Ensuring Responsible Economic Development
There are a lot of reasons why environmentally-responsible construction is important: It preserves the carbon-trapping, flood-absorbing ecosystems we need to soften the blow of climate change. It protects biodiversity. Thanks to Ecobot, it also saves architects, engineers, and builders time and money.
The permitting required for construction was once a slow, tedious, 1970s relic that leaked information and drained manpower like a sieve. Now, with Ecobot’s innovative environmental permitting platform, it’s an efficient, streamlined process that collects vast reservoirs of crucial ecological data. Ecobot helps large-scale engineering and construction firms ensure consistency across a distributed workforce and promotes the use of environmental data to build a more climate-change resilient world.
Having only been on the market since January of 2019, the platform is already being used by over 1,500 customers who have completed more than 7,500 wetland delineation projects and submitted over 70,000 environmental regulatory reports. Ecobot has hired 10 employees, raised over 3 million in capital, and “wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Hatch and Venture Asheville,” stated CEO and cofounder, Lee Lance.
From Languishing to Launched
In 2018, Lee and his cofounder were uncertain about their mission to expedite environmental permitting. “We knew that there was no way this was going to get off the ground at the part-time rate we were going, we didn’t have any money left for pitching our concept, and we both had full time jobs. But then Jeff Kaplan invited me out for a beer,” Lance recalled.
With Kaplan’s encouragement, the Ecobot founders applied to participate in Hatch’s Demo Day, a fast-paced competition which offered entrepreneurs free mentorship and the opportunity to deliver business pitches before a panel of judges. Ecobot’s pitch won the 2018 event, earning the company’s founders capital they could use to continue pursuing investment.
“Before Demo Day, we didn’t even have a clear trajectory. After? We had funds, encouragement, and a story to tell. Demo Day equipped us with what we needed to raise our seed round,” commented Lance. “Our involvement with Hatch and Venture Asheville’s Elevate program was an inflection point for us.”
A Resource-Rich Business Support Ecosystem
Ecobot also participated in Elevate, a long-term mentorship program offered by Venture Asheville to aid WNC entrepreneurs in building strong, sustainable businesses. This program is free for founders’ entire first years of participation, exemplifying the quality and value of the resources available to area business owners.
Now that Hatch and Venture Asheville have joined forces to create an innovation hub, founders like Lance can access everything they need to grow under one roof, including world-class mentors, capital, and a supportive community. The importance of that last benefit cannot be overstated.
Ecobot is moving its operation to Hatch as soon as the construction of the building’s new office spaces is complete. “It’s important that our team plug into Hatch’s dynamic community,” Lance explained. “Immersing ourselves in a space where folks think outside the box will help us approach challenges from novel angles, too.”
But it’s not just the opportunity to get in on Hatch’s creative buzz that’s motivating the move downtown. It’s also the chance to give back. “I don’t know a lot, but do I know a little, and I want to be available as a resource for those who are just getting started out,” stated Lance.
Learn More, Get Involved
By tapping into the robust founder’s support ecosystem headquartered at Hatch, Ecobot can continue helping the construction industry protect our natural ecosystems for years to come. We’re thrilled to help Ecobot help architects, engineers, and construction firms build a more resilient, sustainable society, and we’re eager to help other founders accomplish their goals, too.
If you’re a WNC entrepreneur interested in exploring the exceptional programs and services available to you through Venture Asheville and Hatch, visit ventureasheville.com and hatchinnovationhub.org. If you’d like to get involved in our organizations’ efforts to promote entrepreneurial growth in WNC, you can contact us or donate here.