Hi there,
Ten years is a long time in AEC technology. Long enough to watch entire categories emerge, stall, get rebranded and occasionally deliver on their promise. NXT BLD has been in the room for all of it - and this week it hits its tenth anniversary.
That felt like the right place to start this issue.
Alongside the milestone, there are two things running through this week's content that deserve proper attention: who actually gets to build ConTech - and who the industry has historically chosen to ignore in that process. And the uncomfortable reality that most ConTech companies are still going to market in a way that doesn't fit how construction actually works.
Also back this week: the software cost audit section. Your stack accumulated while nobody was watching. That's still worth fixing.
Let's get into it. 👇
What Sparked the Most Discussion This Week
1. This might be the AEC tech event of the year. NXT BLD hits its tenth anniversary this week and the speaker list alone makes the case.
Click here to read the full post: LinkedIn.
2. Construction tech will be transformed by the people the industry has historically ignored. Female founders are building some of the most important companies in ConTech right now.
Click here to see the full post: LinkedIn
3. Construction is the hardest industry to sell into and most ConTech companies are using the wrong playbook. Here's what actually works:
Click here to see the full post: LinkedIn
Theme of the Week: Ten years on - and the hard questions are still the same ones
NXT BLD at ten is worth marking. Not just as a milestone for an event but as a marker for an industry that has spent a decade trying to figure out what technology transformation actually means in construction.
And this week's other two posts sit either side of the same unresolved tension.
Most ConTech companies still go to market like they're selling into SaaS-first organisations. They aren't. Construction procurement is slow, trust-based, and driven by relationships that technology vendors rarely understand from the outside. The companies making progress have learned to work with that, not against it.
Then there's the founder conversation. Female founders in ConTech aren't an anomaly to celebrate and move on from. They're building companies with a clearer read on how the industry operates - often because they've had to pay closer attention to get a seat at the table at all. That edge shows up in the product.
Three things. One common thread: the industry rewards people who understand it deeply. The ones who've been in the room long enough - or who had no choice but to listen harder to get there - tend to build better.
Ten years of NXT BLD is evidence of exactly that.
ADDD Software Audit
Fixed price. Two weeks. Guaranteed.
I've formalised the software cost audit as a standalone engagement. Here's what it is:
A focused two-week review of every tool your practice pays for - what it costs, usage, and what you should cut. Delivered as a clear cost map with specific recommendations.
What you receive:
- Software Cost Map: every tool, mapped by cost, license count, and usage
- Duplication & Shelfware Report: tools doing the same job, licences nobody uses, tiers that don't match need
- Line-by-line Savings Summary with estimated annual impact per item
- Three Priority Actions ranked by impact and ease
- 30-minute walkthrough call to present findings
The guarantee: if the total identified savings are less than the cost of the engagement, I'll refund the difference.
If this sounds relevant - the first step is a 30-minute call. No commitment required.
→ Book a call: 30 min with Allister Lewis
Events
NXTBLD
The AEC technology event that has earned its place on the calendar. I'll be there. Come and find me. 13-14 May 2026 London
Built Tech Week
4th World Conference on Construction & Building Technology. I am on a panel discussion, come and find me at the event. 20 May - 21 May 2026
Live Event: Constructech x ConTech Is... "A World of Disconnection"
Thursday 28 May | 6:00pm – 8:30pm @ Laminar Projects, London
Two of London's construction tech communities are joining forces for one evening. Constructech and ConTech Is... are co-hosting an event focused on one of the most persistent problems in the built environment: the tools are multiplying, but they're not connecting.
I'll be delivering the interactive talk - exploring how architecture and construction practices can move from software accumulation to deliberate digital strategy.
The agenda:
6:00pm – Networking
6:45pm – Interactive Talk
7:45pm – Networking
8:30pm – Post-event drinks
Come if you can - it's the conversation this industry needs to have. Limited numbers - register here: https://luma.com/nw6nacnm
5 Tools Added to the ConTech Database This Week
Illoca - Design at the speed of thought.
Augmented Sketch - Transform rough sketches, spatial diagrams, and existing plans into editable floor plans.
AECNXT- One ribbon. Twelve tools. Zero context switching.
AecNxt installs as a native Revit add-in tab — every tool a click away, organised the way BIM teams actually work.
FORMAS.AI - Your AI orchestrator Design Studio
Sketch, steer, build. From first gesture to 3D, video, and beyond.
ALSO RECRUITING - SEE LINK BELOW
Molior - AEC Firms That Run on AI. Outbuild, Outbid, and Outlast.
We diagnose your highest-cost workflows, build an AI Operating System trained on your standards and your past work, and train your team to run it. The result is a permanent asset that compounds with every project you complete.
Archiboost - The intelligence layer for the built environment
AI-powered Code Compliance, Knowledge Hub and QA/QC reviews for AEC teams
One Role Worth Noticing This Week
“Shape the product direction of a generative AI platform built for professionals in AEC, creative, and spatial design. You will own prioritization and execution across core platform features, working closely with engineering and design to ship what matters.”
→ View role: Here
See all roles here: www.aectechjobs.com/search
Three things from this week worth taking seriously.
If you're evaluating ConTech: the vendors who understand construction aren't always the loudest ones in the room. The sales process you experience tells you something about how the company thinks. A founder who gets how your practice actually makes decisions - slowly, relationship-first, risk-averse - will build a better product for you than one running a SaaS playbook at a construction audience.
On who builds: pay attention to the companies being built by people outside the traditional profile. Not as a gesture - because the track record is there. Understand the problem well enough and you'll build something that works.
And the stack: the software cost audit isn't a complicated idea. It's a structured look at what you're paying, who uses it, and what you can cut. Most practices haven't done one. Most practices should.
If that's you - reply to this email or book a call. 30 min with Allister Lewis
This newsletter exists to help architects navigate technology with confidence, not hype by focusing on workflows, decisions, and real practice constraints.
Thanks for reading!
Allister
Richard says hi!
