Construction innovation doesn’t happen in a vacuum—and neither does funding that innovation. In this episode, Eric sits down with Darren Bechtel, Founder and Managing Director of Brick & Mortar Ventures, to unpack how investors think about risk, what makes construction tech actually stick in the field, and where the market may be headed next.

Recorded live from San Francisco, this conversation connects the dots between founders, project teams, and capital—plus the practical realities that separate a polished demo from a solution people will use on a jobsite.

We discuss:

• What venture capital is (and isn’t) doing in construction—and why early-stage investing is such a high-risk, high-reward game
• Why the best construction tech succeeds by solving real field problems (not just looking good in a demo)
• The importance of founder credibility, user-focused design, and approaching the industry with humility
• AI, “vibe coding,” and the build-vs-buy tradeoffs—when DIY tools make sense and where teams should be cautious
• What’s happening beyond software: robotics, 3D printing, prefab, and how new fabrication methods can change what’s possible to design and build
• A look ahead: AI-driven preconstruction, connected jobsites, more standardization, and why automation is becoming less optional as labor constraints persist

Digital Builder is hosted by Eric Thomas of Autodesk.