Contineu, a startup using computer vision and machine learning to automate quality assurance and control on construction sites, has closed a $1.2 million seed round led by SenseAI Ventures alongside the Piper Serica Angel Fund. Founded by building-tech veteran Harshil N., Contineu’s platform uses AI to detect and track defects across trades in real time, helping projects stay on budget and schedule.

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What Contineu Offers

Contineu equips contractors and project managers with an integrated QA/QC system powered by:

• AI-based visual defect detection, capable of identifying issues like missing insulation, misaligned framing, or incorrect installationsZ
• Automated photo documentation, enriching site 1with tagged imagery for faster review and accountability
  
• Dashboards that monitor trades across projects, highlighting defects and tracking remediation status
  
• Seamless integration with existing workflows, including BIM and digital plan platforms
  

Rather than replacing human oversight, Contineu acts as a reliability layer, allowing quality teams to amplify their impact and ensure consistency across projects.

The real differentiator isn’t just the CV tech - it’s how Contineu tells its story. They didn’t pitch "another AI tool." They pitched “fewer defects, fewer delays.” That’s a huge deal in construction, where every error can compound into weeks of rework and tens of thousands of dollars lost.

Here’s where Contineu shows founders a masterclass in positioning: they focused not on detection, but on decision support. Quality teams aren’t starving for more data - they’re drowning in it. What they need is synthesis and prioritization. Contineu doesn’t just flag issues; it guides which ones matter most. And that subtle shift - from signal to prioritization - is what allows their tool to be seen not as an AI layer, but as an operational necessity. If you’re building in legacy industries, this is gold: don’t aim to wow with features. Aim to disappear into the workflow while becoming indispensable.

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Industry Snapshot: Why Construction Needs QA Automation Now

The construction industry loses nearly $1.6 trillion annually to rework, inefficiency, and poor coordination globally, according to McKinsey. QA/QC failures alone are responsible for 30% of total project costs in large commercial and infrastructure builds.

Recent industry research reveals:

• The AI in construction market is forecasted to grow from $1.6 billion in 2022 to $5.8 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 34.4%
  
• BIM adoption has surpassed 73% among general contractors, creating a prime integration point for AI-layered QA solutions
  
• Computer vision-powered QA reduces inspection time by 40–60%, while increasing issue detection rates by up to 90%
  
• A 2024 Dodge Construction Network survey found only 28% of firms had standardized QA workflows, leaving a massive gap for AI tools like Contineu to fill
  

Construction companies are under pressure to build faster, cheaper, and with higher quality - yet most QA processes are still paper-based or checklist-driven. This creates a massive opportunity for automation.

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How Contineu Fits In

Contineu tackles three key industry challenges:

1. Visibility: AI constantly reviews visual feeds for anomalies - no more waiting for weekly walkthroughs
   
2. Accountability: Tagged visuals by trade and location simplify remediation and handoff
   
3. Scale: Dashboards show defects across entire portfolios - letting teams prioritize based on risk and severity
   

Instead of requiring new workflows, Contineu lets project teams continue with their routines - only with confidence that nothing is slipping through the cracks.

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Founder Insight: Lean Messaging Meets Hard Value

Messaging that leads with “I fix your biggest headache” will always beat AI hype. Contineu nails this by talking about fewer defects instead of more data. In regulated industries like construction, logistics, and manufacturing, your product should parrot the clearest pain point and demonstrate ROI with numbers: “X fewer reworks equals $Y saved.”

They didn’t pitch edge detection algorithms. They pitched predictable budgets, less finger-pointing, and faster project closeouts. It’s the kind of message that makes decision-makers lean in and say, “That’s exactly what we need.”

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Target Customers & Use Cases

Contineu’s primary audiences include:

• General contractors and GC-led portfolios seeking QA standardization
  
• Subcontractor trades, who want proof of compliance for sign-off
  
• Owners and developers, prioritizing cost and quality predictability
  
• Heavy civil and institutional builders, where defects translate to liability
  

Their early pilots have surfaced gaps that were previously invisible - cement misplacement, unsealed penetrations, and inconsistent fire-stopping - all captured on camera and flagged instantly.

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What’s Next Post-Seed

With the $1.2 million funding, Contineu is focused on:

• Expanding pilot programs across regional GCs and tier-one trades
  
• Adding multi-trade support, including MEP, façade, and interior fit-outs
  
• Enhancing model accuracy with synthetic image training and drone capture
  
• Building integrations with BIM, Procore, PlanGrid, and other site tools
  
• Creating mobile-first visual reports for foremen and QA leads
  

They’re also exploring ROI analytics - showing how defect reductions affect closeout times, punch lists, and warranty claims.

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The Long-Term Vision

Contineu envisions becoming the AI quality backbone for projects of any scale - from greenfield developments to campus-wide rollouts. Because in construction, certainty equals speed, and speed equals savings.

Processes may vary, but defects universally kill margins. By becoming the invisible QA layer across trades, Contineu is building a template for software that reduces friction, not just surfaces it.