{"id":109474,"date":"2025-03-06T08:52:43","date_gmt":"2025-03-06T07:52:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/?p=109474"},"modified":"2025-03-06T16:54:17","modified_gmt":"2025-03-06T15:54:17","slug":"contech-expert-insights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/contech-expert-insights\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside Contech Investment: Cemex Ventures Expert Insights You Must Read\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"bsf_rt_marker\"><\/div>\n<p>If we had to sum up 2024 in a few words, we\u2019d call it a year of uncertainty\u2014geopolitically and socially\u2014across the globe. It was a challenging year, yet one that also brought early signs of economic stabilization, including in the Contech (construction tech) investment landscape.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s no doubt that the construction industry remains one of the world\u2019s largest, and as Cemex\u2019s corporate venture capital and open innovation arm, we play a key role in its transition\u2014driving growth and pushing the shift toward sustainability, efficiency, and digitalization. But first, let\u2019s take a deep dive into what shaped the Contech ecosystem in 2024, guided by our investment experts: <strong>Mateo Zimmermann<\/strong> \u2013 <strong>Head of Investments<\/strong>; <strong>Ibon Iribar<\/strong> &amp; <strong>Miguel Carral\u00f3n<\/strong> \u2013 <strong>Investment and Open Innovation Advisors.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Keep scrolling to explore the key insights &amp; investment activity of 2024!<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h2>Table of contents<\/h2><nav><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#a-quick-picture-of-the-venture-capital-market\">A quick picture of the venture capital market\u00a0<\/a><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#contechs-impact-on-the-vc-ecosystem\">Contech&#8217;s impact on the VC ecosystem<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#the-core-role-of-innovation\">The core role of innovation<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#north-america-vs-europe\">North America vs. Europe<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#early-stages-dominate-all-round-types\">Early-stages dominate all round types<\/a><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#m-a-activity-keeps-growing\">M&amp;A activity keeps growing<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#ai-breaks-records-in-enhanced-productivity-solutions\">AI breaks records in enhanced productivity solutions\u00a0<\/a><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#top-5-contech-deals-fueled-by-ai\">Top 5 Contech deals fueled by AI<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#key-takeaways\">Key takeaways<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"a-quick-picture-of-the-venture-capital-market\">A quick picture of the venture capital market&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Last year, total venture capital (VC) remained relatively stable in 2024, growing by 6% (vs. 2023) in total investment, though deal activity dropped by 14%. However,<strong> the last quarter of 2024 showed a +53% QoQ<\/strong> (quarter-over-quarter) surge in funding\u2014a positive sign, even as deal count continues to decline.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"724\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Infografia-graficos-plan-de-ventas-anual-empresa-profesional-azul-3-1024x724.png\" alt=\"Total VC Investment\" class=\"wp-image-109481 img-fluid\" style=\"width:550px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Infografia-graficos-plan-de-ventas-anual-empresa-profesional-azul-3-1024x724.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Infografia-graficos-plan-de-ventas-anual-empresa-profesional-azul-3-300x212.png 300w, https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Infografia-graficos-plan-de-ventas-anual-empresa-profesional-azul-3-768x543.png 768w, https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Infografia-graficos-plan-de-ventas-anual-empresa-profesional-azul-3-1536x1086.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Infografia-graficos-plan-de-ventas-anual-empresa-profesional-azul-3.png 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"contechs-impact-on-the-vc-ecosystem\">Contech&#8217;s impact on the VC ecosystem<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Open innovation in Contech is on the rise, with 33 active strategists identified, and 20% of transactions involving at least one strategic investor. But where are strategic investors allocating their capital? (See the graphic below \ud83d\udc47)&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"724\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Infografia-graficos-plan-de-ventas-anual-empresa-profesional-azul-4-1024x724.png\" alt=\"Contech VC Investment\" class=\"wp-image-109485 img-fluid\" style=\"width:550px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Infografia-graficos-plan-de-ventas-anual-empresa-profesional-azul-4-1024x724.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Infografia-graficos-plan-de-ventas-anual-empresa-profesional-azul-4-300x212.png 300w, https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Infografia-graficos-plan-de-ventas-anual-empresa-profesional-azul-4-768x543.png 768w, https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Infografia-graficos-plan-de-ventas-anual-empresa-profesional-azul-4-1536x1086.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Infografia-graficos-plan-de-ventas-anual-empresa-profesional-azul-4.png 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Contech has produced 2 new unicorns in 2024: JobNimbus &amp; Gropyus\ud83e\udd84<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jobnimbus.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>JobNimbus<\/strong><\/a> (United States- Enhanced Productivity): All-in-one software to help streamline roofing operations, contractors can quickly create quotes, order materials, and manage projects\u2014all from a single, user-friendly platform.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gropyus.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Gropyus<\/strong><\/a> (Austria \u2013 Future of Construction): Vertically integrated affordable and sustainable housing, offering flexible and modular building systems to optimize land use, customize plans, and build with both off-site prefabrication and on-site assembly.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s crucial to highlight that Contech investments make up only about 1% of total VC funding\u2014a figure that, despite steady growth over the years, remains extremely small compared to the industry&#8217;s overall scale.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-medium-font-size is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><\/p>\n<cite><em>\u201c<\/em><strong><em>Contech is one of the most untapped sectors in VC, offering significant opportunities for forward-thinking investors and vast growth potential still waiting to be unlocked.