The American software company Autodesk has announced its plans to acquire PlanGrid for $875 million. Autodesk which is based in San Francisco helped move blueprints from paper to the iPad when it launched in 2011.
“There is a huge opportunity to streamline all aspects of construction through digitization and automation. The acquisition of PlanGrid will accelerate our efforts to improve construction workflows for every stakeholder in the construction process,” CEO Andrew Anagnost stated.
PlanGrid has excelled at building beautiful, simple field collaboration software, and on the other hand, Autodesk has focused on connecting design to construction. Together, these companies can drive greater productivity and predictability on the jobsite.
PlanGrid currently has 400 employees, 12,000 customers and 120,000 paid users, and has been used on over a million construction projects worldwide, according to data provided by the companies.
The companies believe that under Autodesk’s umbrella and combined with their existing product set, they can provide a complete construction solution and grow the business faster than PlanGrid could have on its own.
“The heart of construction is just a lot of construction blueprints information. It’s all tracked on paper right now and they’re constantly, constantly changing,” Autodesk CEO and co-founder Tracy Young said.
As an engineer working for a construction company, who was at one time responsible for making the paper copies, she recognized that the process could be improved by moving it into the digital realm.