FairVentures is the innovation initiative of Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd., with the mandate to research, develop, partner and invest in innovative solutions to support the Fairfax family of companies. We recognize that Fairfax companies need to be on the leading edge of emerging technologies, processes and thoughts as well as their application to industry in order to stay competitive. The purpose of the FairVentures initiative is twofold: 1) to generate and develop new business ideas and 2) evaluate new technologies, opportunities and businesses that are applicable to our subsidiaries and their customers.  FairVentures operates an innovation and research lab at the Communitech Hub in Kitchener, Ontario; providing access to the vibrant technology and entrepreneurial ecosystem of the Waterloo Region.

Fair Ventures

The Ontario Centres of Excellence invests in projects and people to accelerate industry R&D to impact the Ontario economy through the commercialization of leading edge research.  OCE invests in - Industry-Academic collaborative research - Commercialization of academic research through licensing and spin off companies - Early stage seed financing of start-ups - Skills development for high quality personnel  The Ontario Centres of Excellence is a not-for-profit corporation founded in 1987. Core funding is provided by the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation

Ontario Centres of Excellence

BaseCamp Equity Partners operates as a private equity firm. BaseCamp Equity is founded on timeless character principles which drive human achievement at any altitude.

BaseCamp Equity Partners

BDC offers financing, consulting services, subordinate financing and venture capital. They focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). BDC's services are available across Canada in both official languages through a network of more than 100 offices. Its head office is in Montreal.

Business Development Bank of Canada

Builders VC is an early-stage venture capital firm focused on investing where technology meets new business models to modernize antiquated industries including healthcare, agriculture, industrials and real-estate.

Builders VC

Dozr

Dozr is bringing e-commerce to the equipment rental industry, and making construction efficient through technology.We are on a mission to power the digitization of North America's $60B+ equipment rental industry. The rental industry has been underserved by technology, and we are building the foundational infrastructure to help its transition to e-commerce. Through DOZR.com, we have built the world's largest online marketplace to connect rental companies to contractors. And recently, we launched WebStores in beta, which is the ''Shopify for B2B rentals'', enabling any rental company to have their individualized e-commerce storefront.

Dozr operates an online marketplace for heavy equipment rentals, connecting contractors with equipment rental company suppliers across North America. The company's platform allows contractors to access a network of 15,000 equipment rental suppliers through a single account, streamlining the traditionally phone or in-person heavy equipment rental process. Dozr's digital marketplace aims to provide transparency and ease of use in the equipment rental industry. In addition to its marketplace, Dozr offers WebStores, a white-labeled software product that enables rental companies to integrate Dozr's ecommerce capabilities into their existing websites and ERP systems. The company experienced significant growth in 2021, with revenue tripling compared to the previous year. Dozr attributes this growth partly to increased construction activity and supply chain issues that have affected access to heavy equipment, leading to heightened demand for rental solutions. The company's core markets include Ontario and Florida, with expansion into other US states such as California, Texas, Georgia, and the Carolinas as of February 2022.

Dozr raises $27.5 million in Series B funding to support US expansion plans

Technologies and processes that revolutionize the traditional construction industry

Construction Tech

DOZR Appoints Kathryn Kennedy as Chief Growth Officer, Igniting Next Phase of Expansion

Dozr operates an online marketplace for heavy equipment rentals, connecting contractors with equipment rental company suppliers across North America. The company's platform allows contractors to access a network of 15,000 equipment rental suppliers through a single account, streamlining the traditionally phone or in-person heavy equipment rental process. Dozr's digital marketplace aims to provide transparency and ease of use in the equipment rental industry. In addition to its marketplace, Dozr offers WebStores, a white-labeled software product that enables rental companies to integrate Dozr's ecommerce capabilities into their existing websites and ERP systems. The company experienced significant growth in 2021, with revenue tripling compared to the previous year. Dozr attributes this growth partly to increased construction activity and supply chain issues that have affected access to heavy equipment, leading to heightened demand for rental solutions. The company's core markets include Ontario and Florida, with expansion into other US states such as California, Texas, Georgia, and the Carolinas as of February 2022.
Key customers and partnerships
Dozr's customer base primarily consists of contractors in the construction industry. The company had established partnerships with equipment rental suppliers across North America, with a network of 15,000 providers accessible through its platform. Dozr has focused on developing strong partnerships with rental companies in Florida, which served as a foundation for its expansion into other US markets.

