Diverge

What Diverge does

Diverge is the innovation and investment arm of Hensel Phelps, one of the largest employee-owned general contracting firms in the United States. Founded in 2023 and headquartered at the Diverge Innovation Center in Phoenix, Arizona (grand opening September 24, 2025), the company operates a structured four-phase methodology — Sourcing Solutions, Discovery, Evaluation, and Operational Mobilization — to identify, test, and deploy construction-specific technologies across robotics, automation, AI, 3D printing, and digital platforms. Its primary internal customer is Hensel Phelps' project portfolio, where validated technologies are rolled out through training, process integration, and company-wide standardization; externally, Diverge serves construction technology startups, academic institutions, trade partners, and technology vendors through partnerships, co-investment, and ecosystem convening at the Innovation Center.

The company's core offerings are the Phoenix Innovation Center as a physical testing and collaboration facility, a venture portfolio (Green Badger, Kantiv, Track3D) and co-investor alliances with Shadow Ventures and Zacua Ventures, and an active partnership program with technology leaders including Hilti, HP, Trimble, Dusty Robotics, Rugged Robotics, Alquist 3D, and Flyability. Notable pilots include HP SitePrint (which halved layout time while achieving 100% accuracy on Arizona projects), Hilti Jaibot autonomous drilling, and Track3D's AI-powered progress tracking integrating 360-degree imagery, lidar, and drones. The Diverge Innovation Lab, hosted at the AGC Annual Convention, extends the platform into a national industry presence alongside recurring Innovation Day events.

Diverge's business model is not structured around traditional product or SaaS revenue. Stated revenue streams consist of corporate venture capital investment returns and technology deployment services delivered through Hensel Phelps projects, with pricing described as custom partnership and investment arrangements and not publicly disclosed. The company accepts startup pitches via its website, sources deals through internal employee ideas, startup partnerships, university collaborations, venture capital networks, and industry events, and operates with a small core leadership team (Director of Innovation Thai Nguyen, Senior Innovation Managers Siavash Mohseni and Kyle Tomak, Innovation Lead Mihir Somalwar) supported by Hensel Phelps' broader 80+ person VDC organization.

Name

Diverge

Legal name

Diverge

Website

https://diverge.vc

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Diverge is the innovation and investment arm of Hensel Phelps, sourcing, piloting, and deploying construction technologies through a structured four-phase process for internal project teams, construction tech startups, trade partners, and academic institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Phoenix

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Corporate Venture Capital Investment Returns: Diverge operates as Hensel Phelps' technology investment arm, making strategic investments in construction technology startups to generate returns and advance industry innovation.
2. Technology Deployment Services: Diverge evaluates, pilots, and deploys innovative technologies across Hensel Phelps projects, providing integration and operational mobilization services for new construction technologies.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Diverge is the innovation and investment arm of Hensel Phelps that sources, tests, pilots, and deploys construction-specific technologies (robotics, AI, 3D printing, automation) through a structured four-phase innovation process. The company operates the Diverge Innovation Center in Phoenix, Arizona as a testing facility for emerging construction technologies, makes strategic venture investments in construction technology startups (Green Badger, Kantiv, Track3D, Shadow Ventures, Zacua Ventures), and leads operational rollout of validated technologies across Hensel Phelps' project portfolio.

Product overview

Diverge is an innovation and investment platform that functions as the innovation arm of Hensel Phelps, one of the largest employee-owned general contracting firms in the United States. Launched in 2023, Diverge operates through a structured four-phase innovation process (Sourcing Solutions, Discovery, Evaluation, and Operational Mobilization) to source, evaluate, and deploy construction-specific technologies. The core offerings include the Diverge Innovation Center in Phoenix for testing and validation, a portfolio of strategic investments in construction tech companies (Green Badger, Kantiv, Track3D, Zacua Ventures, Shadow Ventures), and a partnership program with technology providers including Hilti, HP, Trimble, Dusty Robotics, and others. The company also manages pitch submissions from startups seeking partnership and funding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Diverge Innovation Center A state-of-the-art innovation hub in Phoenix, Arizona designed to bring clients, trade partners, students, and Hensel Phelps project teams together to test and validate emerging construction technologies including robotics, 3D printing, wearables, and digital platforms.
• Innovation Partnership Program Structured four-phase service program for sourcing, discovering, evaluating, and deploying construction technologies: Sourcing Solutions (scouting through internal ideas, startup partnerships, universities, VC networks), Discovery (feasibility and alignment assessment), Evaluation (controlled pilots), and Operational Mobilization (company-wide rollout). Targeted at construction technology startups and Hensel Phelps project teams.
• Pitch Submission Platform Online portal for entrepreneurs and startups to submit innovative products or solutions for partnership and funding opportunities with Diverge.

