Bidflow

What Bidflow does

Bidflow is a New York-based software company, operating under the legal entity Ghostship AI Inc., that sells an AI-powered takeoff tool for the electrical construction trade. The product reads PDF architectural and electrical drawings and automatically counts three categories of symbols: power devices (receptacles, junction boxes, tele/data outlets, motors), lighting fixtures (troffers, sconces, pendants, exit signs), and lighting controls (occupancy sensors, dimmers, photocells, control panels). The platform claims 95-99% detection accuracy depending on drawing complexity and reduces manual counting time from hours to under 10 minutes per project set.

The underlying technology is a purpose-built computer vision model trained specifically on electrical drawings, rather than a general-purpose OCR or foundation model wrapper. The product includes a built-in PDF viewer with navigation and zoom, an AI audit interface that lets users add or delete bounding boxes to correct miscounts, and a CSV export that organizes counts by device type and sheet. The audit loop feeds user corrections back into the model, establishing a data flywheel intended to improve accuracy as the installed base processes more drawings. Y Combinator (W24 batch) is the disclosed institutional backer.

Bidflow's commercial model is usage-based and aligned with output quality: customers pay $0.03 per device or fixture correctly detected, with no subscription, monthly minimum, or annual commitment. The company targets two primary segments — high-volume lighting distributors who need fast quoting on large fixture counts, and electrical contractors bidding on large commercial projects such as high-rises and trading floors. Distribution is direct-to-customer via the company website, supported by a self-serve product-led growth motion and a founder-led inside-sales motion via Calendly for larger accounts. There are no disclosed enterprise customers, no named logos, and no disclosed revenue.

Name

Bidflow

Legal name

Ghostship AI Inc.

Website

https://usebidflow.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2025

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bidflow is a New York-based AI platform that automatically counts power devices, lighting fixtures, and lighting controls on electrical PDF drawings for electrical contractors and lighting distributors, charging $0.03 per device with no subscription.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Usage-based Per-Device Billing: Customers pay $0.03 per device or fixture counted. No subscription or monthly fees. Pay-as-you-go model where customers only pay for what the AI correctly detects. This creates alignment between pricing and accuracy — customers pay only for successful outputs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Bidflow is an AI-powered electrical takeoff platform that reads PDF architectural drawings and automatically counts power devices (receptacles, junction boxes, tele/data outlets, motors), lighting fixtures (troffers, sconces, pendants, exit signs), and lighting controls (sensors, dimmers, photocells). It reduces manual takeoff time from hours to under 10 minutes with 95-99% accuracy, and is sold to electrical contractors and lighting distributors at $0.03 per device or fixture counted with no subscription required.

Product overview

Bidflow is a single, unified AI-powered electrical takeoff platform. The core product is Bidflow itself — an AI tool that reads PDF drawings and counts three categories of electrical components: power devices (receptacles, junction boxes, tele/data outlets, motors), lighting fixtures (troffers, sconces, pendants, exit signs), and lighting controls (occupancy sensors, dimmers, photocells). The platform includes built-in PDF navigation tools, an AI error correction interface for auditing and fixing counts, and CSV export functionality. The service is priced per device counted ($0.03 per device) with no subscription required.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bidflow AI-powered electrical takeoff platform that automatically counts power devices, lighting fixtures, and lighting controls from PDF architectural drawings, with built-in PDF navigation, an AI audit/correction interface, and CSV export. Built for electrical contractors bidding on commercial projects and lighting distributors processing high quote volumes; priced at $0.03 per device or fixture counted with pay-as-you-go billing.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10-20x faster takeoffs (hours reduced to under 10 minutes)
• +3 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Buildots: AI-driven construction progress monitoring using computer vision on site imagery — adjacent AI-for-construction peer that signals how vertical AI is reshaping the trades Bidflow targets.
• CostCertified: AI-powered estimating platform aimed at contractors with interactive digital proposals — overlapping segment with Bidflow (electrical and trade contractors) but a different primary workflow.

Direct peers

• Kreo Software: AI-driven construction takeoff and estimating platform that reads 2D drawings and 3D BIM models to automate quantity surveys, overlapping directly with Bidflow's core use case for electrical contractors.
• Togal.AI: AI-powered construction takeoff software that automatically detects and quantifies materials from drawings — the closest direct competitor to Bidflow's electrical-focused AI counting.

Broad incumbents

• Bluebeam (Nemetschek): Industry-standard PDF markup and takeoff tool used across the construction trades; competes with Bidflow's PDF-based workflow and benefits from deep contractor penetration.
• Autodesk Takeoff (Construction Cloud): Autodesk's cloud-based takeoff product integrates directly with BIM and Revit, offering established electrical contractors a bundled alternative to Bidflow's best-of-breed AI counting.
• STACK Construction Technologies: Established cloud-based takeoff and estimating platform serving electrical, mechanical, and general contractors — competes with Bidflow for the same contractor budget with a broader, more mature product.
• PlanSwift: Long-standing desktop takeoff software widely used by electrical and trade contractors; a go-to incumbent whose installed base Bidflow must displace or integrate alongside.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Bidflow