BuildCo set out to build the first real-time collaborative construction estimating and project management software — a tool that would let contractors, painters, framers, and other tradespeople all work inside the same project simultaneously, with changes from one user instantly visible to everyone else, cutting down on the delays and budget errors that come from disconnected, one-person-at-a-time project management tools. The company was part of the Emerging Industries cohort of Startup Texas, the accelerator and pitch competition sponsored by the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation (BCIC) in partnership with UTRGV’s Entrepreneurship and Commercialization Center (ECC) and taught at the eBridge Center — a track distinct from the Quality of Life Ventures cohort that ran the following year.
Founder Jesus Emmanuel Loera is a UTRGV alumnus with a background in architectural and civil engineering draftsmanship as well as computer science. Raised by a widowed immigrant mother who prioritized education and entrepreneurship, Loera split his time between Brownsville and San Antonio, where he worked as a high school architecture teacher at Harlandale High School, while building BuildCo part-time. He founded the company in January 2023, targeting construction companies, architects, engineers, and drafters as customers, with AutoCAD-style tools from larger players like Autodesk as the closest existing competition.
At a glance
- Founder: Jesus Emmanuel Loera
- Startup Texas program: 2023 Startup Texas Accelerator, Emerging Industries cohort
- Pitched at: Startup Texas Emerging Industries Demo Day 2023