Quantifiable outcome

• HP SitePrint layout robot halved layout time while achieving 100% accuracy on Arizona project
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Hilti, Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic technology partner collaborating on robotics deployment including Hilti Jaibot autonomous drilling robot and the Diverge Innovation Lab at AGC Annual Convention. Hilti provides construction automation technologies for pilot testing at Diverge Innovation Center.
• Hewlett-Packard (HP)coreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology leader collaborating on HP SitePrint layout robot deployment. The robot demonstrably halved layout time while achieving 100% accuracy on Arizona projects.
• Alquist 3DcoreTechnology or IntegrationConstruction 3D printing technology partner showcasing large-scale 3D printing capabilities at the Diverge Innovation Center grand opening.
• Hardhat RoboticscoreTechnology or IntegrationSafety innovation partner showcasing next-generation safety technologies at the Diverge Innovation Center grand opening.
• Rugged RoboticscoreTechnology or IntegrationRobotic layout printer partner showcased at Innovation Day event, providing solutions that speed up and improve accuracy in marking construction layouts.
• Dusty RoboticscoreTechnology or IntegrationRobotic layout printer partner showcased at Innovation Day event, providing solutions that speed up and improve accuracy in marking construction layouts.
• Ken RobotechcoreTechnology or IntegrationRobotics partner demonstrating Tomorobo, a semi-autonomous robot designed to bring safety and automation to tying rebar on jobsites.
• Track3DcoreTechnology or IntegrationAI-powered progress tracking partner using 360-degree imagery, lidar, and drones to automate construction documentation. Track3D integrates with Hensel Phelps operations to reduce tech stack complexity.
• Raise RoboticscoreTechnology or IntegrationRobotics partner developing automation solutions for construction applications.
• TrimblecoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner providing construction technology solutions including Trimble Connected Construction platform featured on The Connected Construction Podcast.
• AGC (Associated General Contractors of America)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry association partnership hosting the AGC Annual Convention where Diverge operates the Innovation Lab in collaboration with Hilti, showcasing construction technology startups.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Autodesk Ventures: CVC arm of Autodesk investing in AEC, manufacturing and construction tech; comparable as a software-led construction CVC with portfolio overlap in AI, generative design and jobsite digitization.
• Zacua Ventures: Early-stage construction tech VC and Diverge portfolio co-investor; directly comparable in investment thesis (built environment technology) and co-invests alongside Diverge in the same startups.
• Shadow Ventures: Construction tech-focused VC firm and Diverge portfolio co-investor; comparable as a construction tech investor but operates as an independent fund rather than a corporate innovation arm.
• Suffolk Technologies: Suffolk Construction's CVC and construction tech venture arm; the most direct functional peer to Diverge, also investing in and piloting construction robotics, AI and digital tools using a general contractor's project pipeline as the validation channel.
• Brick & Mortar Ventures: Independent VC fund exclusively focused on construction tech; comparable as a construction tech investment vehicle but differs by being a third-party fund rather than a corporate innovation arm.
• Trimble Ventures: Corporate venture arm of Trimble, the construction software/positioning major; invests in early-stage construction tech aligned with the Trimble Connected Construction platform, overlapping directly with Diverge's focus areas and partnership footprint.
• Hilti Ventures: Corporate venture arm of Hilti, a major construction tools/technology vendor; invests in construction tech startups globally and is also an active Diverge partner (Jaibot autonomous drilling), making it both peer and counterpart.
• CEMEX Ventures: CVC arm of CEMEX, the global building materials major; invests in construction tech, urban solutions and circular economy startups, comparable in CVC structure but with a materials-led rather than GC-led pipeline.

Broad incumbents

• Bessemer Venture Partners (Construction/AEC practice): Large generalist VC with a dedicated construction/AEC investment practice; comparable as an institutional capital source for construction tech but operates at much greater scale and across non-construction sectors.

Others

• BuiltWorlds: Industry association, awards body (Mavericks 50, Adoption Leaders 50) and venture-connection platform for the built environment; comparable as an ecosystem participant that recognizes Diverge and curates construction tech deal flow, but is not an investor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments3 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Diverge