Construction AI startup raises $6M as Colorado grocery strike ends

Denver, Colorado, September 25, 2025

News Summary

Denver-based LightTable closed a $6 million seed round to scale its AI-driven plan review platform that ingests PDFs of drawings and specifications and returns prioritized issue lists in 10–45 minutes. The startup doubled its team, plans further hiring, and reports its software currently catches 60–65% of errors with a roadmap to reach about 90% next year. LightTable has analyzed millions of square feet across dozens of projects and charges per square foot. Separately in Colorado, grocery workers ended a multi-store strike after a tentative agreement on 45 contract provisions covering wages, benefits and pension protections.

Startup funding and a Colorado grocery strike resolve land major wins for construction and labor

A Denver startup that uses artificial intelligence to speed up construction plan checks closed a $6 million seed round the same week a Colorado grocery strike ended after a tentative contract was reached. The tech news and the labor news touch different parts of the construction and retail supply chains, but both center on cutting delays and costs.

Key developments at a glance

• LightTable closed a $6 million seed round, and plans to expand product development and hire construction experts.
• United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 7 announced on social media that it reached a tentative agreement on 45 key contract provisions, ending a statewide strike that began June 15.

LightTable: what it is and why it matters

LightTable is a Denver-based startup. LightTable was founded in 2024. The company is developing artificial intelligence for developers to automate plan peer review and catch issues in design documents before they become costly delays on jobsites.

The founding team includes three co‑founders. Paul Zeckser is a co‑founder of LightTable and is LightTable’s CEO. Dan Becker is a co‑founder of LightTable and is its chief technology officer (CTO). Ben Waters is a co‑founder of LightTable, a former architect at Gensler, and heads up growth for the business. Primary Venture Partners played a role in connecting the founding team and led the $6 million round. Primary Venture Partners (Primary) connected the founding team.

LightTable’s office is in the Venture X space in LoDo (Denver). The company doubled its staff after the new funding. LightTable doubled its team from five people to 10 after the $6 million raise. About half of LightTable’s staff are AI and software engineers. The company also employs a few construction and architecture veterans and expects to grow further. LightTable expects to add another five people to its office in the next four to six months.

How the product works

Developers upload site plans as PDFs of design documents, drawings and specifications and LightTable’s AI agent reviews them. LightTable’s AI review currently takes between about 10 and 45 minutes. The software performs coordination checks covering constructability, mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering, accessibility, and fire and life safety.

After the review the product creates a prioritized list of issues for project stakeholders, highlighting items it believes will become costly requests for information (RFIs) and change orders if not addressed. LightTable’s product creates a prioritized list of issues for project stakeholders after its AI review, highlighting items it believes will become costly requests for information (RFIs) and change orders if not addressed.

LightTable says its software already finds many issues. The company reports it has analyzed 2.5 million square feet across 50 projects so far, mostly apartments and retail. LightTable has analyzed 2.5 million square feet across 50 projects so far. The 50 projects LightTable has analyzed include apartment buildings and retail. The company expects to reach about 10 million square feet by year end and add hospitals, data centers and labs to its project types.

Customers, claims and business model

LightTable is working with national multifamily developers and has a pilot agreement in place. LightTable is working with two of the biggest multifamily developers in the country, including Florida‑based Mill Creek Residential (also referred to as Mill Creek Residential Trust). LightTable has signed a pilot agreement with Mill Creek Residential Trust. Project pricing is charged per square foot.

The company makes several performance claims. LightTable claims its AI identifies four times more issues than traditional peer reviews. LightTable claims its AI reduces coordination mistakes on job sites by up to 70%. LightTable also reports current coverage and goals for improvement and tracks error rates across projects.

Funding and partners

LightTable closed a $6 million seed round. Primary Venture Partners led the $6 million round. Early-stage investors participated, including a prior pre-seed backer and a university venture fund. LightTable previously raised $2.2 million in a pre‑seed round led by Primary Venture Partners and MetaProp. The Deming Center Venture Fund of the University of Colorado Boulder contributed to the raise. Another participant in the round is a firm founded by a major tech executive. Innovation Endeavors is a venture capital firm founded by former Google Chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt.

Labor news in Colorado: the strike and the deal

Workers at dozens of Colorado Safeway and Albertsons stores ended their strike after the local union announced a tentative contract. United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 7 announced on social media that it reached a tentative agreement on 45 key contract provisions. The 45 key contract provisions include higher wages. The 45 key contract provisions include higher wages. The provisions include improved dental and vision benefits. The provisions include a fully funded pension. The provisions include protection against union work going to gig companies such as DoorDash.

The tentative contract remains subject to a membership vote. The tentative contract is still subject to a ratification vote by union members. The union asked members who had been on strike to return to work by Monday. The union called for all members on strike to return to work by Monday. The strike began in mid-June and grew to include many stores and a distribution center. The strike began June 15. Over the following weeks, the strike expanded to 48 of the 80 Safeway locations in Colorado. The union had been negotiating for months before the walkout. The union had been negotiating with the grocery store chain for nine months without reaching an agreement before launching the strike.

Company representatives described the agreement as fair and equitable for associates and customers. Nicole Criner is a spokesperson for Safeway’s parent company, Albertsons.

Why both stories matter to builders and owners

Faster, earlier detection of plan errors can reduce time and cost overruns on construction jobs. The wider adoption of automated plan review could shift how teams budget for peer review and change orders. On the labor side, a tentative contract that secures wages, benefits and pension protections can stabilize staffing at stores and at distribution points that serve construction crews and materials suppliers.

What comes next

The startup will use the new funding to grow engineering, hire experienced construction experts, and expand the product to more building types. LightTable expects to continue signing pilots and analyzing more square footage. For the union agreement, union members will hold ratification votes in the coming weeks before the deal becomes final.

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Key features at a glance

Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic

Additional Resources

• The Denver Post: LightTable closed a $6 million seed round
• Wikipedia: Construction technology
• Commercial Observer: LightTable seed round
• Google Search: LightTable seed funding
• The Denver Post: Safeway/Albertsons strike ends with tentative contract
• Wikipedia: United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW)
• The Denver Post: Denver trash and compost collection furloughs
• Encyclopedia Britannica: Waste management
• The Denver Post: JCPenney, Macy’s leaving Northfield Shops
• Google News: Northfield Shops Denver JCPenney Macys

Author: Construction CA News

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