute reference index, physical delivery, credit)
  • Founded since 2024 Company is a Y Combinator W24 (Winter 2024) batch company, formerly named Pluto, founded by Ronit Jain and Aarav Patel
  • Raised a seed round Emerged from stealth with $15M in seed funding co-led by FirstMark and Chemistry (announced Sep 15, 2026)

#7 · Expanse (Expanse Compute, Inc.)

Website
expanse.sh
HQ
San Francisco and London; founded in Edinburgh, UK
Ownership
VC-backed (Crane Venture Partners, PXN Ventures, angels); received company formation support and first finance from Edinburgh Innovations; Y Combinator
Founded
2025
Last round
$5.3M (€4.5M) seed led by Crane Venture Partners, with PXN Ventures and angels including former DeepMind researchers; announced Sep 16, 2026

Textbook fit — founded October 2025 by University of Edinburgh graduates, seed led by a specialist infrastructure investor (Crane Venture Partners), with quantified customer traction ($8M idle compute found in one cluster in a month)

Traction: In one production deployment identified nearly $8 million of idle compute capacity in a single month; SOC 2 Type II (via Vanta); software predicts GPU/CPU/memory/runtime needs before jobs run on Slurm, Kubernetes and major clouds; targets AI labs, quant finance, life sciences and research computing

  • AI infrastructure startup 'AI infrastructure startup Expanse ... has built software that accurately predicts what an AI workload requires before it runs'
  • Founded since 2024 'AI infrastructure startup Expanse, founded in October 2025 while two of the four founders were still students'
  • Raised a seed round 'A company founded by four University of Edinburgh graduates has raised $5.3m in seed funding ... The seed funding round was led by Crane Venture Partners, with participation from PXN Ventures and angel investors'

#8 · Querio

Website
querio.ai
HQ
London, United Kingdom
Employees
Team of 8 (1-10 band)
Ownership
VC-backed (BMW i Ventures, LAUNCH, Araya Ventures, Forum Ventures, Haatch, Secways); founders Rami Abi Habib (CEO) and Javier Bonilla (CTO)
Founded
2024
Last round
$5M (€4.5M) seed announced Oct 27, 2026; investors include BMW i Ventures, LAUNCH, Araya Ventures, Forum Ventures, Haatch, Secways and angels from OpenAI, Google, Robinhood and Slack

Founded 2024 with named paying customers and a fresh seed; weakest infrastructure fit on the list (data/BI analytics layer rather than compute infrastructure) but classified under AI Infrastructure by the funding directory and self-describing as AI-ready data infrastructure

Traction: Commercial launch Oct 27, 2026 with paying customers OpenVPN and agree.com named at launch; open-source 'unshackle' tool for migrating off Tableau, Looker or Power BI; git-native semantic layer storing metric definitions in the customer's own repo

  • AI infrastructure startup Classified under AI Infrastructure in the seed funding directory: 'git-native analytics platform for data and BI where your entire analytics stack live in your own repo' — an AI-ready data/analytics infrastructure layer
  • Founded since 2024 Querio (founders Rami Abi Habib and Javier Bonilla) founded 2024, per its funding profile
  • Raised a seed round $5M seed (€4.5M) announced October 27, 2026 alongside commercial launch, with BMW i Ventures, LAUNCH, Araya Ventures, Forum Ventures, Haatch, Secways participating

Want to run your own? Try the live demo

Request and response

An example run of the deal sourcing agent. The request sends the agent ID, an investment thesis and an effort level. The response is a ranked list of companies as JSON, with the evidence for each criterion and its source URL.

1Request
Run
Code
import os, time
from nimble_python import Nimble

nimble = Nimble(api_key=os.environ["NIMBLE_API_KEY"])
agent_id = "wsa_ed77b118ad644c50a541defa46fc5958"  # Nimble's deal sourcing agent

run = nimble.agents.runs.create(
    agent_id,
    input="Find bootstrapped European vertical SaaS companies for logistics or freight with 50-200 employees",
    effort="high",
)
while run.is_active:
    time.sleep(10)
    run = nimble.agents.runs.get(run.id, agent_id=agent_id)

result = nimble.agents.runs.result(run.id, agent_id=agent_id)
print(result.output.content)
import Nimble from "@nimble-way/nimble-js";

