UK-based SymTerra raises £1.1M to fix construction’s $280B communication problem

UK-based construction technology startup SymTerra has raised £1.1 million from a group of industry leaders, including Fabienne Viala, former Chair and CEO of Bouygues UK, to accelerate product development and expand its reach across infrastructure projects valued at over £10 billion. Founded in 2021 by Sarah Crawley, a former senior project manager at Mace, and John Ryan, a chartered mechanical engineer, the company addresses the construction industry’s $280 billion problem caused by costly rework resulting from poor communication and outdated data management between site teams and office staff.

The funding follows a successful £1.4 million pre-seed round after which the company became profitable. Drawing on years of experience delivering major infrastructure projects including rail and water networks, the founders identified inefficiencies causing delays and extra costs in construction where on-site teams possess the most knowledge yet struggle to communicate effectively with office-based decision makers.

“The minimal construction tech we did have access to didn’t benefit us, and was a hassle to use. We would regularly have to make decisions with incorrect, out-of-date information or sometimes no information at all – and yet still needed to complete the work we were expected to deliver,” said Sarah Crawley, co-founder. “On teams have the most amount of knowledge of what’s happening, yet it’s largely uncaptured. Poor communication from the site can have such a detrimental impact on a project, and yet we were unable to communicate and report easily.”

SymTerra’s platform replaces scattered tools and paper forms commonly used on construction sites with one streamlined system connecting field and back office in real time. “Unlike most existing tools that focus on form-filling or compliance reporting, SymTerra is designed around communication, not administration,” Crawley explained. “The platform captures what’s happening on site as it happens, enabling photos, videos, updates, and records to flow in real-time from the people doing the work to those making decisions.”

The mobile-first platform’s architecture allows interoperability with existing systems including BIM, ERP, CDEs, and asset management software, enabling adoption without requiring teams to change established workflows. Crawley emphasized the company’s unique positioning: “What sets us apart is simplicity and inclusivity: the product is mobile-first, designed for on-site teams rather than digital specialists, and proven to drive adoption even in complex, multi-stakeholder environments. We’re not just collecting data, we’re improving how it’s created and shared.”

The company represents diversity in construction technology, founded and designed by women with hands-on construction and engineering experience. Looking ahead, SymTerra aims to become the go-to communication platform for the construction sector, helping teams work smarter and faster by making real-time data easily accessible across project lifecycles from construction delivery through asset management.