Black & Veatch Joins as Host of CEMEX Venture's Construction Startup Competition
As the world chases down the best and boldest solutions to challenges surrounding climate change, global commerce and trade, large-scale development and more, brave innovators will continue to be key contributors to making swift progress. With this in mind, global engineering and construction leader Black & Veatch has joined a group of 10 partners hosting CEMEX’s 2022 Construction Startup Competition to find and foster creative solutions for improving sustainability, productivity, supply chain management and building with new methods and materials.
Annually for the past six years, CEMEX Ventures — CEMEX’s corporate venture capital and open innovation unit — has hosted the Construction Startup Competition to find the strongest new sustainability solutions in the industry. The global challenge is open to any startup between its early stages and commercialization phase.
From now until September 4, 2022, potential participants can apply to Construction Startup Competition 2022, selecting from four categories including green construction, enhanced productivity, construction’s supply chain and construction’s future is now. Participants will have access to guidance from some of the global companies leading innovation in these categories, gaining tools to accelerate their journeys to product realization.
“Participants can expect to engage with any of the host companies even before the competition comes to an end, going as far as receiving investment or setting up agreements in the months following their application,” said Gonzalo Galindo, Head of CEMEX Ventures. “This competition has served as a shortcut for many startups to connect with top industry investors and begin their successful collaborations, and this year´s lineup guarantees it will be no exception.”
The ten 2022 host companies — CEMEX Ventures, Black & Veatch, Dystruptek by Haskell, Ferrovial, GS Futures, Hilti, VINCI Group’s Leonard, NOVA by Saint-Gobain, Procore Technologies, and Zacua Ventures — will evaluate all applications to choose the best and brightest new construction-tech startups. These entrepreneurs will then showcase their business offerings to a group of jurors, industry leaders and investors at the final Pitchday event in November 2022.
Black & Veatch’s involvement in this startup accelerator competition adds to a legacy of innovation investment by the company. For three consecutive years, Black & Veatch has held IgniteX, its own startup accelerator. The program has given $1 million dollars in investments, grants and in-kind services over the past 2 years, making 25 investments or partnerships with start-up or other companies. The 2021-2022 IgniteX Climate Tech Accelerator focuses on elevating decarbonization solutions for our net-zero future. Black & Veatch is proud to continue its commitment to bolstering innovation through its involvement in CEMEX’s Construction Startup Competition.
