Building sustainably from the ground up: Strengthening construction-phase data with Qflow

Qflow is a construction technology company focused on improving how materials and waste data are captured, verified, and used during the build phase.

At Autodesk, we believe that meaningful progress towards more sustainable design and make processes starts with better data: captured earlier, verified at the source, and connected across the lifecycle of a project.

That's why I'm excited to share that Autodesk has made a strategic, minority investment in Qualis Flow (Qflow), a UK-based construction technology company focused on improving how construction materials and waste data are captured, verified, and used during the build phase.

This investment reflects our continued commitment to helping all industries, including construction, reduce waste, improve data quality, and enable better sustainability outcomes.

Why construction-phase data matters

The construction and operation of buildings accounts for 34% of total CO2 emissions globally, making it the highest contributing sector to total emissions.

The construction phase is where design intent becomes physical reality, as well as where some of the most important sustainability decisions are made. Yet, it's also one of the most challenging phases to measure accurately.

"Too often, materials and waste data are captured manually, fragmented across systems, or reconciled long after the fact," said my colleague, Sid Haksar, VP and head of construction strategy & partnerships at Autodesk. "That can limit the accuracy of sustainability reporting, mask opportunities to reduce rework or over-ordering of materials, and create inefficiencies in quality control and supplier payment processes."

This is where the true value lies. When we connect real-time data across the project lifecycle, we can ensure that what is designed is actually what gets made.

This is a key consideration when we think about how we work with our Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operations (AECO) customers to deliver more sustainable outcomes. High-quality, construction-phase data is essential for understanding embodied carbon, reducing waste, and supporting more transparent lifecycle reporting. Reliable, field-level data also provides the insights needed to make critical business decisions like real-time visibility into labor hours, early detection of inefficiencies, and ability to prove performance with trusted data. This level of data is essential for industry leaders looking to make the business case for sustainability.

A differentiated, field-first approach

Qflow is tackling this challenge with a clear focus on data quality at the source.

Their technology digitizes and verifies construction materials and waste data directly from the field using on-site photo capture and AI-driven data extraction. Delivery slips and waste tickets (long treated as paperwork) are transformed into structured, field-verified data that reflects what was actually delivered, installed, or removed from site.

"As an industry, we've made great progress connecting teams digitally, but we still rely heavily on manual processes when it comes to what's happening on site," said Sid. "Qflow is focused on closing that gap, bringing reliable, real-time field captured data into construction workflows in a way that's practical for teams in the field."

Supporting sustainable outcomes across the lifecycle

Our investment in Qflow supports both Autodesk's AECO and Impact strategic priorities.

From an Impact standpoint, improving the quality and usability of construction-phase data helps customers better understand material flows, reduce rework and waste, and strengthen sustainability decision-making and reporting. These are key steps toward lowering carbon and enabling more sustainable construction practices.

From an AECO perspective, verified field data can unlock stronger quality control, tighter alignment between design and construction, and better coordination between field teams and the office.

"This is about accelerating innovation where it matters most: on the jobsite," Sid said. "Better data doesn't just support sustainability goals. It improves day-to-day decision-making for construction teams ensuring projects are delivered on budget and on time."

A strategic investment, focused on partnership

Sustainable construction won't be achieved by a single tool, dataset, or company. It's built over time, by improving how data is captured, connected, and trusted across every phase of the project. It also requires collaboration, which is why our ecosystem of partners is so critical to decarbonizing the built environment.

Our investment in Qflow creates structured opportunities for us to partner more closely with their team, and to support and learn from each other. Together, we're excited to accelerate the path to more sustainable, efficient, and resilient construction outcomes.

A guide to alignment in the built environment