<\/em><\/strong><em>\u201d &#8211; Mateo Zimmermann, Head of Investments<\/em>&nbsp;<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"333\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Cemex_Disenos_Prefab_Buildings_-Banner_Blog_after_quote_mateo-1024x333.png\" alt=\"Mateo Zimmermann quote\" class=\"wp-image-109489 img-fluid\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Cemex_Disenos_Prefab_Buildings_-Banner_Blog_after_quote_mateo-1024x333.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Cemex_Disenos_Prefab_Buildings_-Banner_Blog_after_quote_mateo-300x98.png 300w, https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Cemex_Disenos_Prefab_Buildings_-Banner_Blog_after_quote_mateo-768x250.png 768w, https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Cemex_Disenos_Prefab_Buildings_-Banner_Blog_after_quote_mateo-1536x499.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Cemex_Disenos_Prefab_Buildings_-Banner_Blog_after_quote_mateo.png 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-core-role-of-innovation\">The core role of innovation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Open innovation in Contech is on the rise, with 33 active strategists identified and 20% of transactions involving at least one strategic investor. But where are strategic investors allocating their capital? (See the graphic below \ud83d\udc47)&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Diagram.png\" alt=\"core role of innovation\" class=\"wp-image-109493 img-fluid\" style=\"width:450px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Diagram.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Diagram-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Diagram-768x576.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Furthermore, cement players are continuing to expand their open innovation strategies, including direct\/indirect investments, acceleration, venture clienting, and adopting similar approaches to investing in the sector.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-medium-font-size is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><\/p>\n<cite><strong><em>\u201cThe growth of corporate venture capital over the past decade has reshaped Contech investment. It is impressive to see that 20% of transactions in 2024 involved at least one industry CVC\u201d <\/em><\/strong><em>&#8211; Miguel Carral\u00f3n, Investment &amp; Open Innovation Adviso<\/em>r<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"north-america-vs-europe\">North America vs. Europe<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Last year, continuing the trend of previous years, North America accounted for 46% of the deals, while Europe and APAC saw a resurgence, increasing their share. However, Enhanced Productivity leads in North America, whereas Europe shows a more balanced distribution across focus areas.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>The UK and Germany lead Contech activity in Europe, representing 44% of all transactions&nbsp;<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"early-stages-dominate-all-round-types\">Early-stages dominate all round types<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2024, early-stage deals showed strength, accounting for 65% of all deals. Based on this, we expect most investors in the Contech sector to continue focusing primarily on startups in these early phases.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Early-stage investments continue to dominate, accounting for nearly half of the total funding<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This aligns with the expectation that the number of deals will continue to grow, but not the deal sizes, due to the nature of these rounds. At the same time, companies securing larger-scale deal sizes are likely to remain focused on sustainability solutions tied to Cleantech (clean technologies), as these pilots typically require higher upfront costs due to their scale, unlike digital companies, which require less infrastructure. However, the largest deals have significantly reduced in size over the past 5 years, dropping from 50% to 32% in 2024.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Did you know? The average deal size decreased from $13M in 2023 to $9.3M in 2024<\/strong>&nbsp;\ud83d\udcc9<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>A good piece of news is that nearly all-round types saw significant growth last year, except for Series C, which decreased by 20% compared to 2023.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"724\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Infografia-graficos-plan-de-ventas-anual-empresa-profesional-azul-5-1024x724.png\" alt=\"inphographic round\" class=\"wp-image-109496 img-fluid\" style=\"width:550px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Infografia-graficos-plan-de-ventas-anual-empresa-profesional-azul-5-1024x724.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Infografia-graficos-plan-de-ventas-anual-empresa-profesional-azul-5-300x212.png 300w, https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Infografia-graficos-plan-de-ventas-anual-empresa-profesional-azul-5-768x543.png 768w, https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Infografia-graficos-plan-de-ventas-anual-empresa-profesional-azul-5-1536x1086.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Infografia-graficos-plan-de-ventas-anual-empresa-profesional-azul-5.png 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-medium-font-size is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><\/p>\n<cite><strong><em>\u201cThe reduction in large rounds forces us to be even more selective. We must identify those Cleantech companies with scalable and long-term viable business models, which can demonstrate efficient use of capital&#8221; <\/em><\/strong><em>&#8211; Ibon Iribar, Investment &amp; Open Innovation Advisor<\/em>&nbsp;<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"m-a-activity-keeps-growing\">M&amp;A activity keeps growing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In the AEC (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction) sector, M&amp;A (Mergers &amp; Acquisitions) activity has grown for three consecutive years (since 2022), with strategic investors making up half of the acquisitions in 2024\u2014signaling renewed confidence and strategic recalibration among key players.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"325\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Infografia-graficos-plan-de-ventas-anual-empresa-profesional-azul-7-1-1024x325.png\" alt=\"Most Strategic Investments 2024\" class=\"wp-image-109511 img-fluid\" style=\"width:550px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Infografia-graficos-plan-de-ventas-anual-empresa-profesional-azul-7-1-1024x325.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Infografia-graficos-plan-de-ventas-anual-empresa-profesional-azul-7-1-300x95.png 300w, https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Infografia-graficos-plan-de-ventas-anual-empresa-profesional-azul-7-1-768x243.png 768w, https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Infografia-graficos-plan-de-ventas-anual-empresa-profesional-azul-7-1-1536x487.