- Funds will be used to expand engineering team, accelerate AI product development
- Platform targets fragmented communication driving delays, disputes in construction
Singapore-based startup OnSite has raised US$1.3 million (RM5.2 million) in a seed funding round co-led by Tin Men Capital and Alter Global, with participation from Hustle Fund and Gondor Capital.
The funding will be used to expand its engineering team and accelerate product development, including AI-powered features such as a conversational assistant trained on construction data, project analysis tools, predictive risk capabilities and integrations with third-party systems. The company is currently in beta with design partners in Singapore and Hong Kong, with plans to exit beta later in 2026.
OnSite is building an AI-powered communication platform for the construction and facilities management sector, aimed at addressing fragmented workflows across messaging apps, calls and paper-based documentation. These inefficiencies often lead to information loss, project delays and payment disputes, particularly among small and medium-sized contractors.
Despite contributing between US$35 billion (RM160 billion) and US$39 billion (RM180 billion) annually to Singapore’s economy, the construction sector remains one of the least digitised, with teams still relying heavily on unstructured communication channels such as WhatsApp.
[RM1 = US$0.25]
According to the company, digital inefficiencies are estimated to cost the sector over US$860 million annually in Singapore alone, while globally, poor data quality contributed to estimated losses of US$1.84 trillion in the construction industry in 2020.
OnSite replaces these fragmented channels with a purpose-built messaging platform that allows teams to communicate using voice notes, photos and text, while its AI engine automatically structures and organises information by project, location and timeline. This creates a searchable system of record that also functions as a legal-grade audit trail.
“The core problem in construction is that documentation and communication are chaotic, unsearchable and disconnected from the physical worksite, often resulting in costly disputes, delays and lawsuits,” said Poh Yong Han (pic), CEO and co-founder of OnSite. “We are building a data layer that anchors every message, photo and voice note to where and when it happened, without requiring training to use.”
The platform is designed for the realities of Southeast Asia’s blue-collar workforce, supporting multiple languages commonly used on worksites, including English, Mandarin, Tamil, Bengali, Cantonese and Malay, with real-time translation and code-switching capabilities.
Unlike solutions that layer AI on top of existing messaging platforms, OnSite replaces the communication channel itself, enabling data to be structured at the point of creation rather than extracted retrospectively.
“We’re bringing consumer-grade UX to B2B software. The interface has to be as intuitive as the apps our users already know, but the backend has to do serious, enterprise-grade work,” said Liam Appelson, co-founder and chief product officer. “If it takes training, we’ve failed.”
The founding team combines domain experience and technical expertise. Poh, a Rhodes Scholar, holds a PhD in anthropology from Oxford and grew up in a family renovation business, while Appelson studied physics at Yale and previously worked in carpentry and industrial design.
Investor Tin Men Capital said the sector remains underserved despite increasing digital adoption.
“While we have seen the construction industry accelerate digital adoption, it needs tools built for its specific and complex workflows, within the cultural context of Southeast Asia,” said Jeremy Tan, co-founder of Tin Men Capital. “OnSite’s product-led approach, combined with the founders’ domain expertise, presents an opportunity to reshape how technology is applied in construction and facilities management.”
Construction technology remains underpenetrated in the region. According to Tracxn, companies in the sector in Singapore raised just US$2.5 million across two rounds in 2025 and US$110 million over the past decade, highlighting a gap between the industry’s economic significance and investment activity.
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