The construction industry is at a turning point. Demand for construction services is booming, yet the industry continues to lag behind in modernizing how projects are managed.
The need for digital transformation to streamline projects and maximize efficiency is only mourning as the industry grapples with a talent shortage and outdated practices.
At the same time, companies are contending with huge amounts of project data.
Enter Track3D, a Reality Intelligence Platform that’s empowering construction teams to not just capture data, but act on it, too.
Vineeth Kumar, CTO and co-founder at Track3D, explains how they’re paving the way for a smarter and more streamlined construction industry.
StartupBeat: What originally inspired you to found Track3D? How did the idea for the company come together?
Vineeth Kumar: The inspiration for Track3D came from something we kept seeing on real construction sites: tons of data being captured through photos, drone videos, and reports, but almost none of it being used to actually improve execution. The data was there, but the insights were not.
Coming from backgrounds in AI/ML, computer vision, and ed-tech, we immediately felt this was a problem worth solving. We had worked on systems in other industries that turned messy, unstructured data into meaningful outputs, and we realized construction needed that same leap.
That is how Track3D started. We wanted to help teams not just collect data but understand it clearly in a way that improves day-to-day decisions on-site. Our goal was not only better visibility but also smarter execution, less rework, and fewer surprises.
SB: Which pain points in the construction industry do you believe have been historically overlooked? Why have these issues proven so hard to solve?
VK: The biggest overlooked issue is the lack of objective progress data. Throughout all the advancements in tech, the input of progress has always been manual—initially using pen and paper, later moving to Excel, and now via digital apps. Even though the place where that data is stored has evolved, the means of collating it have continued to lag. Manually input data will be subjective and never comprehensive.
Moreover, because technology is also underused, tons of data are collected on-site but rarely converted into actionable insights. Construction companies are missing out on opportunities to maximize project outcomes and efficiencies.
And the consequences of manual inputs trickle down to other areas, too. Teams rely on outdated reports and scattered photos, leading to delays, quality issues, and poor visibility. It’s a snowball effect that’s only putting extra strain on already stretched teams.
These problems persist because construction sites are complex, fast-paced, and hard to standardize. At Track3D, we fix this by using AI, automation, and simple field tools, so teams get instant visibility without extra effort.
SB: What’s something you’ve learned about the construction industry that you think most outsiders get completely wrong?
VK: Many outsiders assume construction is “low-tech” and resistant to innovation, but that’s not true.
The real issue is that teams don’t have time for complex, hard-to-use systems. They’re open to technology, but it needs to be simple, fast, and useful on-site.
People also underestimate how dynamic construction sites are—conditions change daily, making rigid, one-size-fits-all tools ineffective.
That’s why we focus on building flexible, easy-to-use tools that fit real site workflows and deliver immediate value.
SB: You describe Track3D as a ‘Reality Intelligence Platform.’ What does that really mean in practice?
VK: The construction industry has started to adopt technology to yield more data, such as drones, 360-degree cameras, and laser scanners. The thing is, these tools produce huge datasets on a regular basis—data which is often not leveraged, but simply captured and saved as insurance.
Our vision at Track3D is to make this data actionable, empowering teams to execute better. We’re bridging gaps between insights and action via our Reality Intelligence Platform that unifies data and automatically tracks project progress while proactively detecting anomalies and deviations. This way, we are making data more intelligent while adding an intelligence layer over reality data, hence we call Track3D a Reality Intelligence Platform.
SB: How has Track3D’s technology, or your vision for it, evolved since you launched? Were there any pivotal moments or shifts?
VK: Track3D was created to transform raw visuals and data into unified and accessible actionable insights that streamline and drive execution. A core element of our vision from the get-go was being data-agnostic. We support any type of data capture—whether from drones, laser scans, or 360-degree cameras.
When we launched, companies leaned on multiple fragmented tools to view and interpret their site data. Our goal was to change that, offering a single unified platform where teams can access and process their reality data.
We were fortunate to work with some exceptional early partners, and their feedback shaped our product in meaningful ways. One key insight was that the platform should seamlessly fit into existing workflows, not force teams to change how they work. That’s why removing the dependency on BIM became a major shift for us. By enabling progress tracking without requiring full BIM integration, we made it incredibly easy for teams to get started.
No heavy lifting, just upload the design sheets, define what needs to be tracked, and continue capturing 360-degree video as usual. Track3D takes care of everything else: automatically analyzing the data and delivering progress insights, without adding any extra burden on the project teams.
We’ve also worked hard to make Track3D radically simple to use. Through continuous UX improvements and automation, we’ve reduced the onboarding time from four to six weeks to just a couple of days. Teams can now get started with basic design sheets and 360-degree video without heavy setup and technical overhead.
These shifts have transformed Track3D into a reality-driven, easy-to-use platform that integrates naturally into site workflows and delivers insights without friction.
SB: Track3D integrates large amounts of reality capture data. How do you handle questions of ownership, privacy, and data security?