const nimble = new Nimble({ apiKey: process.env.NIMBLE_API_KEY });
const agentId = "wsa_ed77b118ad644c50a541defa46fc5958"; // Nimble's deal sourcing agent

let run = await nimble.agents.runs.create(agentId, {
  input: "Find bootstrapped European vertical SaaS companies for logistics or freight with 50-200 employees",
  effort: "high",
});
while (run.is_active) {
  await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 10000));
  run = await nimble.agents.runs.get(run.id, { agent_id: agentId });
}
const result = await nimble.agents.runs.result(run.id, { agent_id: agentId });
console.log(result.output.content);
AGENT_ID=wsa_ed77b118ad644c50a541defa46fc5958  # Nimble's deal sourcing agent
RUN_ID=$(nimble agents:runs create \
  --agent-id "$AGENT_ID" \
  --input 'Find bootstrapped European vertical SaaS companies for logistics or freight with 50-200 employees' \
  --effort high | jq -r .id)

# repeat while "is_active" is true, then read the result
nimble agents:runs get --agent-id "$AGENT_ID" --run-id "$RUN_ID"
nimble agents:runs result --agent-id "$AGENT_ID" --run-id "$RUN_ID"
AGENT_ID=wsa_ed77b118ad644c50a541defa46fc5958  # Nimble's deal sourcing agent

curl -X POST "https://sdk.nimbleway.com/v2/agents/$AGENT_ID/runs" \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer $NIMBLE_API_KEY" \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data '{"input":"Find bootstrapped European vertical SaaS companies for logistics or freight with 50-200 employees","effort":"high"}'

# poll until is_active is false, then read the result
curl "https://sdk.nimbleway.com/v2/agents/$AGENT_ID/runs/$RUN_ID" --header "Authorization: Bearer $NIMBLE_API_KEY"
curl "https://sdk.nimbleway.com/v2/agents/$AGENT_ID/runs/$RUN_ID/result" --header "Authorization: Bearer $NIMBLE_API_KEY"
2Response example

Recorded November 11, 2026.

