Monumental Labs Secures $8 Million to Scale Robotic Stone Construction, Targeting Entire Buildings

Micah Springut, founder and CEO of Monumental Labs, recently announced ambitious plans to revolutionize the construction industry, moving beyond robotic-carved sculptures to assemble entire buildings from stone. In a recent social media post, Springut stated, "> Hello, new followers. We make sculptures with robots…and we’re making entire buildings soon." This declaration follows the company's significant $8 million funding round, led by Seven Seven Six, the venture capital fund of Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.

Monumental Labs, established in 2022, is developing an AI-powered robotic fabrication platform designed to make intricate stone sculpture and architecture accessible at scale. The company aims to drastically reduce stone fabrication costs by up to 90%, thereby reviving traditional stone craftsmanship. Their technology, which began with a single robot in July 2023, is expanding into a new 40,000-square-foot facility in Greenpoint, New York City, set to house a dozen robots and a team of artists and craftsmen.

The company's current work encompasses art commissions, historical restoration projects, and new architectural elements, such as statues for a residential college at the University of Michigan. Springut envisions a future where structural stone, a material with significantly lower carbon intensity than steel and concrete, becomes the default for construction, enabling the creation of 50-story stone buildings. This approach not only promises aesthetic and durable structures but also offers substantial environmental benefits.

Monumental Labs integrates cutting-edge robotics and AI with human artistry, employing hand carvers to refine robot-produced pieces. This collaborative model, according to Springut, is creating new job opportunities for skilled artisans in a field that was previously diminishing. The company's innovative use of technology is poised to bring ornate and complex architectural forms back into mainstream construction, blending historical aesthetics with modern efficiency.