Mach9 Raises $34 Million to Scale AI-Powered CAD Software for Construction

Mach9 has secured $34 million in Series A financing to accelerate the development of artificial intelligence software designed to transform how civil engineers convert surveying data into detailed infrastructure plans. The funding marks a new chapter for the startup, which has shifted its focus from robotics hardware to automating one of the construction industry's most time-consuming processes.

The investment round was co-led by First Round Capital and Bessemer Venture Partners, with participation from Prudence, a New York-based early-stage investor focused on AI applications in construction and real estate, and existing investor Quiet Capital. The company plans to use the capital to strengthen its technology, recruit specialists with industry expertise and expand its operations.

From robotics hardware to intelligent design software

Founded in 2021 by Alex Baikovitz and his co-founders, Mach9 initially sought to improve visual inspections for civil engineering projects through more efficient and affordable hardware. However, the company's early work revealed that collecting information about roads, buildings and other infrastructure was not the industry's biggest challenge.

Engineers were already gathering vast quantities of information through laser scanners and imaging systems. The difficulty lay in transforming those raw datasets into accurate, usable surveys that could support design, construction and infrastructure management decisions.

That discovery prompted the company to drop “Robotics” from its name and concentrate on AI-powered computer-aided design (CAD) software. Rather than developing more data-capture devices, Mach9 began addressing the bottlenecks that emerge after surveying equipment has completed its work.

The strategic shift has gained early traction. According to the company, its software has attracted nearly 100 private-beta customers and has been used across more than 2,500 projects.

Automating a costly stage of infrastructure development

Traditional CAD workflows can require substantial manual effort before engineering teams can turn field data into usable plans. Mach9 argues that these processes create delays across the wider infrastructure development cycle, particularly for large-scale surveying and transportation projects.

The startup estimates that its technology can make relevant workflows up to 10 times faster than conventional methods while significantly reducing costs. Its platform uses survey information to generate an initial version of an engineering plan, giving professionals a starting point that can be reviewed and refined rather than built entirely from scratch.

The potential benefits extend beyond faster project delivery. By reducing the time spent on repetitive drafting tasks, surveying firms and engineering consultancies could handle more assignments, pursue larger contracts and apply real-world data more extensively to infrastructure planning.

For public authorities managing extensive road networks and transportation systems, improvements in mapping efficiency could also help accelerate the preparation of major infrastructure initiatives.

Why precision remains central to the technology

Mach9's approach depends on AI models developed and trained in-house to meet the demanding accuracy requirements of civil engineering. The company says its systems are designed to achieve centimetre-level precision, a critical consideration when producing geometry for roads, curbs, pavement markings and other physical features.

Unlike general-purpose AI applications, engineering design tools must deliver outputs that professionals can verify before using them in projects with significant technical and financial consequences.

Mach9's platform therefore combines automated plan generation with editing and quality-control capabilities. Engineers can modify drawing elements, adjust individual vertices and evaluate the system's output before approving the final deliverable.

This human review process is particularly important in a sector where licensed professionals remain responsible for the accuracy and reliability of the work they sign off on. The software is intended to reduce repetitive tasks without removing the need for engineering expertise and professional accountability.

A growing market for AI in construction

Mach9 is entering a market where startups are increasingly applying AI and digital mapping technologies to modernize the construction and infrastructure lifecycle.

Other emerging companies are targeting different stages of the process, including underground utility mapping and the automated preparation of architectural plans. Their efforts reflect a broader push to replace fragmented, labour-intensive workflows with digital tools that can improve coordination and reduce the time required to move from planning to construction.

Established CAD providers, including Autodesk and Bentley Systems, have long served engineering and design professionals. Mach9 is positioning its AI-based approach as an alternative for specific surveying and infrastructure workflows where conventional methods can remain slow and resource-intensive.

Its ability to establish a durable position in this market will depend on whether the software can consistently deliver the required accuracy, integrate into existing engineering processes and demonstrate measurable benefits across different types of projects.

Funding to support product development and expansion

The $34 million investment will be allocated across product improvements, recruitment and organisational growth. Mach9 intends to expand its technical capabilities while bringing in people with direct knowledge of the industries it serves.

The company's initial hardware strategy also helped it identify the needs of potential customers. Conversations with engineering and infrastructure professionals revealed that improving data-processing efficiency mattered more to them than reducing the cost of the equipment used to collect information.

That feedback helped redirect the business towards software, where the company now sees an opportunity to make surveying data more useful throughout the design process.

With its latest funding and growing private-beta user base, Mach9 is seeking to establish AI-assisted engineering design as a practical tool for infrastructure projects. Its next challenge will be converting early adoption into sustained commercial growth while meeting the precision and accountability standards that govern civil engineering.