UK PropTech startup Prolo has secured €4.9 million (£4.2 million) in Seed funding to accelerate the development of its AI-powered procurement platform, helping small and medium-sized construction companies streamline purchasing, reduce costs, and eliminate manual administrative work.
The oversubscribed funding round was led by Triple Point Ventures, with participation from Anamcara Capital, Concrete VC, Foundation Ventures, Haatch, Koro Capital, Love Ventures, and Portfolio Ventures.
The fresh investment will be used to expand Prolo’s go-to-market strategy, strengthen its sales and marketing teams, and accelerate the rollout of new AI-powered features.
Bringing procurement into the AI era
Founded in 2024 by serial PropTech entrepreneur James Morris-Manuel, Prolo is tackling one of the construction industry’s most persistent inefficiencies: procurement.
Before launching Prolo, Morris-Manuel founded Virtual Walkthrough, which was later acquired by Matterport. Following the acquisition, he served as Matterport’s Managing Director for EMEA, helping establish London as the company’s regional headquarters.
Drawing on that experience, Prolo was created to replace outdated procurement processes that still rely heavily on phone calls, emails, and manual quote comparisons.
“For decades, SME contractors have been penalised by a lack of price transparency and inefficient ordering,” said James Morris-Manuel, Founder and CEO of Prolo.
“With Prolo, we are entirely shifting the dynamic of construction supply chains. The demand we are seeing right out of the gate is phenomenal.”
AI that simplifies purchasing
Prolo combines multiple AI technologies—including Large Language Models (LLMs), Natural Language Processing (NLP), and voice transcription—to automate procurement workflows for construction businesses.
Rather than spending hours contacting suppliers for quotes, contractors can simply submit requests via:
- Phone calls
Prolo’s AI works alongside human procurement specialists to source competitive pricing from a nationwide network of more than 185 suppliers, covering everything from bulk building materials to specialist equipment and plant hire.
The platform is designed to give SME contractors access to pricing typically reserved for large Tier-1 construction companies.
Solving a costly industry problem
Construction procurement remains one of the least digitized functions in the sector, creating significant operational inefficiencies.
According to the Chartered Institute of Building, supply chain disruptions and manual procurement processes contribute to around 40% of construction projects being delayed, with average delays of approximately five months.
Smaller contractors are particularly affected because they often lack the purchasing power and dedicated procurement teams available to larger firms.
Beyond sourcing competitive prices, Prolo also offers flexible payment terms of up to 90 days, helping contractors improve cash flow and take on larger projects without the constraints of traditional supplier payment schedules.
Investors see significant market opportunity
The company’s Seed round attracted strong interest from venture investors focused on construction technology and enterprise software.
“Construction companies are vital to the UK economy, and procurement remains one of the most manual and margin-sensitive parts of running a construction business,” said Sam Stone, Investor at Triple Point Ventures.
“By using AI to help firms automate procurement, find the right products at the best prices and improve their margins, Prolo is solving a real and urgent problem for the industry. We’re excited to back James as he builds a category-defining construction procurement platform.”
As demand grows for digital transformation across the construction sector, Prolo aims to position itself as the procurement operating system for Europe’s SME contractors—combining AI, supplier intelligence, and financing tools to simplify one of the industry’s most complex operational challenges.
