Construction technology firm Automated Architecture (AUAR) has raised £5.1m in a funding round to expand its automated building platform aimed at addressing the housing shortage through affordable and sustainable construction.
Led by Planet A and supported by Shadow Ventures, Common Magic, Concrete VC, and others, the investment will support AUAR’s efforts to grow its team, mature its product, and extend operations across international markets.
AUAR’s platform leverages robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) to automate timber housing production, promising cost reductions of up to 40% and substantial efficiency gains.
Builders use AUAR’s Micro-Factories – compact, mobile robotic units that fabricate modular timber components on-site in as little as 12 hours – thereby reducing reliance on scarce skilled labour and minimising construction delays.
The company’s proprietary MasterBuilder software integrates design with robotic fabrication, streamlining planning through to assembly while slashing labour demands by as much as 75%.
Mollie Claypool, co-founder and CEO of AUAR, said: “AUAR is building a global, automated construction ecosystem for sustainable, affordable, and beautiful homes at scale, designed to plug into the way builders already work.
“By enabling the industry to build together, powered by robotics and artificial intelligence, we’re not just offering a new tool – we’re unlocking new possibilities for how homebuilders can grow, innovate, and deliver at scale.”
Gilles Retsin, co-founder and CTO of AUAR, added: “Our product is changing the game in construction. With the use of affordable, flexible robotics that can easily adapt to different designs, builders don’t need special facilities or massive training to get the best out of our technology.
“By bringing manufacturing directly to the site or close by, we’re cutting out delays and costs. This approach isn’t just more efficient, it also opens the door for the industry to build faster and at a larger scale.
“At AUAR we’re not just making construction more automated; we’re making it more accessible to everyone.”
Sam Baker, investor at Planet A, said: “Automation is the single biggest commercial opportunity in construction today, but its adoption has been held back by rigid design systems, limited industry know-how, and broken business models.
“What stands out with AUAR is their ability to embed automation directly into the sector, delivering scalable value in a way that’s both profitable and sustainable.
“Their platform answers the urgent need for solutions to real-world constraints around margins, speed, and labour, whilst rapidly scaling the supply of low-carbon housing.
“A rare combination of world-class technology and industry-beating unit economics positions this team to define the next era of construction.”
