The most critical piece of software on a construction site is often a shared spreadsheet. It lists the 2x4s, conduit, and drywall needed for the week, cobbled together from emails, handwritten notes, and supplier catalogs. Kojo, a San Francisco-based startup, has spent the last six years and $89 million trying to replace that spreadsheet with a system that connects everyone from the foreman in the mud to the accountant in the office [PERPLEXITY SONAR PRO BRIEF, Unknown] [Entrepreneur, April 2026].
The bet on procurement as a platform
Kojo's core bet is that materials procurement is not just a back-office function but the central workflow that can digitize an entire jobsite. The platform aims to be a single source of truth, linking field crews, purchasing teams, warehouse staff, and material vendors [PERPLEXITY SONAR PRO BRIEF, Unknown]. The initial wedge was electrical contractors, a trade with complex, high-value material lists. From that beachhead, Kojo has expanded to serve eight other trades, including mechanical, concrete, drywall, and roofing [PERPLEXITY SONAR PRO BRIEF, Unknown]. The goal is to give contractors real-time visibility into pricing, order status, and inventory, turning a historically fragmented and manual process into a controlled, data-driven operation.
The company's traction suggests the bet is finding its audience. Kojo reported processing $5 billion in annual orders as of April 2026 [Entrepreneur, April 2026]. By October 2023, it had 500 customers, and its platform was used by 11,000 construction professionals as of March 2023 [Forbes, October 2023] [TechCrunch, March 2023]. The company also claims its system has powered more than 10,000 projects across 46 states, though that figure dates to 2022 [PERPLEXITY SONAR PRO BRIEF, Unknown].
A funding history built for scale
To build a platform capable of handling billions in order volume, Kojo has raised substantial capital across multiple rounds. The funding has come from a mix of traditional venture firms and strategic investors from construction and distribution, signaling both financial and industry validation.
2020 Series A | 7 | M USD
2021 Series B | 33 | M USD
2022 Series C | 39 | M USD
2025 Series C Extension | 10 | M USD
The $39 million Series C in 2022 was led by Battery Ventures, with participation from Schneider Electric and real estate firm RXR [PERPLEXITY SONAR PRO BRIEF, Unknown]. A key strategic move was the $10 million Series C extension in September 2025, led by Wesco, the largest electrical distributor in the United States [Axios Pro, September 2025]. This partnership is less about capital and more about integration, providing a direct pipeline to supplier catalogs and custom pricing.
The founder's path from observer to operator
CEO Maria Davidson founded Kojo (originally Agora Systems) in 2018 after identifying chronic inefficiencies in construction procurement [PERPLEXITY SONAR PRO BRIEF, Unknown]. An immigrant born in Moscow and raised in Israel, Davidson moved to the U.S. and later became a citizen [PERPLEXITY SONAR PRO BRIEF, Unknown]. Her prior role was as a relationship manager at small-business lender Kabbage, an experience that likely informed Kojo's later expansion into financial operations like invoice matching [Maria Davidson - Relationship Manager at Kabbage, Inc | LinkedIn, 2026].
She co-founded the company with Ryan Gibson, the former CTO, and Micah Rodman, the former COO [PERPLEXITY SONAR PRO BRIEF, Unknown]. Public records indicate Gibson has since moved on, listed as a Partner at venture firm Eclipse, while Rodman's current role is cited variably as CEO or COO [Ryan Gibson - Seedtable Person Profile, Unknown] [Mick Upchurch - President, CEO and Owner - Current Edge... | LinkedIn, 2026]. This evolution in the founding team's roles is common for a company that has scaled past the startup phase and brought in professional management.
Expanding the surface area beyond ordering
A pure procurement tool has a natural ceiling. Kojo's strategy to expand its reach and stickiness is to move into adjacent workflows, essentially becoming the operating system for materials management. The most significant addition is Invoice Matching, launched in 2023 [PERPLEXITY SONAR PRO BRIEF, Unknown]. This product compares purchase orders with incoming supplier invoices, automatically flagging discrepancies and billing mistakes. It addresses a major pain point in contractor financial operations and creates a logical expansion from procurement into payments.
The company has also built a wide net of integrations with incumbent systems, a necessary move for enterprise adoption in construction. Kojo connects with major ERP and project management platforms including Procore, Autodesk, Sage, and QuickBooks [Kojo Construction Material Management Software, Unknown]. This allows it to slot into existing tech stacks rather than demanding a full rip-and-replace.
The technical breakdown and scale risks
From an infrastructure perspective, Kojo's platform is less about novel algorithms and more about system integration and data normalization. The core technical challenge is establishing reliable, two-way data flows with a fragmented and often analog supplier base. The Wesco partnership is a template for solving this: a deep integration with a major distributor creates a smooth channel for real-time catalog and pricing data [Kojo Launches New Integrations With Nation's Largest Suppliers for Trade Contractors, Unknown].
The platform's architecture likely centers on a centralized database that maps materials to projects, vendors, and costs, with role-based interfaces for field, office, and warehouse users. The value is in the connections, not the complexity of any single component.
The sober assessment lies in what could go wrong at this scale. The primary risk is dependency on a few large distribution partners for the integrity of its core data. If a key relationship sours or a major supplier decides to build a competing platform, Kojo's value proposition could erode. Furthermore, while the company cites impressive order volume, the translation of that gross merchandise value into durable, high-margin SaaS revenue is the metric that will ultimately matter to investors. The construction industry is also notoriously cyclical; a downturn in commercial building could quickly throttle the growth of a platform tied directly to materials spending.
What to watch in the next twelve months
The next phase for Kojo will be defined by depth, not just breadth. Key milestones to watch include whether the company can convert its strategic investor, Wesco, into a deep, exclusive distribution channel. Another signal will be the adoption rate of its Invoice Matching product, which represents a move up the value chain into financial operations. Given its last extension was in late 2025, another funding round to fuel further expansion or prepare for profitability is likely on the horizon within the next year. The bet is no longer on proving the concept, but on proving it can own the category.
Sources
- [PERPLEXITY SONAR PRO BRIEF, Unknown] Kojo: company brief
- [Entrepreneur, April 2026] How She Grew Kojo to $5 Billion Annual Orders in 5 Years
- [Forbes, October 2023] Maria Davidson Builds Kojo To Make Construction More Efficient
- [TechCrunch, March 2023] We're only beginning to see the impact of Silicon Valley Bank's implosion
- [Axios Pro, September 2025] Exclusive: Kojo closes $10M Series C extension from Wesco
- [Maria Davidson - Relationship Manager at Kabbage, Inc | LinkedIn, 2026] Maria Davidson LinkedIn Profile
- [Ryan Gibson - Seedtable Person Profile, Unknown] Ryan Gibson - Seedtable Person Profile
- [Mick Upchurch - President, CEO and Owner - Current Edge... | LinkedIn, 2026] LinkedIn post referencing Micah Rodman
- [Kojo Construction Material Management Software, Unknown] Kojo Construction Material Management Software
- [Kojo Launches New Integrations With Nation's Largest Suppliers for Trade Contractors, Unknown] Kojo Launches New Integrations With Nation's Largest Suppliers for Trade Contractors