00:00 - Seed funding for construction tech startup
05:13 - Starting the AI research collaboration
09:00 - Deciding to start a company
11:57 - Discussing successful business exits
13:21 - Challenges transitioning from PhD to startup
16:41 - In-house AI development debate
20:55 - Future of collaborative construction
00:00 — Raising seed funding to reduce construction risk
Stamati Liapous introduces Enlay, the construction technology company he leads as CEO, CTO, and co-founder. Fresh off a $5 million seed round, Enlay helps developers, builders, and owners navigate the commercial, contractual, and financial risks behind complex construction projects.
05:13 — Turning neuroscience research into construction AI
Stamati explains how his research in computational neuroscience inspired Enlaye’s technology. By adapting graph neural networks originally used to study learning and pattern recognition in the brain, the founders began developing tools capable of identifying and predicting risk across construction projects.
09:00 — Deciding to turn an idea into a company
After years of late-night brainstorming and experimenting with ideas, Stamati and his co-founder faced the decision to build Enlaye full-time. He explains how entrepreneurial risk-taking and “regret minimization” helped him leave the traditional academic path and pursue the company.
11:57 — Building a company with a longtime friend
Stamati reflects on the strength of founding Enlaye with someone he has known since high school. Their long history creates trust, faster communication, and a shared sense of purpose—turning the uncertainty of building a startup into something they can navigate together.
13:21 — Transitioning from a PhD to startup life
Stamati argues that PhDs can make exceptional founders because they already understand self-motivation, fundraising, experimentation, and becoming obsessed with difficult problems. The biggest adjustment is speed: startups demand faster decisions, shorter experiments, and immediate feedback from customers.
16:41 — Debating whether construction companies should build AI in-house
Stamati examines whether large construction companies should create their own technology or rely on specialized startups. While internal experimentation can be valuable, he argues that building software can distract traditional companies from their core strengths—and that dedicated technology companies often develop stronger solutions faster.
20:55 — Building a safer, more collaborative construction industry
Stamati looks toward a future in which predictive technology helps construction stakeholders collaborate, anticipate risks, and prevent catastrophic failures. Because construction shapes the physical spaces people depend on, better risk-management tools are not merely about efficiency—they can protect infrastructure and save lives.
On this episode, host Beck Bamberger sits down with Stamati ...
On this episode of BAM By BIG, Beck Bamberger sits down with...
On this episode of Coffee With a Founder, host Beck Bamberge...
