Ambition A.M. meets Jamie Menzies, co-founder of AI-powered building supply platform Buildbuddy, to see how his start-up is cementing a place ahead of industry innovation.
Entrepreneur Jamie Menzies was just seven years into running his own residential construction company, Zebra Property Group, when the pandemic halted nearly all building operations.
The industry came to a standstill as it patiently awaited guidance on restrictions, but when those restrictions eased, all Menzies came to find was an unwelcoming surge in pricing and a shortage of supplies.
The complications of the recovering industry caused Menzies, now 38, to grow increasingly frustrated with what was on offer, leading him to co-found Buildbuddy in 2022, an AI-powered building supply platform that scours the internet to find the best deals on materials.
Buildbuddy is designed to work like an online marketplace for the construction industry, with an aim to help the UK’s 330,000 small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) builders save as much as they can on orders.
The start-up, which is still in its Beta stage, recently raised £1m in seed capital from investors, a fundraising journey Menzies says will continue into its next stage early next year.
The need for innovation
Menzies is quick to say that the construction industry, which is projected to increase to a revenue of £476.6bn in the UK by 2027, is well behind others when it comes to technological innovation.
“I looked and looked and looked and couldn’t find anything,” Menzies says, describing the day he found himself endlessly surfing the internet for the marketplace platform he had in mind.
He adds: “I think it’s a big problem… What I’m trying to do is big.
Zebra Property Group, founded by Jamie Menzies in 2013.
“It would totally change, for the better, the building industry if we make this work – it will be so much better for everyone involved.”
Much like Skyscanner, which provides users with the most up-to-date travel information and best-priced deals, Buildbuddy aims to be the go-to for those working in the construction industry.
What’s unique, Menzies says, is that the platform has scope for improving more than just affordable access to building materials, whether that be future improvement of health and safety, insurance, or waste recycling.
“The power of construction embracing technology is going to improve everything, not just for construction, but the world,” he says.
Cementing a place ahead of the curve
Pioneering a first for an industry is not easy, Menzies says, although he does believe that whoever is the first to do anything will always have a special place in the market.
Once that market share is captured, however, it all comes down to figuring out how to stay ahead of the curve, which Menzies says will be done by adding more value as his platform grows.
“That’s ultimately how you remain innovative,” he says.
“If you take Skyscanner, for example, they used to just do flights – now they do holidays, cars, you know, you name it, they do it, and that’s on keeping at the front of the curve.”
The start-up seems to have things covered when it comes to having the right innovative mindset, especially having already recruited former Skyscanner executive and East Lothian-based tech expert Shane Corstophine as a board advisor from the start.
Taking the leap
Menzies, who was working a full-time job at professional services firm PwC before founding his first start-up, says that the initial leap to entrepreneurship can be one of the hardest decisions to make.
After successfully embarking on two start-up ventures since, however, he says his biggest piece of advice would be to tackle the “boring stuff” before leaving your paycheck behind, even if you think you have the bigger picture all figured out.
“I’m talking about things like the bank account, getting the company registered, you know, starting your branding, your website, all those things can be done whilst you’ve got employment from someone else,” he says.
“This will mean the day you quit your job you are at a running start and make the chances of success of your company much higher.”
What’s next?
Buildbuddy might still be in its Beta stage, but Menzies seems pretty confident that it will hit the ground running in an industry that thrives on word-of-mouth recommendations.
“I’m not saying for one second they’re going to adopt it on day one… but if I’m lucky, we’ll get five per cent of the workforce thinking this is really great, and then they will start sharing with their friends,” Menzies says.
“Naturally, we should hopefully become the norm, much like Uber when you want to get a taxi, or Skyscanner when you want to book a flight.”
CV
Name: Jamie Menzies
Company: Buildbuddy and Zebra Property Group
Founded: 2022 Buildbuddy | 2013 Zebra Property Group
Staff: BuildBuddy (10) Zebra Property Group (c. 60-70)
Title: Founder / MD
Age: 38
Born: Edinburgh
Lives: London / Edinburgh
Studied: Geography at Oxford University
Talents: I can play the bagpipes, I also keep bees
Motto: There is always a way
Most known for: Construction / Property
First ambition: To build a house
Favourite book: For business; Traction by Gino Wickman
Best piece of advice:
If you are employed, have an idea and are looking to turn that idea into a company, don’t just quit your job and then start from scratch.
There is a lot that can be done before you leave the security of your salaried employment.
Do market research, get the website sorted, sort suppliers etc – this can all be done before you start trading.
This will mean the day you quit your job you are at a running start and make the chances of success of your company much higher.