{
  "run": {
    "id": "task_run_3700e5fcda074635ac7a00884bf832aa",
    "status": "completed",
    "effort": "high",
    "started_at": "2026-11-11T10:38:17.866607Z",
    "completed_at": "2026-11-11T10:44:46.868103Z"
  },
  "output": {
    "type": "json",
    "content": {
      "companies": [
        {
          "hq": "Bocholt, Germany",
          "name": "TIS GmbH (TIS Technische Informationssysteme GmbH)",
          "rank": 1,
          "domain": "tis-gmbh.de",
          "traction": "One of the German market leaders in telematics and mobile order management; named customers incl. Gebrüder Weiss, Emons, Zufall logistics group; Deutscher Telematik Preis 2022 (1st place, Transport); ISO/IEC 27001 and DIN EN ISO 9001 certified; kununu Top Company; 40th anniversary and second building extension in 2025",
          "employees": "110 employees (regional employer profile); 80 employees per company fact sheet dated June 2021",
          "ownership": "Family-owned/founder-owned: founded 1985 by Josef Bielefeld, who is still the owner together with his son; no PE/VC funding mentioned",
          "last_round": null,
          "rank_reason": "Meets every hard criterion with published evidence: European (Bocholt) family-owned logistics/freight vertical software vendor, 110 employees within the 50-200 band, self-funded family growth; strongest headcount-growth evidence of the list",
          "founded_year": 1985,
          "headcount_growth": "80 employees (company fact sheet, June 2021) to 110 employees (Münsterland employer profile) — approx. +38%",
          "criteria_evidence": [
            {
              "evidence": "\"Over time, the company specialised in software solutions for the transport and logistics sector. Today, TIS is one of the German market leaders in the field of telematics and mobile order management.\"",
              "criterion": "European vertical SaaS for logistics/freight",
              "source_url": "https://muensterland.com/en/economy/work/top-employer-in-munsterland/tis-gmbh"
            },
            {
              "evidence": "\"TIS Technische Informationssysteme GmbH is a medium-sized family business from Bocholt in Westmünsterland. It was founded in 1985 by Josef Bielefeld, who is still the owner of TIS today, together with his son.\"",
              "criterion": "Bootstrapped (family-owned, no external funding)",
              "source_url": "https://muensterland.com/en/economy/work/top-employer-in-munsterland/tis-gmbh"
            },
            {
              "evidence": "Sector profile lists \"Software development / 110 employees / Bocholt\"",
              "criterion": "50-200 employees",
              "source_url": "https://muensterland.com/en/economy/work/top-employer-in-munsterland/tis-gmbh"
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "hq": "Meerbusch, Germany",
          "name": "Riege Software International GmbH",
          "rank": 2,
          "domain": "riege.com",
          "traction": "550+ freight forwarders, airlines and manufacturing customers in 41 countries (press kit); \"more than 750 companies in 52 countries use the cloud-based transport management system\" (Aug 2026); revenue EUR 10m net (2022); CEO succession to Christian Riege announced Aug 2026",
          "employees": "120+ employees (company press kit)",
          "ownership": "Family-owned: \"Riege Software remains a family-owned business\" — five second-generation Riege siblings jointly lead the company; no PE/VC funding mentioned",
          "last_round": null,
          "rank_reason": "Fully matches thesis: Meerbusch-based family-owned freight-forwarding TMS (Scope, SaaS), 120+ employees in band, decades of self-funded international growth; headcount growth unverifiable (only one published count)",
          "founded_year": 1985,
          "headcount_growth": null,
          "criteria_evidence": [
            {
              "evidence": "\"As Software as a Service (SaaS), the freight forwarding software Scope is always up-to-date\" — TMS for air freight, ocean freight and customs, headquartered in Meerbusch",
              "criterion": "European vertical SaaS for logistics/freight",
              "source_url": "https://riege.com/hubfs/Press%20Kit%20EN.pdf"
            },
            {
              "evidence": "\"Riege Software remains a family-owned business: Five second-generation siblings jointly lead the company, which was founded four decades ago.\"",
              "criterion": "Bootstrapped (family-owned, no external funding)",
              "source_url": "https://cargoforwarder.eu/2026/08/02/riege-software-appoints-christian-riege-as-its-new-ceo"
            },
            {
              "evidence": "Fact sheet: \"Employees 120 +\"",
              "criterion": "50-200 employees",
              "source_url": "https://riege.com/hubfs/Press%20Kit%20EN.pdf"
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "hq": "La Massana, Andorra",
          "name": "AndSoft",
          "rank": 3,
          "domain": "andsoft.com",
          "traction": "300+ clients in 18 countries, 1,000 sites, 30,000 users, 50 million shipments/year; named customers Rhenus Logistics, Wallenborn, Mousset, Dispam; regular trade-fair exhibitor (SITL 2026, Solutrans 2025, SIL 2025)",
          "employees": "70 collaborators (company site 'In numbers'); 54 employees as of May 2026 (Tracxn); LinkedIn band 51-200 employees",
          "ownership": "Unfunded/self-funded: \"AndSoft is an unfunded company... AndSoft has not raised any funding yet\" (Tracxn); founder/owner names not published",
          "last_round": null,
          "rank_reason": "Independent Andorra-based e-TMS vendor in the employee band with verified no-funding history; founder identity not published, so ownership rests on the unfunded record",
          "founded_year": 1998,
          "headcount_growth": "No two dated counts published: Tracxn reports 54 employees as of May 2026; company site states 70 collaborators (undated)",
          "criteria_evidence": [
            {
              "evidence": "Andorran-origin vendor \"since 1998\" producing transport & logistics management software: e-TMS, e-TMS Maritime, e-FMS, TrackAPP, with offices in France, Spain, Italy and Lithuania",
              "criterion": "European vertical SaaS for logistics/freight",
              "source_url": "https://andsoft.com/"
            },
            {
              "evidence": "\"AndSoft is an unfunded company based in La Massana (Andorra), founded in 1998... AndSoft has not raised any funding yet.\"",
              "criterion": "Bootstrapped (no external funding)",
              "source_url": "https://tracxn.com/d/companies/andsoft/__LjMgs_CEJE5YV4OnVQ6sW46qINe12Nk0ZUaDfYziJZg"
            },
            {
              "evidence": "LinkedIn company size: \"51-200 employees\"; company site 'In numbers': \"70 Collaborators\"",
              "criterion": "50-200 employees",
              "source_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/andsofttransportationandlogisticssoftware"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "search_notes": "Built the candidate pool from the published European TMS/logistics-software vendor landscape (transportmanagement.org market-by-market roundup, Dec 2025), logistics software directories (ezilon, Cargoson's 2026 TMS guide), VerkehrsRundschau's logistics Who-is-Who, and each vendor's own site, LinkedIn record and registry/ownership databases. Verified headcount, ownership and funding per company before inclusion. Qualifying: TIS GmbH (Bocholt, DE — family-owned by Josef Bielefeld, 1985, 110 employees, up from 80 in 2021), Riege Software (Meerbusch, DE — family-owned, 1985, 120+, Scope SaaS TMS), AndSoft (Andorra — unfunded per Tracxn, 1998, 70 collaborators), Boltrics (Ede, NL — founder Jan Bolks, 2007, 68 employees). Excluded after verification (criterion failed): Soloplan (family-owned but 260 employees), TIMOCOM (family-owned but >700 employees), Trans.eu Group (350 FTE), AEB SE (employee-owned but 800+ employees), AKANEA (subsidiary of Groupe Isagri, 270), TESISQUARE (501-1,000 employees), Solvares Group (330+ employees), Mandata (PE-backed by Tenzing), SINARI (Bridgepoint majority stake 2023), ecovium (FSN Capital since 2020), Inelo Group (acquired by Eurowag 2022), Opter (listed on Nasdaq First North since 2021), Vigo Software (part of Klipboard), HaulTech (11-50 employees, below band), Cargoson (17 employees, below band), Webtrans (seed-funded by BRAIN VC, 11-50). Alpega Group and its brands (Teleroute, Wtransnet, Alerce, Navitrans), Transporeon (Trimble), nShift, AddSecure, Pagero (Thomson Reuters), Microlise (listed) and Aptean 3T (PE group) are groups or external-capital-owned, not founder-owned independents."
    },
    "confidence": "medium",
    "sources": [
      {
        "url": "https://muensterland.com/en/economy/work/top-employer-in-munsterland/tis-gmbh",
        "title": "Top employer in Münsterland | TIS GmbH in Bocholt"
      },
      {
        "url": "https://arbeiten-bei-tis.de/veranstaltungen-news-der-tis-gmbh/tis_fakten_mitarbeiterzahl",
        "title": "TIS_Fakten_Mitarbeiterzahl - TIS GmbH"
      },
      {
        "url": "https://tis-gmbh.de/das-telematik-unternehmen/unternehmenshistorie",
        "title": "Unternehmenshistorie der TIS GmbH in Bocholt"
      },
      {
        "url": "https://tis-gmbh.de/en",
        "title": "Logistics Software for mobile order management | TIS GmbH"
      },
      {
        "url": "https://riege.com/hubfs/Press%20Kit%20EN.pdf",
        "title": "PDF Background information - riege.com"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Nimble deal sourcing agent

