The Milan-based startup is building an all-in-one platform for financial and operational control of construction projects, aiming to save time and money for contractors and builders.

Pillar, a Milan-based construction tech startup, announced its €3.7 million ($3,775,152) pre-seed funding round. The round was backed by investors including Vento, B Heroes, Emblem (France), and IAG (Italy).

Pillar is tackling one of the most underserved yet critical industries in Europe: construction operations and financial management. By providing an all-in-one platform for project oversight, cost management, and operations tracking, Pillar helps construction firms cut waste, improve collaboration, and deliver projects on budget.

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Why construction needs a digital backbone

Construction remains one of the world’s most labor- and capital-intensive industries, yet its digital transformation lags far behind sectors like finance or logistics. Contractors often rely on fragmented systems, manual spreadsheets, and endless emails to keep track of budgets, suppliers, and operations.

The result? Inefficiencies pile up. According to McKinsey, the construction sector loses up to 20% of project value through mismanagement, delays, and cost overruns. That means billions lost every year in Europe alone.

Pillar is setting out to change that with a unified platform purpose-built for construction companies. By combining financial tools, project tracking, and supplier management into one place, Pillar enables project leads to make faster, smarter decisions.

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The rise of construction tech in Europe

While the US has seen giants like Procore emerge, Europe has been slower to adopt end-to-end construction management solutions. Italian founder Gabriel Guinea Montalvo believes now is the moment to bridge that gap.

“The reality is that builders and contractors need tools designed for them, not for accountants or engineers alone,” he explains. “Pillar is built to simplify - not complicate - the financial and operational side of construction.”

The platform is designed for both SMEs and larger firms, making it flexible enough to adapt to the fragmented European construction ecosystem.

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Why the timing matters

Construction across Europe is facing shrinking margins, stricter sustainability requirements, and a growing demand for transparency. At the same time, public infrastructure investment is rising: the EU’s NextGenerationEU fund earmarks billions for sustainable housing, transport, and infrastructure.

This convergence of tighter regulation and more capital inflows means firms that digitize early will capture outsized benefits. Pillar’s offering positions it at the center of this shift, enabling companies to operate leaner while meeting new compliance demands.

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The founder’s perspective

Montalvo, Pillar’s founder, is both an investor and a student of value creation, drawing inspiration from legends like Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger. His philosophy of disciplined financial management directly informs Pillar’s approach.

Instead of trying to digitize construction through flashy features, Pillar zeroes in on time and money - two of the most sensitive levers in every project. The platform’s success hinges on making savings visible, measurable, and repeatable.

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The overlooked lever in construction management (value drop)

Here’s what most founders and even contractors miss: financial visibility is more than cost tracking - it’s a negotiation tool with suppliers, investors, and clients.

When contractors can prove, with clean data, how they cut overruns, paid suppliers faster, or managed change orders without blowing budgets, they immediately strengthen their bargaining power.

This isn’t just operational hygiene - it translates directly into better financing terms, stronger investor confidence, and more favorable supplier deals. In an industry notorious for razor-thin margins, the ability to leverage data during negotiations could be the difference between profit and loss.

By embedding this kind of financial intelligence into construction workflows, Pillar isn’t just saving time - it’s arming companies with a strategic weapon.

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Backing from top-tier investors

Pillar’s €3.7 million pre-seed round signals strong belief from investors across Italy and Europe. Vento and B Heroes bring local expertise and ecosystem access in Italy, while Emblem adds a cross-border lens from Paris. IAG (Italy), one of the country’s leading angel networks, strengthens the credibility of the round.

This diverse syndicate suggests Pillar’s ambitions extend well beyond Italy, aiming to expand across Europe where construction remains highly localized but increasingly in need of digital unification.

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Industry outlook: construction technology and digitization

The global construction technology market was valued at $18.6 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow to $62.4 billion by 2030 (CAGR of 17.3%, Fortune Business Insights).

In Europe, adoption is accelerating as governments push for digital transformation in infrastructure. A 2024 EU report found that 75% of mid-sized construction firms are actively exploring digital tools for project management and sustainability reporting.

In Italy alone, the construction sector accounts for nearly 10% of GDP. Yet according to Deloitte, only 22% of firms use integrated digital platforms - a gap Pillar is perfectly positioned to close.

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What’s next for Pillar

With fresh capital, Pillar plans to expand its engineering team, roll out pilot programs with Italian and European contractors, and scale its integrations with suppliers and financial partners. The ultimate goal: to become the financial and operational backbone of Europe’s construction industry.

As construction finally steps into its digital era, startups like Pillar are poised to capture massive value by solving problems the industry has ignored for decades.

Or as Montalvo puts it: “In construction, efficiency isn’t optional anymore. It’s survival. Pillar exists to make efficiency simple, measurable, and scalable.”