Cemex Ventures unveils the top 50 most disruptive Contech startups

Following the investment peak reached in 2021, the Contech ecosystem has entered a more mature phase characterised by disciplined capital allocation and a stronger emphasis on solutions addressing the industry’s most critical operational, environmental, and productivity challenges. The 7th edition of Cemex Ventures’ Top 50 includes a comprehensive report analysing key industry dynamics in 2025 and outlining expected innovation and investment trends for 2026.

In 2025, global Contech investment reached approximately US$6.57 billion across nearly 337 deals, supported primarily by sustained activity in early-stage funding rounds (Seed and Series A). This trend reflects continued investor confidence in the sector’s long-term fundamentals, while underscoring a shift toward technologies with clearer execution pathways and scalability potential.

The Enhanced Productivity category continued to capture the largest share of investment activity, accounting for 64% of total deals, driven by the accelerated adoption of digital platforms, automation, and AI-enabled solutions designed to improve efficiency, predictability, and execution across construction operations.

The Construction’s Future category followed with 18% of total deals, reflecting sustained, but increasingly selective, interest in decarbonisation, circularity, and resource efficiency. Investment in this segment is increasingly focused on solutions that go beyond pilot phases, demonstrating clear pathways toward industrial scalability, sound economics, and tangible impact across key levers such as embodied carbon reduction, alternative materials, water efficiency, and process optimisation.

“In 2025, the Contech market clearly moved into a more disciplined and execution-driven phase. Capital did not retreat, but it became more selective, favouring solutions that can be industrialised, integrated into real operations, and scaled with predictable economics,” said Jesús Ortiz, Head of Cemex Ventures.

“Our focus has been on identifying technologies that address the sector’s structural challenges, productivity, supply chain resilience, and decarbonization, through solutions that move from validation into real operations, delivering measurable impact at scale.”

“The Top 50 Contech Startups 2026 report reflects a market where innovation is no longer judged by novelty, but by its ability to translate into execution,” Ortiz added. “Digitalisation, automation, and AI are becoming core components of new operating models in construction, and in 2026, we expect accelerated adoption of technologies that enhance predictability, efficiency, and sustainability while strengthening overall competitiveness.”

The startups featured in this year’s Top 50 Contech Startups 2026 represent a diverse global ecosystem, united by a shared ambition to address construction’s most pressing challenges and reshape the industry’s future.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/europe-cis/11022026/cemex-ventures-unveils-the-top-50-most-disruptive-contech-startups/