The Buildings Tech Lab (BTL) is thrilled to announce that eight innovative tech companies have been selected to collaborate with the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) on “proof of concept” projects. These companies were selected from a pool of over 90 applicants after a review process driven by 28 senior DOB staff.

During the eight-week “proof of concept” phase, the companies will work with DOB project managers to test their product capabilities and receive feedback on their value proposition. Upon completion, select companies will then be invited to deploy their solutions on a larger scale during a pilot program, if additional testing is needed.

The BTL, which was founded in 2024 by the DOB and the Partnership Fund for New York City,  provides an accelerated pathway for early- to growth-stage companies to collaborate with city government to improve the development, sustainability and safety of New York’s built environment.

Eight participating companies are aiming to solve challenges across two key focus areas, including the firms listed below.

Process Management Challenge

How can we better manage internal processes to expedite permitting processes, building inspections, code reviews, and enforcement initiatives?

• Archistar (Sydney, Australia) – Provides an AI software tool to help government and developers streamline compliance checks by instantly checking proposed building designs against up-to-date local bylaws and building regulations, which saves time and minimizes construction delays and risk.

• Civcheck (Boston, MA) – Provides a Guided AI Plan Review (GPR) platform that speeds up permitting by helping applicants improve the quality of their submissions up-front and enabling cities to streamline plan reviews through guided automation.

• Infilla (San Francisco, CA) – Builds government and public-facing tools for faster, more transparent, and more compliant permitting.

• GreenLite Technologies (New York, NY) – Offers LiteTable, a modern code compliance and plan review platform that streamlines the review process with organized comments, integrated code references and one-click response letters, enabling faster and more efficient workflows. 

• Routora (Dallas, TX) – Provides a route planning tool that generates efficient, time-saving routes, reducing costs and minimizing environmental impact for individuals and teams.

Data Utilization Challenge

How can we better utilize existing data to automate operations and increase staff capacity?

• Gryps (New York, NY) – Creator of an AI-powered search & data platform to help construction project owners find information in seconds.

• Propcheck (New York, NY) – Delivers comprehensive real estate data and insights through a software platform to help individuals, businesses, and government make better informed decisions.

The BTL is the newest demonstration of the Partnership Fund for New York City’s “Tech in the Public Interest” strategy, which aims to invest in companies and programs that advance the application of new technologies to address urban challenges, including helping government agencies deliver services more effectively. In addition to the BTL, the Partnership Fund for NYC also operates the Transit Tech Lab (TTL), established in 2018 in partnership with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and expanded in 2019 to the NYC Department of Transportation and the Port Authority of NY and NJ; and the Environmental Tech Lab (ETL), established in 2023 in partnership with New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

New York’s built environment is vast, containing nearly 1.1 million buildings. The BTL is run in support of the DOB’s mission of making New York City buildings a safer place to build, work, and live. Buildings Commissioner Jimmy Oddo has been an instrumental proponent of the initiative, and we thank him and the DOB staff for their dedication. We look forward to our continued partnership with the DOB and the participating companies as we continue to work to improve New York.