Building Transparency
Building Transparency is a Seattle-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates EC3, a free global tool and the world's largest open-access EPD database, enabling architecture, engineering, and construction professionals and building owners to measure and reduce embodied carbon in construction projects.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersSeattle, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Building Transparency does
Building Transparency is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2020 and headquartered in Seattle, WA, that operates the Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3), a free, open-access global tool for benchmarking and reducing embodied carbon in construction projects. The platform is powered by the world's largest open-access database of Environmental Product Declarations (200,000+ verified EPDs from 2,000+ manufacturers in 85 countries), with data quality maintained through AI-enabled PDF parsing, validation, anomaly detection, and GWP interpretation. The organization serves architecture, engineering, and construction professionals, building owners, material manufacturers, and government policymakers; enterprise adopters include Microsoft (30% embodied carbon reduction on Puget Sound campus, portfolio-wide EC3 mandate), Amazon (20% concrete carbon reduction at Virginia HQ and data centers globally), Skanska, Perkins&Will, ZGF, and KieranTimberlake.
Building Transparency operates a hybrid revenue model blending philanthropic contributions (Transparency Heroes at $200K+, Champions at $100K+, Supporters at $25K+, Contributors below $25K) with a tiered API licensing program ($5K–$50K/year based on customer revenue), individual Pilot Access subscriptions ($500/year or $50/month), and custom Enterprise Partnership arrangements with dedicated hosted instances. Distribution is primarily product-led and self-serve, augmented by native integrations with Autodesk Construction Cloud, Bentley iTwin, Procore, OneClickLCA, cove.tool, 2050 Materials, Tangible, and Transparency Catalog. The organization also runs the Open Data for Climate initiative (ODCi) to expand LCA coverage in under-served geographies and operates Carbon Action Networks (materialsCAN, ownersCAN, contractorsCAN) for community building.
In April 2026, Building Transparency divested its tallyLCA tool to C.Scale, refocusing internal resources on EC3 2.0 development. EC3 2.0 introduces cloud-agnostic architecture, expanded environmental impact categories, Assembly Builder and Project Planner workflows, and broadened AI-enabled data quality. The organization holds SOC 2 Type 2 certification, is governed by a board including Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Skanska USA, and University of Washington Life Cycle Lab representatives, and outsources software development to Xseed Solutions.
Building Transparency firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Building Transparency
- Legal name
- Building Transparency
- Website
- https://buildingtransparency.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Building Transparency is a Seattle-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates EC3, a free global tool and the world's largest open-access EPD database, enabling architecture, engineering, and construction professionals and building owners to measure and reduce embodied carbon in construction projects.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Building Transparency industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Embodied Carbon / Construction Sustainability Software
- NAICS
- Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518210)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Product Sustainability & LCA/EPD (Eco-design, PCF) (EUAHAJAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Carbon Credit/REC Tracking, Claims & Chain-of-Custody Platforms (EUABAEAH)
Keywords
Where Building Transparency is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seattle
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Building Transparency business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Charitable Contributions / Donations: Building Transparency is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that relies on philanthropic support from organizations at various levels: Transparency Heroes ($200,000+), Transparency Champions ($100,000+), Transparency Supporters ($25,000+), and Transparency Contributors (under $25,000). These contributions support EC3 as global public infrastructure, maintaining open access, improving data quality, and expanding global EPD coverage.
- Pilot Access Subscriptions: Individual pilot access to EC3 is offered at $500/year (annual) or $50/month. Corporate and enterprise partners receive priority access to pilot features and categories for all employees, plus regular biweekly support meetings and priority user support.
- API Access Licensing: Commercial API access is available at tiered pricing based on organization size: Free (research/learning), $5,000/year (small firms $0-1M), $10,000/year ($1-2M), $25,000/year ($2-10M), $50,000/year ($10M+). Paid access includes store/cache/reuse rights, commercial use in production apps, and priority support.
- Enterprise Partnership Services: Organizations requiring custom tool functionality can become EC3 Enterprise Partners, receiving individual hosted instances on dedicated servers, dedicated support, custom branding, portfolio tracking, and workflow customization for an annual fee.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free EC3 Tool - Core web application access |
| Freemium | Others | API Access - Research/Learning (Free) |
| Subscription | Annual | API Access - Small Firms / Early Startups ($0-1M revenue) |
| Subscription | Annual | API Access - Small Established Organizations ($1-2M revenue) |
| Subscription | Annual | API Access - Mid-sized Organizations ($2-10M revenue) |
| Subscription | Annual | API Access - Large-scale Organizations ($10M+ revenue) |
| Subscription | Annual | Individual Pilot Access - Annual |
| Subscription | Monthly | Individual Pilot Access - Monthly |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Building Transparency product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Building Transparency operates the EC3 (Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator) tool, a free open-access web application that allows users to find and compare building materials based on supply chain-specific Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) data, plan and compare embodied carbon emissions, declare products via standard EPD format, and audit/verify digital EPDs. It is backed by the world's largest open-access EPD database containing 200,000+ verified EPDs from 2,000+ manufacturers in 85 countries, with additional revenue-generating offerings including the EC3 API (tiered commercial data access), enterprise partnership programs with dedicated hosted instances, and pilot access subscriptions for early feature access.
