Pillar, an Italian fintech startup developing solutions to digitize economic and financial management for construction companies, has closed a €3.2 million pre-seed round led by French fund Emblem. The round included participation from international VCs including Pareto (USA), Plug and Play (USA), and Kima Ventures (France), along with Italian investors B Heroes, Vento, Eden Ventures, and IAG, plus prominent entrepreneurs and business angels from the international tech scene.
Founded by Gabriel Guinea Montalvo, Paolo Tarsia Incuria, and Lorenzo Demaio, Pillar provides software that allows construction companies to monitor revenues, expenses, and margins in real time for both overall operations and individual construction sites. The platform uses artificial intelligence to automate checks, automatically reconcile bank transactions, and identify anomalies before they become problems, integrating data from various sources including tax records, bank accounts, and on-site information collected through AI assistants on WhatsApp.
The startup addresses significant digitization gaps in Italy’s construction sector, which accounts for 11.4% of national GDP but remains largely traditional in its operations. According to Censis data, only 20% of construction companies use software for site management, while around 60% have not yet adopted digital solutions, presenting substantial market opportunity for technology-driven solutions.
“This investment, one of the highest valuations ever recorded for a pre-seed in Italy, is an important sign of confidence that confirms the attractiveness and potential of our solution in a traditional and poorly digitised market such as the Italian construction industry,” said Gabriel Guinea Montalvo, CEO of Pillar. Guillaume Durao, general partner at Emblem, added: “The construction sector is a huge industry experiencing strong recovery in digitalization. It represents a challenge for software providers because it is fragmented and requires deep understanding of end users to build an effective go-to-market strategy.”
Since its public launch, Pillar has attracted over 100 corporate clients, manages more than 350 construction sites, monitors 500+ workers, and has processed over 40,000 invoices with a team exceeding 15 members. The company plans to use the funding to accelerate product development and scaling efforts, with ambitious goals to reach 2,500 companies and expand its team to 30 members by 2027 while establishing itself as a European fintech player in the construction industry.
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