Continuum Industries Secures £1.5 m Seed Round to Accelerate Infrastructure Design with AI
In just a few weeks, Edinburgh‑based start‑up Continuum Industries pulled in £1.5 million from a mix of venture capitalists and tech enthusiasts, promising to make AI‑powered design tools as ubiquitous as your favourite coffee app.
Funding Details
- Lead Investors: Playfair Capital and Credo Ventures, each bringing a hefty share of the ticket.
- Backers & Key Contributors: Techstart Ventures, Simon Blakey, Michael Blakey, and a few others who love to see blueprints go from paper to pixels.
Team & Origin Story
Founded in 2018 by engineers who once raced hyperloops, Continuum started with a generous grant from Skyscanner’s Gareth Williams. Now, the team is all about turning complex spreadsheet chaos into AI‑driven clarity.
What the CI Engine Does
The core product, the CI Engine, acts as an “engineering co‑pilot.” It automates early‑stage design, letting teams test millions of layout options in a flash.
Traditional design timelines—often stretching months or even years—can shrink to days once the CI Engine steps in. For governments and large‑scale owners, this translates to up to a 15 % reduction in construction and operational costs, a stupidly big number when you’re talking billions of dollars.
Why It Matters Now
Many countries are gearing up for next‑year infrastructure spending to kick‑start economies. With bureaucratic delays looming, the ability to move from concept to construction at warp speed feels urgent. Continuum’s AI‑heavy approach is the new “speed‑boost” in a field that still relies on tired spreadsheets.
CEO Insight
Grzegorz Marecki, co‑founder and CEO, shares the hyperloop blue‑prints memory: “Building the UK’s first hyperloop vehicle taught us the real value of infrastructure. When you’re pushing the limits of speed and efficiency, you learn to fix the pain points early.”
Marecki goes on: “Roads, pipelines, power lines—they’re the backbone of our world. Yet 90 % are delayed or over budget. It’s time to stop living in the past and give our construction industry the AI boost it deserves.”
Investor Perspectives
Chris Smith, Managing Partner, Playfair Capital said: “From the very first LinkedIn ping, we were floored by the team’s deep expertise and raw passion. Their tech is a genuine game‑changer that cuts both time and cost for everyone involved.”
Jan Habermann, Credo Ventures added: “We’re excited about tools that automate and optimize tasks. Continuum opens a new, largely untapped vertical, promising massive cost savings and efficiency gains.”
What’s Next?
With the seed money, Continuum aims to:
- Forge new customer relationships.
- Fast‑track product development.
- Expand coverage across rails, roads, pipelines, and power lines.
So buckle up: Continuum Industries is turning the drafting board into a digital playground, letting engineers ride the AI wave from design to deliverable in record time. And in a world where every few minutes counts, that’s a win for all of us.
