The problem
Midsize contractors and multi-site owners juggle 7-10 disconnected tools and lose PM hours to admin
What they do
AI-agent operating system that runs construction projects from site selection to turnover
Traction Launched Jun 2026; $1B+ project value managed across 15+ states (Red Lobster, Dog Haus); no revenue disclosed
Hiring trend
- Open roles
- n.a.
- Headcount
- ~19
No public job board; ~2 roles seen on LinkedIn/aggregators (Founding AE, Founding Product Engineer, NY); LinkedIn team ~19 (Nov 2026)
Funding
- Last round
- $5M
- Stage
- Seed
- Date
- Nov 2026
Led by Battery Ventures
- Hiring0No public job board count on file
- Funding recency+1.5Seed · $5M, Nov 2026 (this month): 6 months or less = +1.5
- Traction—Launched Jun 2026; $1B+ project value managed across 15+ states (Red Lobster, Dog Haus); no revenue disclosed
- Red flags—Noted below (−1 each when significant)Predecessor Ernest (same three founders, ~$20M raised through a Jan 2024 Series A) shrank ~50-54% in headcount YoY before the team restarted as a $5M seed software companyLinkedIn company data: Ernest 28 employees, -54.1% YoY ↗ · Caplight: Ernest raised $20.1M, last round Series A Jan 2024 ↗ · SEC Form D filings: Ernest Energy, Inc. ($13.35M + $6.7M, Jan 2024) ↗
- Total1.75Stored score → Warm-up
Stealth rule: just out of stealth, so it starts in Warm-up whatever the score (Steady by score alone).
Hiring and funding from the stored fields add up to +1.5. The stored score of 1.75 includes a judgment call the fields don't capture (often a boundary month or a round we don't count), so traction and red-flag points can't be split out exactly.
Distance (Unproven) is a separate read on how long the lead can last. It doesn't change the score.
Distance
Unproven · edge: hard to leave
Platform only launched in Jun 2026 and discloses project value, not revenue; aims to be the system of record for midsize GCs against Procore, Autodesk and AI-native rivals like Trunk Tools.
Sources: PR Newswire: Shackleton launch, $5M seed, platform live since Jun 2026 with $1B+ project value (Nov 2026) ↗ · Unite.AI: $1B figure is project value, not revenue; Trunk Tools named as AI construction rival (Nov 2026) ↗
Watch-outs
Predecessor Ernest (same three founders, ~$20M raised through a Jan 2024 Series A) shrank ~50-54% in headcount YoY before the team restarted as a $5M seed software company
Sources: LinkedIn company data: Ernest 28 employees, -54.1% YoY ↗ · Caplight: Ernest raised $20.1M, last round Series A Jan 2024 ↗ · SEC Form D filings: Ernest Energy, Inc. ($13.35M + $6.7M, Jan 2024) ↗
Open ops roles
No ops roles open right now
Last checked Nov 4, 2026