Former Autodesk executives plan to fuse Cloud, AI, and 3D technology to modernize the tools used by architects, engineers and construction professionals (AEC) to design where we live, work and connect.

January 30, 2025 12:00 PM Eastern Standard Time

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Motif, a startup founded in 2023 by design software luminaries Amar Hanspal and Brian Mathews, has secured $46 million in seed and Series A funding to develop a next-generation platform for buildings. The Series A was led by Alphabet’s independent growth fund, CapitalG, and the previously undisclosed Seed round was led by Redpoint Ventures. Pre-seed venture firm Baukunst participated in both rounds.

Amar Hanspal, former Co-CEO and CPO of Autodesk, and Brian Mathews, former VP of Platform Engineering at Autodesk, aim to modernize the $8 billion AEC software industry dominated by legacy 20th century technology.

“We aim to bring 21st-century tools to 21st-century buildings,” said Amar Hanspal, Motif’s co-founder and CEO. “Architects, engineers and construction teams today grapple with challenges and opportunities that were barely imagined in the past: climate resilience, rapid urbanization, globally distributed teams, and the integration of smart building technology. Yet the tools currently available to AEC professionals are woefully outdated and inefficient. The Motif platform will fuse cutting-edge 3D, cloud, and machine learning technology to empower AEC teams to collaborate seamlessly to design the buildings of the 21st century.”

“Motif is addressing a massive market ripe for disruption,” said CapitalG partner Jill Chase, who led the Series A round and is joining the Motif board of directors. “Amar and Brian bring unparalleled expertise in the design software space, and their vision for a more intelligent and collaborative building design process is truly compelling. We’re thrilled to partner with them as they bring building design into the modern era.”

“Amar and Brian’s vision has impressed us from day one,” said Alex Bard, managing director at Redpoint Ventures, who led the company’s Seed round in 2023. “Motif has the potential to revolutionize the building design industry, and we’re proud to partner with them to bring their ambitious vision to life.”

“This is a massive market, but it’s also massively complex and requires absolute precision. We’ve hired a team of experts in the fields of cloud computing, machine learning and BIM with meaningful experience at companies including Autodesk, OnShape, Twitter, Vimeo and Tesla,” said Brian Mathews, Motif co-founder and CTO. “Together we’re tackling some of the hardest– and most exciting–technical frontiers in software today–and we’re hiring!”

“We are in this for the long haul,” said Hanspal. “We look forward to one day in the future seeing the incredible homes, hospitals, museums, and schools designed by our talented customers and knowing that in some small way we helped them design a better building–and better future.”

About Motif

Founded in 2023 by Amar Hanspal and Brian Mathews, Motif Systems is creating the next-generation platform for building design. Matt Jezyk and Lira Nikolovska joined the founding team. The company aims to revolutionize the AEC (architecture, engineering and construction) industry by integrating modern 3D technology, cloud platforms, and AI to create a dynamic and collaborative process yielding more sustainable and efficient places for us to live, work and connect.

About Motif’s Co-Founders

Motif was founded in 2023 by CEO Amar Hanspal (former Co-CEO of Autodesk, CPO at Autodesk, and founder and CEO of Bright Machines) and CTO Brian Matthews (former VP of platform engineering at Autodesk, VP and group CTO of information modeling and platform group, and founder and CTO at Bright Machines). Matt Jezyk (former Autodesk, Tesla, Rivian) and Lira Nikolovska (former Phillips Design, Autodesk, Bright Machines) joined Motif’s founding team.

Contacts

Melissa Sobel, melissasobel@capitalg.com

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