Builk wins Echelon 2012 Launchpad, Between emerges as runner-up

Patai (trophy in hand) flanked by the judges.

Builk is the winner of this year’s Echelon Launchpad. The Thai startup is a professional social network for the construction industry that doubles as a construction management web app.

Ten startups each had their turn in the cauldron at Echelon 2012’s pitch competition. Definitely a highlight among attendees, the Launchpad had put startups under the intense spotlight as they pitch and try to impress both the sophisticated crowd and inscrutable judges.

During Builk’s pitch, principal and co-founder Patai Padungtin shared that 1,400 construction firms have already registered with Builk since their launch in 2010.

(Read: Builk walks where few tech startups tread: Changing the construction industry)

He also revealed that they plan to expand to Indonesia, Vietnam, and Australia, and add new modules to Builk, such as the ability to collect pre-construction information from contractors.

Patai was quizzed by the judges on their mobile strategy and their business model. In response, he said that they have an Android app that lets users take photos of construction to document progress and show project owners the quality of the work.

Data collected by Builk will not be sold — they are used as market research for the construction industry. Instead, it relies purely on ad-support. Interested advertisers have included construction service providers, universities offering related courses, and suppliers.

As the champion, the startup has been awarded passes to Blackberry 10 Jam roadshow, Amazon gift vouchers worth US$100, and a Microsoft Azure cloud computing package worth US$60,000.

Here are some reactions from the floor:

Can see 3rd gen construction and developer companies using something like Builk in another 3-5 years. #Echelon2012 my family would. 🙂 — Yvonne Lim (@yvonneljy) June 11, 2012