Trunk Tools Uses AI to Reduce Construction Errors and Waste
New York, August 2, 2025 — In an industry plagued by inefficiencies costing nearly $1 trillion annually, Trunk Tools, a New York-based startup, is leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to revolutionize construction project management. Founded by Dr. Sarah Buchner, a former carpenter turned civil engineering Ph.D., Trunk Tools is tackling outdated documentation, costly errors, and material waste with its generative AI platform, saving time, money, and environmental resources. The company’s recent $40 million Series B funding round, announced on July 24, 2025, underscores its growing impact on the $13 trillion global construction industry.
Construction remains one of the least digitized industries, with companies historically spending less than 1% of revenues on IT—far below sectors like automotive and aerospace, according to a 2024 McKinsey Global Institute report. This lack of innovation leads to fragmented data, conflicting orders, and rework, contributing to delays, budget overruns, and environmental waste. For example, Buchner cites a common issue: an emergency exit door specified to need electricity may lack a corresponding outlet in electrical drawings, leading to costly rework and increased carbon emissions from inefficiencies.
Trunk Tools’ flagship product, TrunkText, is a chat-based AI tool powered by large language models (LLMs) tailored specifically for construction. Unlike general-purpose AI like ChatGPT, which lacks project-specific context, TrunkText integrates with platforms like Procore, Autodesk, SharePoint, and Dropbox to process millions of unstructured documents—blueprints, RFIs, submittals, schedules, and contracts. By indexing and structuring this data, TrunkText delivers instant, accurate answers to field workers’ queries, reducing the time spent searching for information. For instance, on the $456 million Baird Center expansion in Milwaukee, Gilbane Building Co. used TrunkText to manage 21,000 documents, saving 20-40 minutes per query and avoiding over $100,000 in monthly rework costs, with 87% of answers validated as correct by the project team.
Another offering, TrunkSubmittal, automates comparisons between submittals and specifications, flagging discrepancies early to prevent errors. For example, during the Baird Center project, TrunkText resolved a query about a fireplace’s ductwork in 20 seconds, identifying unsealed seams that could void warranties, a task that would have otherwise taken hours. Such precision minimizes rework, which accounts for significant material waste and contributes to the industry’s one-third share of global waste, as noted by MIT researcher Catherine De Wolf.
Trunk Tools’ AI also promotes sustainability. By reducing errors and over-ordering, the platform cuts material waste, aligning with green building standards like LEED and supporting a circular economy where resources are reused. “Construction is the backbone of our global economy, yet it’s bogged down by outdated tools and fragmented systems,” Buchner said. “We built Trunk Tools to eliminate the guesswork, making projects faster, cheaper, and greener.” The company’s partnership with Microsoft further enhances its reach, integrating its technology into Microsoft’s suite of tools for seamless adoption on job sites.
The $40 million Series B round, led by Insight Partners with participation from Redpoint Ventures, Innovation Endeavors, StepStone, Liberty Mutual Strategic Ventures, and Prudence, brings Trunk Tools’ total funding to $70 million. The funds will expand its engineering, product, and go-to-market teams, scaling its AI capabilities for complex projects. “Trunk Tools is defining a new category of AI for construction,” said Jeff Horing, Co-founder and Managing Director at Insight Partners. “Their deep industry expertise unlocks significant value from construction documentation.”
Already deployed on hundreds of projects, Trunk Tools has scaled revenue fivefold in the past six months, with clients like Granite Construction praising its seamless integration and productivity gains. A case study from the Baird Center project highlights 246 queries answered over 37 days, streamlining coordination for tasks like door hardware and electrical drawings. Buchner’s vision, rooted in her journey from a 12-year-old carpenter in Austria to a construction tech innovator, emphasizes practical solutions. “General-purpose AI isn’t advanced enough for construction’s proprietary data and complex workflows,” she noted, underscoring Trunk Tools’ tailored approach.
As construction faces a skilled labor shortage and pressure to modernize, Trunk Tools’ AI agents act as intelligent teammates, not just automation tools. By flagging risks, simplifying workflows, and reducing waste, the platform is poised to transform how projects are delivered, from megaprojects to schools and hospitals. With its latest funding and growing adoption, Trunk Tools is paving the way for a smarter, more sustainable built environment, one project at a time.
Sources: CNBC, NBC News, Construction Dive, Trunk Tools, McKinsey Global Institute, MIT Technology Review