SPUD

What SPUD does

SPUD is a UK-based, privately held software company that provides modular construction project management software to contractors. Founded by Paul Downey, a former construction buyer with two decades of industry experience, the platform is explicitly designed by construction professionals for construction workflows, addressing pain points such as paper timesheets, manual requisitions, delayed invoice processing, and disconnected project-to-office communication. The product is structured as a core platform with add-on modules covering Labour Management (biometric, facial recognition, and geofence clock-in), Supply Chain Management/Purchasing (requisitions, supplier catalogues, plant hire, PQQ, CVR, invoice auto-matching), Project QA, Plant Tracking, Fit For Work, Site Diary, and Data Rip OCR for automated invoice processing.

The underlying architecture is cloud-based with mobile applications available on iOS and Android, complemented by biometric hardware (fingerprint scanners, facial recognition units, tablets with 4G SIM) that can be hired or purchased. The OCR/computer vision pipeline integrates with Sage 50 accounting software to push approved invoices downstream. Security architecture is GDPR compliant and is currently pursuing ISO 27001 certification, with full penetration testing completed. The platform also incorporates a free supplier trading forum and CO2 emissions tracking from delivery vehicles, indicating light ecosystem and ESG features.

SPUD operates a hybrid go-to-market combining sales-led motion (proposal enquiry, direct outreach to enterprise contractors) with product-led growth elements (free trial, self-serve registration, mobile app stores). Pricing is modular and subscription-based per project (e.g., £199/month per project for fingerprint scanner bundle, £299/month per project for face scanner bundle, £150/month per additional project), with no long-term binding contracts. Revenue streams include software subscriptions, hardware hire/sales, paid online training (£75/hour), and extended database storage (£2/month per 100GB after a 12-month free post-project period). The customer base spans one-person operators through enterprises with up to £900M turnover, with 10,000+ users across the UK and Europe.

Name

SPUD

Legal name

SPUD

Website

https://spudnow.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SPUD is a UK-based construction project management software provider offering modular Labour Management, Purchasing, QA, Plant Tracking, and OCR/invoice automation tools to contractors ranging from sole traders to £900M-turnover enterprises across the UK and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction Project Management Software

NAICS

Computer Systems Design and Related Services (5415)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAAAJAF

Purchase Order (PO) Management & Processing

Business & Public Services/Administrative & Support Services (BPO, Call Centers, Back Office)/Procurement & Purchasing Support (P2P, Vendor Admin)

Keywords

• Construction project management
• Construction procurement software
• Labour management software
• Supply chain management
• Plant tracking software

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Albans

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Software Subscription - Labour Management: Monthly subscription per project for Labour Management module with optional hardware hire. Includes unlimited users, mobile app, automatic timesheets, wages page, training tracking and alerts.
2. Hardware Sales/Hire: Biometric hardware (fingerprint scanners and facial recognition units) available for hire or purchase. Tablet hardware includes 4G SIM card option and 24-hour UK replacement guarantee.
3. Online Training Services: Charged online training sessions at £75 per hour for customers and prospects wanting to understand SPUD functionality.
4. Database Storage Services: After project closure, automatic 12-month storage included free. Extended archive storage available at £2 per month per 100GB.
5. Additional Modules: Additional software modules available for Project QA, Purchasing, Plant Tracking, and Supply Chain Management beyond the core Labour Management module.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SPUD is a cloud-based, modular construction project management software platform built for contractors. It combines Labour Management (biometric/geofence clock-in, timesheets, training tracking), Supply Chain Management (requisitions, supplier catalogues, call-off orders, plant hire, OCR invoice auto-matching with Sage 50 integration), Project QA (documents, NCR, compliance reporting), and Plant Tracking (inspections, QR codes, cost tracking) in a single system. Optional modules include Fit For Work (compliance/onboarding) and Site Diary (weather-integrated progress reporting with GPS-tagged media), sold on a monthly per-project subscription with no long-term contracts.

