# Prolo raises £4.2M to build AI procurement for construction SMEs > Source: > Published: 2026-07-16 07:17:37+00:00 [James Morris-Manuel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesmorrismanuel/?ref=runtimewire)'s [Prolo](https://prolo.io/?ref=runtimewire) has raised £4.2 million in seed funding to sell small and medium-sized construction firms something closer to a buying desk than a conventional procurement SaaS tool. [Tech.eu reported on July 14](https://tech.eu/2026/07/14/prolo-raises-ps42m-to-modernise-construction-procurement/?ref=runtimewire) that the oversubscribed round was led by [Triple Point Ventures](https://www.triplepoint.vc/?ref=runtimewire), with participation from [a16z Scout Fund](https://a16z.com/about/?ref=runtimewire), [Anamcara Capital](https://www.anamcaracapital.com/?ref=runtimewire), [Concrete VC](https://www.concretevc.com/?ref=runtimewire), Foundation Ventures, [Haatch](https://haatch.com/?ref=runtimewire), Koro Capital, [Love Ventures](https://loveventures.co.uk/?ref=runtimewire) and [Portfolio Ventures](https://www.portfolio.ventures/?ref=runtimewire). Prolo did not disclose a valuation, revenue, customer count or the date the round legally closed. The founder matters here because Morris-Manuel has lived through a prior proptech cycle. [Matterport announced in 2016](https://matterport.com/en-gb/news/matterport-acquires-uk-based-virtual-walkthrough?ref=runtimewire) that it had acquired Virtual Walkthrough, the London virtual-tour business where Morris-Manuel was co-founder and chief commercial officer. A decade later, Morris-Manuel is taking a different wedge into the built environment: procurement, credit and supplier access for smaller contractors. That makes Prolo's pitch narrower and harder than the usual AI workflow story. Contractors can send orders through WhatsApp, email or phone, according to Tech.eu. Prolo then combines AI with human procurement specialists to source pricing from a supplier network Tech.eu reported at more than 185 suppliers. Prolo also offers flexible credit terms of up to 90 days, a financing feature that pushes the business beyond software automation into the cash-flow problem that shapes how small contractors buy materials. ### Prolo is selling access, not just automation Construction procurement is usually framed as a paperwork problem. Prolo is framing it as an information and bargaining-power problem. Smaller contractors often spend hours collecting quotes and pay more than large contractors because they lack volume, supplier relationships and centralized procurement teams. Prolo's claim is that a managed layer can pool enough supplier knowledge, quote comparison and purchasing process to narrow that gap. Morris-Manuel put the problem in those terms in the Tech.eu report, saying SME contractors have been held back by limited price transparency and inefficient procurement processes. He added: "With Prolo, we are fundamentally changing the way construction supply chains operate." Prolo positions itself as a managed layer: contractors send a list, Prolo finds pricing, returns a quote, and arranges delivery. The company also markets access to more than 185 suppliers and trade credit for qualifying customers. In this category, hiding software behind familiar buying channels may matter more than forcing site managers into another dashboard. ### A young London company with a seasoned proptech founder Public filings keep the timeline grounded. [Companies House lists Prolo Ltd](https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/15801023?ref=runtimewire) as incorporated in 2024 under the name Procurelo Ltd, later renamed Prolo Ltd. Morris-Manuel's earlier company was built around making physical spaces easier to inspect and market digitally. Virtual Walkthrough was acquired into Matterport as the US company expanded internationally, and Matterport said at the time that Virtual Walkthrough would become its European business development headquarters. Prolo gives Morris-Manuel a less polished part of the same market: the mess of sourcing, price discovery, supplier chasing and payment terms that sits behind construction work. The difference should shape how investors read the round. Triple Point says it writes pre-seed and seed checks from £500,000 up to £3 million and backs B2B software and software-enabled products. Concrete VC describes its focus as technology for real estate and construction. Anamcara says it backs early European enterprise software and AI companies. The Prolo cap table lines up around the idea that vertical AI in construction will need founder-market context, supplier relationships and operational grit, rather than a thin software wrapper over generic procurement workflows. ### The seed round buys distribution Prolo says the new funding will support go-to-market strategy, sales and marketing, and the rollout of product features. That spending plan fits the business model. Prolo has to convince contractors that an outside procurement layer can find better rates without slowing jobs down. Prolo also has to keep suppliers engaged, manage credit exposure and preserve enough human support to make the workflow usable from a job site. Those constraints are why the WhatsApp, email and phone intake matters. The construction buyer Prolo wants does not need another procurement system with a long onboarding path. Prolo needs to meet the buyer at the point where the order already happens, then use AI and people in the background to turn a rough list of needed materials, equipment or labor into a quote the contractor trusts. The missing numbers are important. Prolo has not disclosed how many contractors use the service, how much order volume runs through the platform, what share of purchases receive credit terms, or whether Prolo earns through supplier margin, contractor fees, financing economics or some combination of those. Without those details, the £4.2 million round says more about investor conviction in Morris-Manuel's timing and category than it says about proven scale. Still, the strategic bet is clear. Large contractors already have procurement teams, supplier leverage and credit infrastructure. Prolo is trying to package a version of that capability for the long tail of construction firms that buy frequently, negotiate from a weaker position and cannot afford procurement headcount. Morris-Manuel sold his first proptech company into a platform that digitized how buildings were viewed. Prolo is his attempt to digitize how the work gets bought.