Startup Spotlight: UAE-Headquartered StonAI Is Digitizing Repetitive Administrative Tasks For Construction Companies Claiming to offer the first ever intelligent assistant software for construction projects, the StonAI platform uses AI-driven models that can prioritize essential time-consuming tasks within a given project.
By Aalia Mehreen Ahmed Edited by Aby Thomas
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This article is part of an ongoing series covering startups that have been a part of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Innovation Fund (MBRIF) accelerator program.
Doing away with mundane administrative tasks to increase overall efficiency is something many industries hope to achieve, and the construction sector is no different. Offering a digital assistant platform that can automate document-related tasks for construction companies is Dubai-based tech startup stonAI. "StonAI was created with an aim to digitize and automate tedious management tasks in the construction industry, thereby making access to contractual references and documents faster and easier," says Yaseen Alkaisi, founder and CEO of StonAI. "Coming from the construction industry myself and having managed big projects, I also had a passion for new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML)- these were the main drivers that led me to innovate and solve the issues in construction projects."
Claiming to offer the first ever intelligent assistant software for construction projects, the StonAI platform uses AI-driven models that can prioritize essential time-consuming tasks within a given project. The platform also offers a proprietary optical character recognition solution that extracts data automatically from any uploaded document, which can then be used to automatically fill in information on other forms. Using ML models that are powered by natural language processing, StonAI also offers the ability to access and utilize thousands of project-related data and information within a few seconds. Using these tools, different facets of a project can then be seamlessly connected to ensure efficient use of resources.
All this, of course, ultimately contributes towards saving the time and money that is spent on documentation and other tasks management. "Our value-adds include saving time, recovering costs, and increased efficiency of up to 30%," Alkaisi adds. "We have patented some models in relation to document extraction and archiving. In terms of revenue generation, we offer different tiers of licenses based on size of the project, number of employees, and project duration. Our license subscriptions are per month per project."
StonAI's beta version was launched in May 2022, with the platform having officially launched in November that same year. Bootstrapped so far, the startup expects to have paying customers by the end of 2023's first financial quarter. "StonAI is currently exploring UAE and Saudi markets, and shall expand to other GCC countries by the second quarter of 2024 and globally by the third quarter of 2025," Alkaisi adds. "The support and initiatives by the Dubai government to support startups and innovation in the city have always been a core benefit to us, along with access to high level mentors and advisor networks."
Here, Alkaisi also highlights the benefits of his startup being a part of the MBRIF accelerator program. "The MBRIF program has been an elite program for innovators like us," he says. "We've been greatly helped through its systemized program, access to high mentor profiles and networks, and the support offered by the program managers and organizers."