Product overview
Building Transparency offers a suite of interconnected tools focused on embodied carbon reduction in the built environment. The core products are EC3 (Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator), a free open-access tool and underlying EPD database for benchmarking and reducing embodied carbon in construction projects, and tallyLCA, a whole-building life cycle assessment tool for architects and engineers (acquired by C.Scale in April 2026 with continued coordination on Tally 2.0 development). These are complemented by the EPD Database (largest open-access repository of digital, third-party verified EPDs), tallyCAT (a Revit plug-in for exporting material quantities to EC3), ODCi (Open Data for Climate initiative for expanding global LCA data coverage), and the EC3 API for programmatic data access. The organization is developing EC3 2.0 with enhanced cloud architecture, AI-enabled data quality, and expanded global coverage.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- EC3 (Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator): A free, open-access tool and supporting EPD database that encourages low-carbon specification and procurement to meet construction project sustainability goals.
- tallyLCA
- ODCi (Open Data for Climate initiative)
Products and services
- EC3 (Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator) A free, open-access global embodied carbon accounting tool that allows users to find and compare building materials based on supply chain-specific EPD data, plan and compare project potential and realized embodied carbon emissions, declare products via standard EPD format, and audit/verify digital EPDs. Built on BIM models, construction estimates, or as-builts and a digital EPD database.
- EPD Database The largest open-access database of digital, third-party verified Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) globally, with 200,000+ verified EPDs from 2,000+ manufacturers across 85 countries. Powers the EC3 tool and is leveraged by other technology providers via API.
- EC3 2.0 The next major version of the EC3 tool featuring cloud-agnostic architecture, AI-enabled data quality systems, expanded global EPD coverage, improved Find & Compare UI/UX with better filters and statistics, Assembly Builder and Project Planner workflows, and broader environmental impact categories including toxicity, water use, and recycled content.
- EC3 API Programmatic API access to EC3 embodied carbon data for software integrations, research, and production applications. Free tier (research/learning) provides 500 requests/day, 50K tokens/request, and 1M tokens/month. Paid tiers range from $5,000/year (small firms/early startups) to $50,000/year (large-scale organizations $10M+), with commercial use, caching, and priority support rights.
- EC3 Pilot Access Individual and corporate subscription program providing early access to pilot features and new product categories before public release. Individual access is $500/year or $50/month with quarterly Office Hours. Corporate and enterprise partners receive priority access across all employees, biweekly support meetings, and priority user support.
- EC3 Enterprise Partnership Custom enterprise offering providing individual hosted EC3 instances on dedicated servers, dedicated support, custom branding, portfolio tracking, and workflow customization for organizations with advanced functionality requirements, available for an annual fee.
- ODCi (Open Data for Climate initiative) Program providing free, open-access, transparent, and credible LCA data for construction materials to accelerate decarbonization of the built environment, developing carbon footprint data for materials and geographies that currently lack any, while remaining compliant with global EPD standards.
Quantifiable outcome
- 30%+ carbon emissions reductions in markets where EPD data exists when using EC3 to select and procure low-carbon materials
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Building Transparency
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Building Transparency technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
AI capability3 records
Feature6 records
Building Transparency partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
35 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, major and minor.
- C.ScalecoreC.Scale acquired the Tally LCA tool from Building Transparency in April 2026. The acquisition connects C.Scale's early-stage carbon modeling with Tally's BIM-integrated analysis and EC3's product-level data, providing design teams a continuous workflow from concept through construction. C.Scale will develop Tally 2.0 with support from KieranTimberlake and in coordination with Building Transparency. Building Transparency focuses resources on EC3 2.0 development.
- KieranTimberlakecoreOriginal developers of Tally methodology providing continued development support for Tally 2.0 in partnership with C.Scale and Building Transparency coordination. KieranTimberlake helped incubate EC3 and contributes to embodied carbon tool ecosystem.
