Building allowing usually includes drafting prolonged functions, resulting in unpredictable timelines for builders and companies. There are tens of hundreds of jurisdictions — every with their very own completely different types and utility processes for constructing permits.
Ben Allen is aware of a factor or two about allowing. Whereas main enterprise enlargement and technique at Gopuff, Allen was charged with spinning up Gopuff Kitchens, Gopuff’s try at ghost kitchens, in a whole bunch of places all through the U.S.
The largest impediment his group confronted was acquiring the required constructing permits, Allen mentioned.
“The permitting process for developers, builders and governments is largely antiquated and manual,” he advised TechCrunch. “For example, some governing bodies only accept or review permit plans on a specific day of the week during specific hours. Without adopting a solution to streamline this process, many cities would be stuck in a time-consuming and costly cycle for current permit processes.”
After leaving Gopuff, Allen was impressed to attempt his hand at an answer to the conundrum with James Gallagher, a former colleague at Gopuff. Two years in the past, the 2 launched Greenlite, a platform that makes an attempt to standardize the allowing course of for purchasers throughout a number of jurisdictions.
Utilizing the platform, Greenlite’s prospects — which at this time vary from retailers and fast service eating places to builders and manufacturing house builders — can conduct development plan critiques virtually solely by way of software program. Rival corporations like PermitFlow, Accela and Tyler Applied sciences additionally provide this functionality, however Gallagher argues that they’re extra “application submission-oriented” and simplistic.
“Greenlite provides a digital plan review solution that actually delivers permits faster and more transparently,” Gallagher, Greenlite’s CEO, asserted — including that Greenlite can also be licensed to evaluation development plans and carry out constructing inspections in round 2,000 jurisdictions.
Some localities and municipalities, like Miami, enable contractors to rent their very own non-public suppliers (e.g. Greenlite) in lieu of getting jurisdiction plan evaluation and inspections. “Greenlite’s platform is unique because it integrates construction drawings, zoning and use data, local building code and expert compliance markup all in one database,” Gallagher added.
Gallagher wouldn’t share income. However he claimed that Greenlite has “dozens” of purchasers and is in a “position of strength to continue to grow.”
“Our customers have a perpetual need for building permits, and Greenlite is in a position to continue to serve our customers even if they adjust priorities through potential headwinds,” Gallagher mentioned. “Specifically, our customers need building permits to support new unit expansion and also need building permits to renovate, remodel and refresh existing assets.”
It helps that VCs are injecting contemporary capital into the operation.
Greenlite this week closed a $28.5 million Sequence A spherical led by Craft Ventures with participation from 53 Stations, Belief Ventures and LiveOak Ventures. Bringing the corporate’s whole raised to $36.5 million, Gallagher mentioned that the brand new cash will drive Greenlite’s market enlargement and buyer acquisition in segments like lodging, industrial and inexperienced infrastructure.
Primarily based in New York, Greenlite has 30 workers. Gallagher expects to rent ten extra by the tip of the yr.