A ready-made Nimble agent for sourcing private companies.

  • Deal sourcing

    Describe your investment thesis. Get private companies that fit, with ownership, size, growth and a ranked reason.

    ResearchOpen

Use Nimble through our integrations

Questions

What is an AI deal sourcing agent?

A research agent that takes an investment thesis and returns private companies that fit it. Nimble's agent searches where private companies show up, such as industry association member lists, trade-show exhibitor lists, registries, fastest-growing lists, local business press and the companies' own sites, then ranks the matches and gives the evidence for each criterion.

How does it tell who owns a company?

From the company’s news and from investors’ portfolio pages. PE ownership is often visible only on the PE firm’s site, so the agent checks there. Subsidiaries that look independent on their own site are caught on the legal or imprint page.

Does it relax the thesis to fill the list?

No. A criterion that cannot be verified means the company does not qualify. The search notes say what was searched and what was left out, so a short list is a real answer.

Can I run deal sourcing from Claude, ChatGPT or my own agent?

Yes. Paste this prompt into Claude, ChatGPT, Codex, Cursor or Grok: "Be my deal sourcing assistant using Nimble. Follow https://docs.nimbleway.com/skills/deal-sourcing/SKILL.md." The skill asks what you need, connects Nimble if it isn't connected yet, and runs the agent. Developers can call the same ready-made agent by its ID from the API, the Python or TypeScript SDK, or from Mastra, LangChain, the Vercel AI SDK and LlamaIndex.

Find companies that fit your thesis

Source deals

Are you an AI agent? Read the agent guide for this use case.