- AutodeskcoreEC3 integrated with Autodesk Construction Cloud through a marketplace app. Autodesk is also a Transparency Supporter ($25,000+) and provides SSO integration for EC3 registration.
- ProcorecoreEC3 integrated with Procore platform marketplace app, making EPD data accessible within Procore files for seamless embodied carbon estimating.
- OneClickLCAcoreEC3 and One Click LCA integrated to provide access to more and better embodied carbon data for construction projects.
- BentleycoreBentley integrates its infrastructure digital twin platform iTwin with EC3 for carbon calculation capabilities.
- Perkins&WillcoreArchitecture firm sponsor that enabled TallyLCA compatibility with Revit 2025 and 2026. Early adopter of EC3 with published case studies. Active in LCA ecosystem and carbon-neutral design commitments.
- C-Change LabscoreOriginal co-creator and former developer of EC3 tool. Building Transparency acknowledges their contributions.
- Xseed SolutionscoreSoftware development provided by dedicated team at Xseed Solutions for Building Transparency.
- Amazon (Transparency Hero)flagshipTransparency Hero donor ($200,000+) providing catalytic philanthropic investment. Amazon uses EC3 for Virginia HQ and data centers globally, requiring 20% carbon reduction for concrete.
- Google (Transparency Champion)coreTransparency Champion donor ($100,000+) providing reliable annual support for BT operations and data stewardship. Google representative (Noah Goldstein) serves as Vice Chair of Board.
- Microsoft (Transparency Champion)coreTransparency Champion donor ($100,000+). Microsoft is pilot sponsor and one of first/largest corporate users. Used EC3 for Puget Sound project achieving 30%+ carbon reduction.
- Skanska (Transparency Champion)coreTransparency Champion donor ($100,000+). Skanska representative (Steve Clem) serves as Treasurer on Board. Uses EC3 on commercial development projects.
- Bentley (Transparency Supporter)majorTransparency Supporter ($25,000+) strengthening EC3 as free platform. Also technology integration partner.
- Clark Construction (Transparency Supporter)majorTransparency Supporter ($25,000+) strengthening EC3 as free platform through data quality and standards alignment.
- McKinstry (Transparency Supporter)majorTransparency Supporter ($25,000+) strengthening EC3 as free platform.
- Behr Paint Company (Transparency Supporter)majorTransparency Supporter ($25,000+) strengthening EC3 as free platform.
- Turner ConstructioncoreImplementation and technology partner working to decarbonize built environment through product category development and enterprise EC3 instances.
- ArupcoreImplementation and technology partner providing engineering expertise for embodied carbon analysis.
- LendleaseminorImplementation and technology partner working on decarbonization through construction.
- SLBminorImplementation and technology partner for embodied carbon solutions.
- BuiltColdminorImplementation and technology partner for embodied carbon in cold storage/construction.
- Carbon Leadership Forum (CLF)coreEPD ecosystem collaborator. CLF helped found Building Transparency and EC3. Offers policy tracking map and embodied carbon resources.
- USGBCcoreEPD ecosystem collaborator. USGBC's LEED certification system connects with EC3 for embodied carbon tracking.
- University of Washington Life Cycle LabcoreEPD ecosystem collaborator. Kate Simonen from UW Life Cycle Lab serves as Secretary on Building Transparency Board. Academic research partner.
- Architecture 2030coreEPD ecosystem collaborator working on zero carbon building initiatives.
- EcoPlatformminorEPD ecosystem collaborator for European EPD harmonization.
- UNIDO-IDDIminorEPD ecosystem collaborator for international development.
- Built Environment PlusminorEPD ecosystem collaborator for regional building sustainability.
- ZGFmajorTransparency Contributor supporting BT's tools as open-access resources. Architecture firm using EC3 on projects.
- Perkins&WillmajorTransparency Contributor. Architecture firm sponsor of TallyLCA Revit compatibility and early EC3 adopter.
- TangiblemajorTransparency Contributor. Also integration partner for EC3 data.
- Ryan CompaniesminorTransparency Contributor supporting BT's open-access mission.
- RayminorTransparency Contributor.
- Heidelberg MaterialsminorTransparency Contributor. Major building materials manufacturer.
Scale indicators16 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Building Transparency competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Tangible: Tangible is a material health and embodied carbon reporting platform integrated with EC3. It addresses overlapping use cases around product-level embodied carbon disclosure and reporting for building project teams, positioning it as both a partner and adjacent competitor.
- One Click LCA: One Click LCA is a leading whole-building life cycle assessment software platform serving architects, engineers, and contractors worldwide. It is directly comparable to EC3 and TallyLCA, and the two platforms are already integrated — making it Building Transparency's closest commercial counterpart in the embodied carbon tool category.
