Soil Connect serves as digital marketplace for soils and aggregates

Soil Connect, reportedly the first and only institutionally backed digital marketplace focused on the multi-billion dollar soil and aggregates industry, has announced the closing of its US$3.25-million seed funding round led by TIA Ventures, a New York City-based seed-stage fund.

In conjunction with the funding, Soil Connect launched an e-ticketing service that advances its mission to revolutionize the transport and management of soil and aggregates.

Historically, the critical ticketing function – which supports the tracking and invoicing of dirt-related transactions – has been completed manually on paper. Under the paper system, tickets are often illegible, accidently discarded or lost altogether, resulting in a significant loss of time and productivity for contractors.

Designed to be an easy-to-use digital alternative that brings the process into the 21^st century, Soil Connect is designed to facilitate seamless and transparent transactions that help users save time and money.

Heartland Ventures co-led the funding round, which also included investments from a diverse mix of venture capital firms, real estate managers and construction companies, including CEMEX Ventures, Great Oaks Venture Capital, Situs Real Estate, Altmark Group, AB Investment Group, J.G. Pertucci Company and Bazella Contracting.

“As a third-generation builder and developer, the most frustrating part of the job for me was how I continually saw technology change the game for other sectors but bypass the soil and aggregates industry,” said Cliff Fetner, founder and CEO of Soil Connect. “Our goal in launching Soil Connect is not just to create a marketplace, it is to establish the first pure-play, one-stop shop for the industry.”

He continued, ”Making it easier for these individuals to find or dispose of materials was a critical first step, and the e-ticketing function takes it to the next level, further integrating the platform and advancing our objective of supporting the entire transaction from end to end. It’s also entirely contactless – an important attribute during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Construction professionals interested in transacting on Soil Connect can create a profile by visiting www.soilconnect.com.