Tampa construction tech startup secures $7M investment

A Tampa-based tech start up that bills itself as the “Uber for heavy equipment repair” announced a $7 million investment this week. 

Heave, a mobile app platform connecting construction companies with on-demand heavy equipment mechanics, says the new funding, a Series A investment given by New York-based Outsiders Fund, brings its total funding to $13 million, with contributions coming from New York’s FJ Labs and two San Francisco-based companies: Long Journey Ventures and SLOW Ventures.

Built for the construction industry, Heave connects construction companies with certified and vetted mobile mechanics who can service machinery on-site, eliminating costly equipment downtime. 

The company currently services more than 600 machines each month and has more than 300 active mechanics in its network out of a total pool of around 850 nationwide.

Heave, according to a statement, was founded by former dealership executive Alex Kraft in 2020 and adopted its platform-based service model in 2023, responding to customer service calls with a large network of mechanics ready to make repairs in less than 24 hours. 

Without the app, Kraft says it’s not unusual for construction companies to wait days or weeks for such repairs. 

“Heavy equipment is the lifeblood of the American construction economy, and downtime is a $1,000-per-hour problem for these businesses," Kraft, Heave’s CEO, says in the announcement. "This funding gives us the fuel to expand faster and deliver even more value to contractors who rely on us to keep their projects moving. We're not just speeding up repairs, we're redefining how this entire industry operates."

According to the company, Heave’s mobile app is already being used on construction sites in Florida and Texas, and it is rapidly expanding to the high-density Atlanta, Charlotte, and Nashville regions. 

The company operates with 21 employees working under a fully 1099 mechanic model. This structure provides flexible work opportunities for experienced technicians while also responding to the urgent needs of contractors and site operators, the company says. 

The brand’s approach also allows mechanics to service multiple equipment brands simultaneously and provides an opportunity for better pay, with some technicians seeing up to a 600% increase in earnings, the company says. 

"Alex and the team at Heave are seeing incredible early success in a highly complicated and fragmented market," George Easley, a partner at Outsiders Fund, says in the announcement. "Their thoughtful approach to solving the logistical and monetary pain of heavy equipment dealer service is positioning them to be a category-defining leader in construction tech."