Prime Highlights
- Zia called the project-hunting process a constant treasure hunt across disparate government portals.
- Cascade uses AI and historical tender data to predict likely project winners.
Key Facts
- Cascade was founded in 2025 by Hannia Zia and Joana Ferreira.
- The startup raised 3.5 million dollars in seed funding from multiple venture firms.
Background
Cascade, a startup helping architecture, engineering and construction firms find and win projects, has raised a $3.5 million seed round from investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Speedrun, Ada Ventures and Snowball VC.
Launched last year, Cascade was founded by Hannia Zia and Joana Ferreira after both witnessed the challenges construction businesses face in securing steady work. Ferreira said her mother worked at a company selling materials to construction firms, while her uncle built mansions in the Middle East, adding that despite their skill, they lacked access to the right tools to win more work. Zia recalled that her father struggled to sustain a construction business in Pakistan due to a lack of projects.
Zia described the current process of finding construction projects as a constant treasure hunt, noting that firms must log into separate portals across states, cities, districts, counties and federal agencies to find opportunities. Cascade addresses this by tracking ongoing and upcoming projects and using historical tender data to predict which developers are likely to win upcoming deals.
The platform uses AI tools to identify which projects a company has the best chance of winning, drawing on signals across public and private contracts. Ferreira said the system tells customers which developers are most likely to win a newly announced grant, helping them start conversations early.
The founders said a startup accelerator programme helped them sign contracts with firms behind major airport and hotel projects. The new funding will go towards market expansion, industry events and engineering hires.