
Campus Stories: How Spotable Is Rewiring Construction Tech from the Inside Out
What do swimming pools, laser altimetry, AI and rooftops have in common? For the founders of Spotable, they’ve each played a role in building one of Belgium’s most promising construction tech startups. We sat down with co-founders Pieter-Jan Philips and Julie Dumoulin to explore how Spotable is scaling fast in a sector known for moving slow, and how ambition and community make all the difference.
Time flies when you’re having fun? Certainly for Pieter-Jan Philips. When we meet him at Wintercircus, the co-founder of Spotable is coming out of such a busy period – he has just completed a successful €1.2 million funding round – that it only dawns on him during our conversation that his company will be celebrating its first anniversary in four days. “Yet another reason to pop some champagne!” the CTO laughs. Although he has to admit that he is gradually beginning to see the downside of his company’s overnight success: “We’re growing so fast that our team’s already up to nine people,” he says. “But our desk at the Wintercircus Startup Campus only fits four. Technically, we should relocate to another spot in the building. But honestly? We’re just too happy here.”

Those numbers would be impressive for any startup, but especially for a tech company operating in the construction sector. “At Wintercircus, almost every startup is working with AI because businesses everywhere are scrambling not to miss the AI train,” says Pieter-Jan. “But in construction, most players have only just hopped on the digitalization train.” According to the entrepreneur, there are two main reasons for that slower pace. First, clients in construction want a personal connection. They’re entrusting tens or even hundreds of thousands of euros - often their life savings - and they want to know who’s behind the work. Second, the sector still relies heavily on human labor. Whether it’s building or renovating, people remain at the core. “And that’s not going to change anytime soon,” says Pieter-Jan.
“But that doesn’t mean technology couldn’t make their lives much easier,” he adds. “Even if they don’t quite realize it yet.” Obviously, he’s not entirely impartial - over the past year, Spotable has been building AI tools designed to save construction companies serious time and effort. “And to think,” the entrepreneur laughs, “it all started with satellite images of swimming pools.”
The idea came from Pieter-Jan’s co-founder, Sebastien Vandendriessche, during the coronavirus pandemic. At the time, Sebastien was running a swimming pool maintenance company and used satellite images to identify homes with pools - a clever way to target potential customers with flyers. But it didn’t take long for the duo to spot a broader opportunity. “Not everyone has a swimming pool,” Pieter-Jan says, “but everyone has a roof.” Moreover, roofs often need repairs - especially if you want to improve your house’s EPC or Energy Performance Certificate.

“That’s why roofing companies are in such high demand,” Pieter-Jan explains. “If you reach out to five, you’ll be lucky if one shows up a month later to take measurements. And then it takes at least another week to get a quote.” The real issue, he says, is that quoting takes time and effort for construction companies, without any guarantee of return. “But there’s a better, faster way,” he adds, visibly energized. “With our technology, which combines satellite imagery and LiDAR data, roofing companies can instantly and accurately calculate the cost of repairing any roof. With just one click of a button.”
For those unfamiliar with LiDAR or laser altimetry, several times a year, airplanes fly overhead, using lasers to measure the precise height of everything below - from buildings and garden sheds to the olive tree in your backyard. Hyper-accurate. And worldwide. “And that last part matters,” says Julie Dumoulin, the third co-founder, who has just joined the conversation. “Ever since we moved into Wintercircus, we’ve been thinking internationally.” She laughs: “Being here really pushes you to think bigger.”
But it’s more than just healthy ambition, Julie stresses. As head of sales, she sees the market gap up close. “Right now, there’s virtually no competition - not here, and not abroad. A tech company focused on the presales process in construction? Good luck finding one.” Spotable also goes well beyond simply generating accurate roof measurements at the click of a button. “Our AI software can also instantly calculate parking costs for any given street and identify available grants or subsidies in your neck of the woods. One client recently told us he discovered a thatched roof subsidy through our platform - something even his customer, the owner of the house, had never heard of!”

The enthusiasm with which Julie and Pieter-Jan talk about their startup is contagious - it’s easy to see why roofing companies are eager to come on board, even though Spotable’s product is not yet 100% ready. “Right now, we’re genuinely helping each other,” says Julie. “They bring deep construction expertise; we bring software know-how. Their feedback helps refine our product, and our outsiders’ perspective lets us challenge industry norms and push things in a new direction.”
A bit like how Wintercircus nudged them toward a bolder, more ambitious path? “Something like that, yes,” Julie nods. “But that just goes to show how valuable a fresh perspective can be - for anyone. To grow, you need to be challenged.” The irony? The three founders of a company focused on rooftops had never even heard of Wintercircus and its massive roof until recently. “I’ve been hanging around Ghent since my student days,” Pieter-Jan laughs, “but back then, you also already needed a satellite to know this place existed. Once we heard it was becoming a tech hub, though, we knew we had to be part of it.”
For the founders of Spotable, the benefits of being at the Wintercircus Startup Campus go far beyond thinking internationally - or even beyond rooftops. “The masterclasses and learning opportunities have already been highlighted plenty in this blog series,” says Julie. “But what hasn’t gotten enough credit is the Slack channel we share with all the other startups here.” She smiles. “I know, it might sound trivial - just another Slack channel. But in practice, it’s where the magic happens. Yesterday, our Full Stack Developer posted a pretty technical question, and within half an hour, he got a detailed response from another startup. That kind of knowledge-sharing lets us move so much faster. Honestly, it’s pure gold.”
Want to know more about the Wintercircus Startup Campus? Visit wintercircus.be/campus!