EquipmentShare is a construction technology and equipment solutions provider founded in 2015 and headquartered in Columbia, Missouri. The company offers a comprehensive suite of services including equipment rental, fleet management technology, and digital solutions for the construction industry. At the core of EquipmentShare's offerings is its proprietary T3 technology platform, a cloud-based operating system that integrates telematics, hardware, and software to monitor equipment health, track utilization, and optimize rental operations. The T3 platform allows contractors to gather real-time data on their machinery, enabling them to make data-driven decisions and improve productivity.
The company's rental fleet features equipment from trusted brands like Genie, Takeuchi, and Doosan, enhanced with EquipmentShare's T3 technology. This technology enables features such as GPS tracking, real-time alerts on location and rental status, and remote monitoring of machine utilization and health. EquipmentShare also offers a mobile app for customers to manage their rentals, including online reservations and instant off-renting capabilities. Beyond rentals, the company provides equipment sales, both new and used, with machines outfitted with their fleet management technology.
EquipmentShare has experienced rapid growth since its inception. As of September 2023, the company had expanded to more than 185 locations across the US, including rental, retail, and service centers. In 2022 alone, EquipmentShare opened 32 new branch locations. The company employed over 4,100 team members as of April 2023. EquipmentShare is also investing in its future growth, with plans to build a new headquarters in Columbia, Missouri, which could potentially be ten times the size of its current campus and create 500 new jobs.

EquipmentShare

<div>
 
 Procore is a leading cloud-based construction management software platform that connects stakeholders across construction projects. Founded in 2003, Procore offers a comprehensive suite of tools for project management, quality and safety, construction financials, and field productivity. The platform allows unlimited users to access real-time project data, facilitating collaboration between office and field teams. Procore's core functionalities include document management, drawing management, RFIs, submittals, scheduling, budgeting, and reporting. The software is designed to streamline workflows, improve communication, and provide visibility into project health and performance.
 
 
 
 
 Procore's platform is accessible via web browsers and mobile apps for iOS and Android devices. The company emphasizes user-centric design and regularly updates its software based on customer feedback. Procore integrates with numerous third-party applications through its App Marketplace and offers an open API for custom integrations. The platform is used across various construction sectors, including commercial, residential, industrial, and infrastructure projects.
 
 
 
 
 In May 2021, Procore went public and is now traded on the New York Stock Exchange. The company has expanded internationally, with offices in the US, Canada, and other locations worldwide. Procore's pricing model is based on a company's annual construction volume rather than per-user fees, with custom enterprise solutions available for larger organizations.
 
 
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 
 
 
 Procore serves a diverse range of clients in the construction industry, from small contractors to large enterprises. Some notable customers include Mortenson Construction, Lennar, HITT Contracting, and Turner Construction. In Canada, companies like Houle Electric have adopted Procore to manage their hybrid work environments and multi-trade collaborations.
 
 
 
 
 Procore has established partnerships with various technology providers to enhance its offerings. For example, the company integrated with ProEst estimating software in 2013 to streamline the transition from estimating to project management. Procore also supports integrations with common business tools like Microsoft Office, Google Drive, and Salesforce, as well as construction-specific software such as Sage 300 CRE and Viewpoint.
 
 
 
 
 The company has focused on expanding its presence in international markets. In November 2022, Procore announced that several European contractors, including Ardmac, Henry Boot Construction, and BW: Workplace Experts, had adopted its platform. These partnerships demonstrate Procore's growing influence in the global construction technology market.
 
</div>

Procore

OpenSpace is a technology company focused on enhancing efficiency and reducing risk in the construction industry. The company's primary offering is a reality capture and documentation platform for construction sites. OpenSpace's system allows users to capture site imagery by simply attaching a camera to themselves and walking through the site. The OpenSpace Vision Engine then automatically maps these photos to project plans, providing a complete visual record of the site. This process is notably fast, with images available for viewing in approximately 15 minutes. The platform offers a comprehensive as-built record of construction projects from preconstruction to handover and operation.
The company's technology enables construction firms, specialty contractors, and property owners to maintain a real-time visual record of their jobsites. This documentation helps teams stay updated on progress, verify completed work, improve coordination, and mitigate risks. OpenSpace's platform includes features such as BIM Compare, Split View, OpenSpace BIM+, and OpenSpace Track. The Field Notes feature facilitates communication about changes, quality assurance and control documentation, and streamlines processes like punch lists and RFIs. OpenSpace's technology is designed to integrate with existing project management software, offering seamless workflows for users. The company also partners with insurance carriers to offer lower-cost policies to its clients, leveraging the risk reduction benefits of its platform.