Product overview

SPUD is a modular online construction project management software platform designed and built by construction professionals. The core platform provides the foundational infrastructure, with four primary modules accessible to customers: Labour Management (for workforce attendance via biometric/face/geofence, timesheets, and training tracking), Supply Chain Management/Purchasing (for requisitions, supplier catalogues, plant hire, PQQ, estimating, and CVR), Project QA (for document control and NCR), and Plant Tracking (for equipment inspection and compliance). Additional optional modules include Fit For Work (onboarding and compliance), Site Diary (progress reporting with weather API), and Data Rip/OCR (automated invoice processing with Sage 50 integration). All modules are available on a no long-term contract basis with modular pricing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SPUD Construction Project Management Platform Modular cloud-based construction project management platform for UK and European contractors, offering Labour, Purchasing, Project QA, and Plant Tracking modules to control project costs and processes on a per-project subscription with no long-term binding contracts.
• Labour Management Module Workforce attendance and labour tracking module for construction sites, using biometric tablets (fingerprint or RFID), facial recognition units, or a geofence mobile app for clock-in/clock-out. Includes automatic timesheet generation, training matrix with expiry notifications, wages reporting, labour reports, and unlimited users.
• Supply Chain Management Module Purchasing and procurement module covering requisitions, supplier catalogues, call-off orders, subcontract orders, plant hire management, PQQ system for supplier compliance with ISO 9001:2015 clause 8.4.1, estimating, CVR (Cost Value Reconciliation), GRN, and automated invoice matching to purchase orders.
• Project QA Module Quality assurance module providing electronic documents, document categories, task calendar, NCR (Non-Conformance Reporting), and compliance reporting for construction projects.
• Plant Tracking Module Plant and equipment tracking module for construction sites including electronic inspections, schedule compliance, plant register, cost tracking, compliance reports, and QR code functionality.
• Fit For Work Module Workforce compliance and onboarding module managing employee information, electronic questionnaires, declarations, signatures, GDPR-compliant document uploads, internal training (toolbox talks, inductions, RAMS), and task scheduling.
• Site Diary Module Daily progress reporting tool providing weather data via API, staff breakdown by trade, priority alerts, text fields, image attachments with GPS location data, and document attachments for construction sites.
• Data Rip (OCR) Module Optical Character Recognition module that automatically scans supplier invoices received via email, extracts supplier, project, net, VAT, and gross amounts plus purchase order number, matches invoices to purchase orders and GRNs, sets status (Awaiting GRN, Query, or Auto approved), and pushes approved invoices into Sage 50. Supports bulk batch upload by suppliers matched by filename.
• SPUD Biometric Hardware Plug-and-play biometric hardware including fingerprint scanners (£199/month per project), facial recognition face scanners (£299/month per project), and tablets with optional 4G SIM card, designed to integrate with the Labour Management Module. Includes 24-hour UK replacement guarantee and IoT SIM with hardware.
• SPUD Online Training Online training sessions delivered to SPUD customers and prospects at £75 per hour (pay-as-you-go, written confirmation required), helping users understand and adopt SPUD modules.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced timesheet collation from 3 days to same-day reporting
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability2 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Sage 50coreTechnology or IntegrationSPUD has integrated their OCR module with Sage 50 accounting software, pushing full reports on approved-to-pay invoices directly to Sage 50. This integration allows accounts teams to work seamlessly between SPUD's invoice management and Sage's accounting system.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Buildertrend: Cloud-based construction project management platform targeting residential and light-commercial builders. Comparable in product category (modular SaaS for contractors) and serves an overlapping SMB contractor segment.
• Procore: Leading global construction project management SaaS platform offering project execution, workforce, and financial tools to contractors. Directly competes with SPUD in the UK and European mid-market and enterprise construction contractor segments.
• Causeway Technologies: UK-based construction software vendor serving contractors and the supply chain with project management, procurement, and back-office solutions. Overlaps directly with SPUD's construction vertical and UK contractor customer base.
• COINS: UK-headquartered construction software provider offering ERP and project management solutions to building and infrastructure contractors. A direct UK competitor serving the same construction contractor vertical as SPUD.

Broad incumbents

• Viewpoint (Trimble): Trimble-owned construction ERP and project management suite used by contractors worldwide. Offers overlapping construction-specific workflows (project management, procurement, document control) that compete with SPUD's modules.
• Oracle Primavera Unifier: Enterprise-grade project controls and capital program management from Oracle, frequently used by Tier 1 contractors and on large infrastructure projects like Thames Tideway — directly relevant for SPUD's enterprise expansion path.
• PlanGrid (Autodesk Construction Cloud): Autodesk's construction collaboration and field execution product, part of a broader Autodesk construction suite. Competes with SPUD in field/project management for general and specialty contractors.
• Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate (Timberline): Sage's own construction ERP product, which could either compete with or be adjacent to SPUD's accounting-integrated workflows. Relevant given SPUD's existing Sage 50 partnership.
• Bluebeam (Nemetschek): Construction document management, markup, and collaboration tools used across the construction industry. Adjacent competitor for SPUD's document, QA, and site diary functionality.

Emerging players

• LetsBuild: European construction project management and field collaboration platform serving general contractors. Comparable in target customer (construction contractors) and geographic overlap with SPUD's UK/European footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/spud-construct
• Xx.com/spudnow

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SPUD