Keshav Sharma, an engineer & the CEO/Founder of Augrade is training physics based AI models that convert 2D building blueprints into building code-compliant 3D CAD designs along with cost analysis & documentation, enabling Concept to Construction within days.

He is an EV & O’Shaughnessy grant winner, has previously scaled an AI assistant for Healthcare during COVID-19 & also built AR/VR devices for better design interaction amongst other such endeavours.

The vision behind Augrade is to Augment Human Capabilities by automating Construction of complex projects on Earth & beyond.

Dr. Nikhil Bugalia is currently working as an Assistant Professor in the Construction Management group at IIT Madras. His primary research focuses on understanding the interactions between technical, human, and organizational issues in safety management in the construction sector.

More broadly, Dr. Nikhil’s work focuses on applying systems thinking on various complex construction industry issues.  At IIT Madras, he has been exploring applications of technologies such as AI/ML, and VR for their applications in the construction.

Dr. Nikhil obtained his Ph.D. degree from the University of Tokyo, Japan, working on the Safety Management of the Japanese High-Speed Railway. He also obtained his bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from IIT Kanpur. He serves as the secretary for the Special Interest Group on High-Speed Railway at the World Conference on Transport Research Society. 

Prarthi Patel is a seasoned finance professional with 10+ years of experience in corporate accounting, business finance, portfolio management and strategic investments in Pidilite Industries Limited. Currently, as Senior Manager, Strategic Investments & Investor Relations, 

Prarthi oversees a ₹300 Cr. portfolio (Pidilite Ventures) and drives growth through investment analysis, due diligence, and strategic partnerships. She has been instrumental in setting up incubation businesses, developing investment theses, and managing investor relations.

Keshav is the Chief Investment Officer at Brigade REAP, the Proptech investment and accelerator arm of Brigade Group.

With 15 years of experience in alternative investments, he has specialized in real estate and early-stage ventures. Keshav spent nearly a decade with the Piramal Group, managing a $500 million portfolio in balance sheet lending and third-party AIFs. Transitioning to the early-stage ecosystem, he became a founder and later an investor with Core91, an early-stage B2B SaaS fund.

At REAP, Keshav combines his passion for real estate, startups, and investments.

Aditya, based in Pune, is a Venture Partner at Brick & Mortar Ventures focusing on APAC investments. He helps portfolio companies with product strategy, from market fit to scaling. His 7+ years in Construction Technology include witnessing a startup scale to acquisition.

His global experience spans the US, EMEA, APAC, and Middle East markets. Prior roles include Director of Product Management at Autodesk (building construction software) and at PlanGrid (acquired by Autodesk), where he developed enterprise tools and led customer acquisition tools.

He’s involved in his family’s Construction and Manufacturing businesses, further fueling his passion for industry innovation.

As part of NOVA, the External Ventures team of Saint-Gobain Research India, Tejas leads collaborations with and investments in startups in India. His focus revolves around fostering innovation ecosystems that drive value creation through the strategic deployment of corporate venture capital. With his expertise in mechanical engineering and a robust background in strategy and global marketing, Tejas excels in connecting groundbreaking technologies with the right opportunities.

He also serves as an Adjunct Professor at Dayananda Sagar Institutions, where he teaches Strategic Decision Making and Management in the Executive MBA Program. This role has honed his ability to articulate and disseminate complex strategies, enriching his professional practice with academia’s cutting-edge perspectives. This synergy of practical experience and scholarly insight equips him to spearhead initiatives that translate research into tangible, market-ready solutions.

Aditya, based in Pune, is a Venture Partner at Brick & Mortar Ventures focusing on APAC investments. He helps portfolio companies with product strategy, from market fit to scaling. His 7+ years in Construction Technology include witnessing a startup scale to acquisition.

His global experience spans the US, EMEA, APAC, and Middle East markets. Prior roles include Director of Product Management at Autodesk (building construction software) and at PlanGrid (acquired by Autodesk), where he developed enterprise tools and led customer acquisition tools.

He’s involved in his family’s Construction and Manufacturing businesses, further fueling his passion for industry innovation.

Saurabh is one of the co founders of vConstruct. As part of the vConstruct leaders group, Saurabh’s efforts are focused towards ensuring vConstruct is a healthy growing business that provides high value support to its customers.  

He has over 17 years of industry experience with over 10 years of experience managing implementation of VDC and lean construction techniques on large healthcare and commercial projects in USA. These implementations have helped deliver the right value to clients by improving multi-disciplinary trade coordination, constructibility, permitting, and cost and schedule performance. His work has been published in renowned publications including IGLC and AEC Bytes.   

Saurabh holds a Master of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Stanford University with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Management and a Bachelor in Architecture from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur.  

Manoj is part of the vConstruct leadership team and is leading the DSA (Data Science and Analytics) team. He is playing a leadership role in defining the AI/ML strategy for vConstruct and mentoring the team on some important AI/ML solutions developed by vConstruct.

Manoj also leads operations and is responsible for HR, Recruitment, IT, Marketing, and SEZ operations. He provides mentorship to the Finance and accounting and Software development groups and leads some of the key strategic initiatives at vConstruct. 

Manoj has 30 years of experience working across the US, Europe, and APAC regions. He has over 20 years of experience in senior leadership positions in various organizations. His experience includes managing large-scale programs and leading overall operations for different companies. He played a key role in scaling up multiple organizations in India and overseas. 

Manoj holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Software Application Engineering.