OpenSpace

RenoRun is an ecommerce platform for construction and building materials that aims to streamline the supply chain for builders and contractors. Founded in 2017 in Montreal, Canada, the company offers an on-demand delivery service for construction supplies, including lumber, drywall, insulation, shingles, siding, hardware, doors, and paint. RenoRun's platform allows contractors to order materials through a desktop site or mobile app, with deliveries made within two to four hours directly to job sites. The company sources materials from local hardware stores and its own network of warehouses, offering over 4,500 products through its online catalog.
RenoRun's business model is designed to increase job site efficiency by eliminating the need for contractors to leave work sites to purchase supplies, saving time and reducing labor costs. The platform also enables contractors to manage material orders across multiple job sites, consolidating purchases from various vendors. In addition to its core delivery service, RenoRun has expanded its offerings to include a FinTech product to help contractors finance material purchases.
The company experienced significant growth, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic, as customers were drawn to contactless delivery options. By February 2022, RenoRun had expanded its operations to serve six markets across Canada and the US, including Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Toronto, Montreal, and Washington D.C. At that time, the company reported having over 500 employees and serving more than 10,000 customers. RenoRun claimed to be growing 2x to 3x year-over-year and expected to exceed nine figures in revenue in 2022.
However, in May 2023, RenoRun faced significant challenges and was forced to shut down its operations. The company entered an insolvency process and began pursuing the sale of its assets through Quebec courts.

RenoRun

DroneDeploy is a cloud-based drone mapping software company that provides solutions for aerial data capture, processing, and analysis. The platform allows users to plan autonomous drone flights, capture imagery, and generate 2D maps and 3D models from the collected data. DroneDeploy's software is compatible with various drone models and offers tools for industries such as agriculture, construction, mining, and surveying.
The company's platform enables real-time mapping and in-field decision making through features like live map generation during flights. Users can conduct complete reality captures with interior and exterior visual data, gather accurate measurements and annotations for analysis, and create full 360-degree walkthroughs of models. DroneDeploy's photogrammetry algorithms transform drone-captured images into maps, which can be aerial or ground-based, and 3D models with 1-2 pixel ground sample distance accuracy.
DroneDeploy emphasizes ease of use and efficiency in its software design. The platform can process up to 1GB of imagery data at a time, significantly reducing the time between data collection and visualization. Its cloud-based nature allows for easy sharing and accessing of data across teams. The software also offers site comparison capabilities, enabling users to compare current surveys with previous data to track changes over time.
Key customers and partnerships
In February 2024, Trimble announced a partnership with DroneDeploy to enhance drone mapping capabilities. This collaboration integrates Trimble's Applanix POSPac Cloud post-processed kinematic GNSS positioning service with DroneDeploy's reality-capture platform. The integration aims to deliver centimeter-level accuracy and an automated, streamlined workflow for DroneDeploy customers when performing reality capture with drones.
DroneDeploy has also partnered with FedEx and Walgreens to facilitate drone deliveries to US homes, expanding its reach beyond mapping services. The company's recent acquisition of StructionSite has further enhanced its capabilities, allowing for the creation of integrated data products that overlay interior and exterior 3D models.

DroneDeploy

Platforms that assist construction companies and employers with the management of various on-site jobs and functions, along with features for task allocation, collaboration, document management, and job-site management.

Companies that use AI, machine learning, and technologies such as drones to collect and process data that can be used to monitor aspects such as construction progress, material consumption, and equipment utilization and predict site safety risks.

Platforms that allow companies to purchase and rent equipment needed for construction activities.

Platforms that match construction companies with contractors and on-site workers.

Platforms that allow construction companies to procure raw materials and monitor/manage inventory utilization.

Companies that develop robots and autonomous solutions for construction machinery.

Leverages robotics technology to automate certain vehicles and machinery to support construction activities

Leverages AI/ML to capture data from various sites and monitor data and information feeds

Dozr

Sources

About EDGE

Contact Us

Resources

Area of Focus

Technology Research Made Effortless