Earlytrade raises $10M to bring agentic AI to construction payments

Earlytrade Pty. Ltd., a fintech firm focused on construction payments, announced a $10 million funding round led by S3 Ventures and Brick & Mortar Ventures, bringing its total raised to $25 million. The capital will fund expansion across the U.S. and the development of agentic AI to automate payment workflows, predict cash-flow needs, and optimize timing for subcontractors. The construction industry remains heavily reliant on manual, paper-based payment processes, often delaying subcontractor payments by 60 to 90 days. Earlytrade addresses this by offering subcontractors immediate discounts—such as 2% off invoices—enabling faster access to working capital. This helps small businesses cover payroll, materials, and equipment costs without waiting for delayed payments, which can otherwise lead to insolvency. The company’s AI system will dynamically negotiate early payment terms based on factors like project urgency, financial health, and local market conditions. Unlike flat discounts, this approach tailors pricing in real time, improving liquidity for subcontractors while aligning with general contractors’ cash-flow constraints. With U.S. construction spending projected at $2.17 trillion annually, specialty trade contractors—who benefit most from Earlytrade’s model—generate roughly $875 billion in revenue. Labor shortages, worsened by delayed payments, are cited as the top challenge by 78% of U.S. contractors, according to Worldmetrics. Earlytrade’s AI-driven platform aims to mitigate these issues by streamlining payments and reducing financial friction. CEO and co-founder Guy Saxelby emphasized the timing of the investment, stating that strong U.S. growth presents an opportunity to scale agentic AI within the subcontractor payments ecosystem. The company is now hiring talent in AI, product development, and sales to accelerate its vision of transforming payment operations into a strategic asset for construction firms.