- cove.tool: cove.tool is a building performance analysis platform that helps AEC professionals simulate energy and carbon profiles of projects. EC3 is integrated into cove.tool's solutions, but it competes for the same architect and engineer workflows focused on whole-building carbon and energy modeling.
- C.Scale: C.Scale is a building performance data platform that acquired the Tally LCA tool from Building Transparency in April 2026. It is a direct peer in early-stage carbon modeling and now controls Tally 2.0 development, making it both a partner and a near-direct competitor in the AEC LCA software space.
- 2050 Materials: 2050 Materials is a building materials transparency platform that aggregates EPD data to help users compare low-carbon products. It uses EC3 as its underlying EPD data source, making it both a downstream integration partner and a direct competitor in the materials benchmarking category.
Broad incumbents
- Procore: Procore is the leading construction management platform used by contractors worldwide. EC3 is integrated via a Procore marketplace app to bring EPD data into project files, positioning Procore as a distribution channel but also a broad incumbent that could embed embodied carbon features natively.
- Autodesk Construction Cloud: Autodesk Construction Cloud is a broad incumbent AEC software suite integrating BIM, project management, and cost control. EC3 is integrated as a marketplace app within Autodesk Construction Cloud, and Autodesk itself could expand native embodied carbon features that compete with EC3's functionality.
- Bentley iTwin: Bentley's iTwin infrastructure digital twin platform integrates with EC3 for carbon calculation capabilities across infrastructure projects. As a broad incumbent in infrastructure engineering software, Bentley is both a major integration partner and a potential competitor as it expands sustainability features.
Emerging players
- ClimateEarth: ClimateEarth is an embodied carbon and EPD ecosystem collaborator working on life cycle assessment tools and policy support for construction. It overlaps with Building Transparency's mission around data infrastructure for embodied carbon but with a smaller independent footprint.
- Sustainable Minds: Sustainable Minds provides LCA software and EPD program management tools for manufacturers and product designers. It serves overlapping stakeholders (manufacturers publishing EPDs, designers using LCA data) but focuses more on the product design and EPD authoring side rather than AEC procurement workflows.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Building Transparency social profiles
Digital presenceBuilding Transparency compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Building Transparency financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Building Transparency leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Building Transparency funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Building Transparency M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Building Transparency
What does Building Transparency do?
Building Transparency operates the EC3 (Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator) tool, a free open-access web application that allows users to find and compare building materials based on supply chain-specific Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) data, plan and compare embodied carbon emissions, declare products via standard EPD format, and audit/verify digital EPDs. It is backed by the world's largest open-access EPD database containing 200,000+ verified EPDs from 2,000+ manufacturers in 85 countries, with additional revenue-generating offerings including the EC3 API (tiered commercial data access), enterprise partnership programs with dedicated hosted instances, and pilot access subscriptions for early feature access.
Is Building Transparency a public or private company?
Building Transparency is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Building Transparency founded?
Building Transparency was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Building Transparency based?
Building Transparency is headquartered in Seattle, United States, in the North America region.
How does Building Transparency make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Charitable Contributions / Donations are the primary driver. The others are pilot Access Subscriptions, API Access Licensing and enterprise Partnership Services.
Who are Building Transparency's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Tangible, One Click LCA, cove.tool, C.Scale and 2050 Materials. Broad incumbents are Procore, Autodesk Construction Cloud and Bentley iTwin. Emerging players are ClimateEarth and Sustainable Minds.
Does Building Transparency have an API?
Yes. The EC3 API provides access to EC3 data through a standardized API program designed to support open access, technical scalability, and long-term stewardship of EC3 as public infrastructure. It enables organizations to integrate trusted embodied-carbon data into research, tools, and production systems. Free tier provides rate-limited access: 500 requests/day, 50K tokens/request, 1M tokens/month. Paid API access tiers range from $5,000/year (small firms/early startups) to $50,000/year (large-scale organizations $10M+). API Terms of Service require notification before integrating EC3 data into any platform. Production access grants permission to access, store, cache, and reuse EC3 data during the contract term and use it in commercial and production applications. Developer documentation is at docs.buildingtransparency.org/ec3/api-and-integrations.
What industry is Building Transparency in?
Building Transparency's product category is Embodied Carbon / Construction Sustainability Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAHAJAF, Product Sustainability & LCA/EPD (Eco-design, PCF), with a secondary code of EUABAEAH, Carbon Credit/REC Tracking, Claims & Chain-of-Custody Platforms. Its NAICS code is 518210 and its SIC code is 7370.