Quite a lot of the most well-liked development software program was developed 20 to 40 years in the past and plenty of programs don’t speak to one another. Because of this, the knowledge saved in them is fragmented, including further work for constructing groups. Agave, a member of Y Combinator’s newest batch, helps with a unified API that connects with greater than 30 software program programs. The startup introduced it has raised a $2.9 million seed spherical led by Accel.
Agave’s 4 co-founders—Tom Reno, John Zucchi, Pooria Azimi and Samantha Zhang—met at Graphiq, the info evaluation and search engine startup that was acquired by Amazon in 2017, and have labored collectively for nearly a decade.
Reno informed TechCrunch that one of many first occasions they encountered the development trade was whereas engaged on an inside skunkworks venture at Graphiq for Procore, the publicly-listed development administration software program firm (and now one in all Agave’s prospects). It concerned constructing a pure search language device to embed inside Procore to assist its customers. However the group didn’t get to launch it publicly till after Amazon acquired Graphiq.
Whereas at Amazon, the 4 centered on constructing out their product for Alexa, together with its query and reply capabilities. After 5 years, they left to start out Agave, which mixes what they discovered whereas working with Procore with their expertise at Amazon.
After speaking to folks within the development trade, together with software program builders, Procore and Autodesk customers, and foreman and superintendents on job websites, the group realized that some of the frequent ache factors talked about was that development software program programs don’t talk, which suggests information needs to be manually transferred between completely different functions.
“That signaled a chance and based mostly on our expertise constructing 1000’s of information integrations at Amazon Alexa, we thought it appeared like a reasonably good match for our talent set,” stated Reno. “Let’s assault that drawback and clear up it for each teams of individuals.”
Agave’s group
Agave at the moment connects with 33 software program programs and has 950 endpoints on its API. It connects programs in three classes: cloud-based software program like Procore, hosted programs like Viewpoint Vista and ERP accounting instruments, and on-prem options like Sage 100 Contractor and Sage 300 CRE. A few of them, like Sage 300 CRE and Sage 100 Contractor, Viewpoint Vista and COINS International, have been constructed many years in the past, however are nonetheless extensively utilized in North America’s development trade.
One among Agave’s prospects is Beam Funds, which makes use of its API to learn invoices from accounting programs, after which registers funds in opposition to them after they’ve been processed by way of the software program. One other instance of how Agave’s API can be utilized is studying vendor info from ERPs to confirm insurance coverage certificates earlier than working with subcontractors to put in electrical wiring in a constructing or lay rebar on blended use property. It will possibly additionally deal with use circumstances like time monitoring, payroll and expense administration, procurement and buying and gear monitoring.
One other advantage of Agave’s API is offering customers with real-time analytics. One instance is exhibiting day by day logs, like employee counts and whole hours throughout completely different tasks. One other is exhibiting RFIs (requests for info), or paperwork that may affect the standing of a venture. That is essential as a result of if an RFI is delayed, it may possibly affect milestones, duties and actions in a schedule. Agave can mix info from an RFI and modify forecasts so folks know the potential affect on their venture and what areas they should concentrate on.
Agave competes in opposition to three essential classes. The primary is in-house groups, or development corporations which have software program builders engaged on their very own integrations. The second is generic infrastructure platform-as-a-service bypass programs—for instance, corporations utilizing generic platforms like Workato or Boomi to construct integrations. The ultimate class are trade instruments that assist corporations combine with single programs, and are patched collectively to cowl all their integrations.
Reno stated Agave has an edge over in-house groups as a result of it offers corporations rapid entry to programs which are partnered with Agave, and its API. Agave additionally advantages from its group’s area data, since they’ve spent numerous time understanding the nuances and complexities of trade jargon and dealing immediately with every system that integrates into its API, he added.
“The analogy I like to make use of is that we’re constructing the freeway system of development expertise,” Reno stated. “We’re constructing the core infrastructure that enables information to maneuver between programs. As soon as that’s constructed, it doesn’t make sense for an additional firm to attempt to do this, as a result of there’s no different second or third freeway system. There’s one freeway system with a single normal, in order that’s why we’re very open and clear with what we’re constructing.”
Agave now has 65 prospects and has quadrupled its income year-over-year. Its funding will probably be used to rent new software program engineers and proceed including new integrations, together with new programs and endpoints. It should even be used to scale Agave’s operations.