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Infografia-graficos-plan-de-ventas-anual-empresa-profesional-azul-7-1.png 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>On the other hand, Private Equity (PE) interest remains strong, particularly in construction software, as firms focus on expanding their client base and enhancing product functionalities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"ai-breaks-records-in-enhanced-productivity-solutions\">AI breaks records in enhanced productivity solutions&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>All Cemex Ventures\u2019 focus areas saw an increase in deal activity in 2024 compared to 2023, but <strong>Enhanced Productivity* stood out<\/strong> as the largest, <strong>growing by 119%<\/strong> in both deal count and investment amount\u2014<strong>an exponential rise driven by the integration of AI into these technologies.<\/strong> AI-driven Contech deals accounted for 37% of total funding, with larger average deal sizes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>AI in venture capital hit a record high in 2024, raising $101 billion \ud83d\udcb8<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"333\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Cemex_Disenos_Prefab_Buildings_-Banner_Blog_AI_Breaks-1024x333.png\" alt=\"AI Image\" class=\"wp-image-109513 img-fluid\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Cemex_Disenos_Prefab_Buildings_-Banner_Blog_AI_Breaks-1024x333.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Cemex_Disenos_Prefab_Buildings_-Banner_Blog_AI_Breaks-300x98.png 300w, https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Cemex_Disenos_Prefab_Buildings_-Banner_Blog_AI_Breaks-768x250.png 768w, https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Cemex_Disenos_Prefab_Buildings_-Banner_Blog_AI_Breaks-1536x499.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Cemex_Disenos_Prefab_Buildings_-Banner_Blog_AI_Breaks.png 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>*Enhanced Productivity includes topics like<\/strong> geotechnical analysis, project tendering, project design and budgeting, planning and schedule optimization, BIM &amp; digital twins, project monitoring and control, document management, health and safety tools, insurance and risk management, payments and finance tools, insurance and risk management, payments and finance tools, project quality and asset maintenance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-1 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-font-size has-medium-font-size\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-vivid-cyan-blue-to-vivid-purple-gradient-background has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/constructionstartupcompetition\/\">Explore Cemex Ventures focus areas here!<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"top-5-contech-deals-fueled-by-ai\">Top 5 Contech deals fueled by AI<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Three of the top five AI deals in 2024 were in the Enhanced Productivity category:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"598\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Infografia-graficos-plan-de-ventas-anual-empresa-profesional-azul-2-1-1024x598.png\" alt=\"artificial intelligence deals\" class=\"wp-image-109524 img-fluid\" style=\"width:550px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Infografia-graficos-plan-de-ventas-anual-empresa-profesional-azul-2-1-1024x598.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Infografia-graficos-plan-de-ventas-anual-empresa-profesional-azul-2-1-300x175.png 300w, https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Infografia-graficos-plan-de-ventas-anual-empresa-profesional-azul-2-1-768x449.png 768w, https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Infografia-graficos-plan-de-ventas-anual-empresa-profesional-azul-2-1-1536x897.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Infografia-graficos-plan-de-ventas-anual-empresa-profesional-azul-2-1.png 1929w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"key-takeaways\">Key takeaways<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Closing out 2024, these are our 5 major conclusions:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"1\">\n<li>Contech investment is stabilizing, and the growing activity and investment in the last two quarters of 2024 is a positive signal for 2025.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"2\">\n<li>The United States and Europe continue leading investment and activity with 85% of all transactions.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"3\">\n<li>Productivity has again taken the lead as the largest area \u2013 119% YoY in US$ invested \u2013 fueled by AI and value-added solutions.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"4\">\n<li>AI deals have been 53% larger than the rest of deals, concentrating 37% of total funding. We expect this trend to continue globally in 2025.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"5\">\n<li>With the increasing number of corporate open innovation units, we expect more strategic investments in the next years.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want a deep dive into all the 2024 Contech investment data and the outlook for 2025\u2014plus a list of the 50 most promising startups of the year\u2014don\u2019t miss our Top 50 Contech Startups List &amp; Report 2025, developed by the Cemex Ventures investment team.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons has-custom-font-size has-medium-font-size is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-2 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-25\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-luminous-dusk-gradient-background has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/top-50\/\">Download here<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If we had to sum up 2024 in a few words, we\u2019d call it a year of uncertainty\u2014geopolitically and socially\u2014across [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":109553,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,27,43],"tags":[84],"class_list":["post-109474","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","category-cemex-ventures-2","category-experts-2","tag-investment"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109474","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/34"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=109474"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109474\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":109562,"href":"https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109474\/revisions\/109562"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/109553"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=109474"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=109474"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cemexventures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=109474"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}