Design-build firm Clayco has launched an investment arm called Treehouse Adventures to provide financing and operational infrastructure to startups, including those serving the AEC industry.
“We see a lot of opportunities in construction services,” says Michael Latiner, who joined Clayco last November as Treehouse’s President and Principal.
The goal is to create an environment where fledgling companies can concentrate on innovation and worry less about running a business. Clayco has dedicated the 14th floor of its headquarters in Chicago to provide space for the startups.
Treehouse’s first investment is Chicago-based Ventana Design-Build Systems, a five-month-old company that designs, supplies, and installs high-performance glass curtain wall façade systems. Latiner says Ventana’s President, Bob Trainor (center in photo, flanked by VPs Marty Trainor, left, and Ryan Murphy), was known in the business and had the ideas and processes, but needed Clayco’s operational backbone for support. “We were able to get them up and running in a week,” says Latiner.
Trainor says that Treehouse uses Clayco’s back-office services to provide marketing, IT, legal, and accounting support. It also provides an experienced senior management team and a network of relationships that startups like Ventana can leverage.
Treehouse doesn’t have a dedicated fund set aside for investment, but Latiner says he anticipates investing in two or three companies a year. A second deal has already been cut, with a technology startup whose expertise is making buildings smarter.
Read about more innovations from BD+C's 2014 Great Solutions Report.
Related Stories
BIM and Information Technology | Mar 11, 2015
Google plans to use robots, cranes to manipulate modular offices at its new HQ
Its visions of “crabots” accentuate the search-engine giant’s recent fascination with robotics and automation.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Mar 11, 2015
Foster + Partners wins bid for 2022 World Cup centerpiece stadium in Qatar
Norman Foster described the design as “an exciting step forward in stadium design—it will be the first to break the mold of the free-standing suburban concept, and instead anticipates the grid of this future city.”
Architects | Mar 10, 2015
German architect Frei Otto named 2015 Pritzker Architecture Prize laureate
The news comes a day after the visionary architect, 89, died in his native Germany.
Modular Building | Mar 10, 2015
Must see: 57-story modular skyscraper was completed in 19 days
After erecting the mega prefab tower in Changsha, China, modular builder BSB stated, “three floors in a day is China’s new normal.”
Sponsored | Metals | Mar 10, 2015
Metal Building Systems: A Rising Star in the Market
A new report by the Metal Building Manufacturer's Association explains the entity's efforts in refining and extending metal building systems as a construction choice.
Retail Centers | Mar 10, 2015
Retrofit projects give dying malls new purpose
Approximately one-third of the country’s 1,200 enclosed malls are dead or dying. The good news is that a sizable portion of that building stock is being repurposed.
Retail Centers | Mar 10, 2015
Orlando's Skyscraper to be world's tallest roller coaster
The Skyscraper is expected to begin construction later this year, and open in 2016. It will stand at 570 feet.
Museums | Mar 9, 2015
Architecture based on astronomy principles for new planetarium in Shanghai
The ancient Chinese civilization left some of the earliest records of humans studying the stars and skies. To exhibit this long history, a new planetarium and astronomy museum is planned for construction in Shanghai.
Architects | Mar 9, 2015
Study explores why high ceilings are popular
High ceilings give us a sense of freedom, new research finds
Cultural Facilities | Mar 9, 2015
London council nixes plans to rebuild the Crystal Palace
Plans for the new Crystal Palace Park were scrapped when the city and the project's developer could come to an agreement before the 16-month exclusivity contract expired.
