Do you want a project manager that never sleeps, forgets or misses a deadline? If so, perhaps Surfaice was made for you.
Surfaice co-founder and COO Omar Zhan gives BIMplus the lowdown on the project management platform for repeatable construction.
BIMplus: Let’s have your elevator pitch – how does your technology help those in the built environment?
Omar Zhan: Surfaice is your team’s most reliable digital project manager – one that never sleeps, forgets or misses a deadline. We use AI to automate high-friction workflows in construction and retail store development. From site inspections and permit prep to vendor selection and turnover checklists, our AI agents handle the repeatable tasks so your team can focus on strategic execution.
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Unlike traditional software, Surfaice integrates directly with tools like Excel, Smartsheet and communication channels such as email and messengers. We’ve designed our platform to work especially well for multi-chain real estate and construction teams scaling fast, where repeatability is an advantage, not a bottleneck
What was the genesis of your technology and your senior team?
“Surfaice originated from the first-hand frustrations experienced by our team with manual and fragmented processes in construction project management.”
Omar Zhan
Surfaice originated from the first-hand frustrations experienced by our team with manual and fragmented processes in construction project management. I led complex infrastructure rollouts at Katerra and started a centre of excellence at Rivian to manage its billion dollar repeatable capex portfolio – introducing standardised tools and analytical solutions to track project progress and accelerate deployments.
At the same time, my co-founder and CEO, Alim Uderbekov, an aerospace engineer, experienced inefficiencies when running central Asia’s largest construction materials marketplace.
Together, we recognised a critical issue: significant knowledge loss occurring as seasoned project managers retired, taking decades of institutional experience with them. Understanding the potential of large language models (LLMs) to digitally capture and leverage this expertise, we founded Surfaice.
Shortly after, Slava Solonitsyn, CEO and founder of Mighty Buildings, joined us as chief revenue officer, further enhancing our capability to automate repetitive workflows and systematically harness industry knowledge through advanced AI.
Supported by top-tier engineers and experts across eight countries, we are backed by renowned venture firms including Shadow Ventures, Sturgeon Capital, iSeed VC, Plug and Play and more.
Which businesses have tested it or are currently using it?
Surfaice is deployed with real estate developers and construction companies managing multiple repeatable projects. For instance, Citix, a rapidly expanding billboard firm, leveraged Surfaice to dramatically accelerate site evaluations from months to days, significantly reducing staffing needs and operational costs.
Similarly, Avatariya, an indoor adventure park operator, used Surfaice to streamline new city launches, cutting opening delays from 30% to 10% and shortening planning cycles from three months to just five days.
Beyond developers, we’re now expanding our capabilities to support commercial general contractors with AI-powered bid management tools – automating the intake, comparison and coordination of subcontractor bids. Consistent client feedback highlights how seamlessly Surfaice integrates into existing workflows, making powerful AI adoption frictionless and immediately valuable.
Are you looking for more funding?
While we’ve already secured investment from top-tier venture firms with deep expertise in AI and construction, as mentioned above, we’re now looking to expand our strategic partnerships. Our next stage of funding is focused on advancing agent orchestration, deepening integrations with industry-standard tools and building tailored AI models for specific verticals and stakeholders.
What are your plans for the next two years?
Our primary goals include:
- Expanding our AI-driven agent suite to comprehensively cover each critical stage of project execution across design, pre-construction and construction phases, from initial site evaluation through final turnover.
- Building out a robust AI infrastructure and integrations that transform individual projects into structured, actionable datasets, enabling predictive analytics and informed decision-making.
- Developing specialised, sector-specific AI models (eg “StarbucksGPT”, “SubwayGPT”) that instantly automate detailed project planning and management for a company's specific standard operating procedures and operations.
Ultimately, we envision Surfaice as the central digital platform for construction project managers, fundamentally changing how construction projects are managed. Our long-term strategy positions us as a scalable, cost-effective alternative to traditional project management, with flexible pricing tailored to each project's scope.