VK: At Track3D, data ownership always stays with the customer. We provide the platform to capture, process, and analyze site data, but control and access remain fully with the project teams. We don’t claim ownership or use customer data beyond delivering insights.
On the security front, we use world-class cloud technologies and follow industry-leading best practices, including:
- End-to-end encryption (both in transit and at rest).
- Secure cloud infrastructure with strict access controls.
- Role-based permissions to ensure only authorized users access sensitive data.
Track3D also complies with key industry standards:
- ISO/IEC 27001 for information security management.
- SOC 2 Type II for operational and data handling practice.
- GDPR for projects operating in or handling data related to the EU
Given the sensitive nature of construction data, we build with privacy by design, leveraging trusted cloud infrastructure and operating with full transparency. Our mission is to empower teams with insight. Trust, security, and customer control are core to everything we build.
SB: What differentiates Track3D from its competition?
VK: We believe it boils down to two core factors: our technology and our customer-driven approach.
First is deep tech built with transparency. We use open-source models, but the core of how Track3D works—how it understands and analyzes site data—is built and fine-tuned by our team for the construction industry. That gives us the ability to be fully transparent with customers about how our system processes data, tracks progress, and detects issues. From our conversations across the industry, this level of visibility into the “how” is something most competitors don’t offer, and is vital for building trust.
We also built with the industry, not just for it. Our customers are true partners. We engage closely with them to understand how Track3D fits into their workflows, and we let that guide our roadmap. Feedback from the field directly shapes what we build next, ensuring the platform solves real problems, not imagined ones.
The combination of strong, construction-specific technology and a collaborative, industry-first mindset makes Track3D not just different but deeply relevant to how teams actually work.
SB: Construction is still a very human, labor-intensive industry. To what extent does upskilling and increasing affinity with technology become a spearpoint?
VK: When the entire world is moving forward with technology adoption and digital transformation, construction can’t be left behind. In that context, upskilling is essential to the future of the industry. The construction professionals of tomorrow will need to be comfortable using technology, not to become tech experts or data scientists, but to effectively leverage the tools that are transforming how projects are executed.
At Track3D, we’ve seen firsthand that site teams are open to using technology as long as it simplifies their projects, not complicates them. The real challenge is that too many tools are difficult to use or disconnected from day-to-day realities on-site.
That’s why we focus on:
- Simple, mobile-first interfaces that work seamlessly in the field.
- Easy onboarding, meaning that teams can get started in days, not weeks.
- AI assistants like TED, so teams can ask direct questions and get instant insights.
- Clear, visual progress tracking without any technical expertise required.
Technology becomes a true spearhead when it empowers the people on the ground by reducing busywork, cutting down on errors, and helping teams deliver faster. Our mission is to make technology an asset, not a burden, enabling the industry to scale knowledge, boost productivity, and reduce rework without needing more manpower.
SB: What are the most common misconceptions you encounter about AI’s impact on the construction industry, and how would you address them?
VK: The biggest misconception is that AI will replace jobs. In reality, AI removes repetitive tasks, like manual progress tracking, so teams can focus on building, not admin work.
Another myth is that AI is too complex for the field. We’ve solved this by making AI simple and practical, with tools like TED, where teams can ask progress questions in plain language without any technical training needed.
There’s also concern about data security and transparency. At Track3D, data always belongs to the client, with strict security standards (ISO 27001, SOC 2) and clear, explainable insights.
Finally, some think AI is only for managers in offices. We see the biggest impact on-site, helping field teams make faster decisions.
In short, AI is about empowering teams, improving visibility, and keeping control firmly in their hands.
SB: What’s your vision for where the construction industry is heading and how is Track3D positioned to lead or support that transformation?
VK: The construction industry is moving toward a future where data is not just collected but is central to decision-making. As projects grow more complex and timelines tighten, teams will increasingly rely on actionable insights, automation, and AI-driven planning to stay ahead.
We anticipate a shift from manual supervision and fragmented reporting to continuous, intelligent site monitoring, where project health is visible at a glance, and delays or deviations are flagged before they become problems.
Track3D is built for that future. We’re helping teams move beyond passive documentation to active visibility and execution support. By combining multi-source reality data with AI, we’re giving construction teams a living, visual model of their project, not just to look at, but to make smarter decisions.
And because we’ve built the platform to be field-friendly, data-agnostic, and easy to adopt, we’re already seeing wide adoption across projects with different sizes, tools, and maturity levels.
Our vision is simple: a world where every construction site can speak for itself—clearly and intelligently. Track3D is here to make that vision a reality.
SB: Anything else you’d like to add?
VK: It’s incredibly fulfilling working with the construction industry at a time when it’s going through such a significant digital transformation.
In many ways, our partners have helped us shape the platform to what it is today. As we hone it to become a powerful tool that can automate progress, we’re working behind the scenes to expand its capabilities to a host of use cases related to quality, reducing reworks, safety, and more.
