Calgary-based Bidaya AI has secured $840,000 in pre-seed funding, marking a promising step for the young startup’s mission to modernize how architecture, engineering, and consulting (AEC) firms handle proposal work. The round was led by Metiquity Ventures, with participation from LOI Venture and a group of angel investors, closing in the spring of 2025.
The fresh infusion of capital will be directed toward product development and market expansion, helping Bidaya AI refine its vertical AI platform and scale into new geographies.
Credits: Bidaya AI
A Vertical AI Platform Built for AEC Teams
Founded in 2024 by Omar Sabbagh and Majd Alsado, Bidaya AI zeroes in on a problem that plagues nearly every AEC firm — the fragmented and time-consuming Request for Proposal (RFP) workflow. The company’s AI-powered solution brings together three major elements under one roof: project discovery, automated proposal drafting, and structured knowledge management.
What sets Bidaya AI apart is its integration with Microsoft Word, the default authoring tool for AEC proposal teams. By living inside Word, the platform minimizes friction in adoption while delivering automation directly into existing workflows.
For teams accustomed to juggling multiple files, formats, and approval loops, Bidaya AI’s system promises to generate faster, more accurate, and more compliant proposals — all while improving how institutional knowledge is captured and reused across projects.
Why It Matters
In the AEC world, proposals are more than paperwork — they are the lifeblood of business development. Winning or losing a bid can hinge on how efficiently a firm can assemble and submit a proposal that checks every compliance box while reflecting technical expertise and creativity.
The sector has long been challenged by shrinking margins, tight deadlines, and heavy documentation demands, with proposal teams often forced to work under immense pressure. By embedding automation directly into the tools teams already use, Bidaya AI aims to save time, reduce human error, and standardize best practices across an organization.
In doing so, the company taps into a broader shift toward workflow-native AI — solutions that integrate seamlessly into professional software environments rather than existing as separate, disruptive platforms.
Investor Confidence: Backing Vertical AI for Real Impact
For lead investor Metiquity Ventures, