umbrella

The problem

Construction faces a deep labour shortage, and the most repetitive jobs on a site are also the most physically punishing. Layout marking, overhead drilling and finishing work wear down skilled trades, cause injuries and slow projects. Meanwhile, construction remains one of the least automated industries in the world, because every site is different and conditions change daily. Most robots are designed for factories, not muddy, unfinished buildings.

Why now

Construction has been slow to adopt robotics because job sites are messy, changing environments. Recent progress in mobile robotics, low-cost positioning and rugged sensors finally made it possible for machines to navigate unfinished buildings reliably. At the same time, the industry faces a historic shortage of skilled workers, with experienced trades retiring faster than new workers enter the field. Contractors are under pressure to deliver projects faster and more safely. Umbrella arrived when the technology could handle real job sites and when contractors were actively looking for solutions.

The founders

Grace Oduya is a structural engineer who spent years on commercial job sites watching skilled workers spend hours on tasks a machine could do. Lukas Brandt built mobile robots for agriculture, where machines must navigate uneven ground and unpredictable conditions. They met at an industry conference and realised their experiences fit together perfectly: Grace knew the problem intimately, and Lukas knew how to build robots that survive the real world.

Why we invested

Juno brought Umbrella to the partnership after visiting a job site where their robot marked an entire floor plan overnight, accurate to within a few millimetres. The crew arrived the next morning and started work immediately instead of spending two days on layout. Juno was struck by how the workers talked about the robot, as a helpful teammate rather than a threat. We led the Series A because the founders had proven the product worked in real conditions, not just in demos.

How we helped

After investing, we helped Umbrella build relationships with general contractors who now deploy robots across multiple projects. Juno worked with the founders on a robots-as-a-service model that lowered the upfront cost for contractors. Our platform team supported recruiting for field operations and introduced the company to equipment rental networks that now help distribute and maintain the fleet.

Where they are now

Umbrella’s robots now work alongside crews on commercial builds across several states, handling layout, drilling and repetitive finishing tasks. Contractors report fewer injuries, faster schedules and happier skilled workers who can focus on the work only people can do. The company is developing new tools for overhead installation, one of the most physically demanding jobs on site. Grace still visits a job site every week to hear feedback directly from crews.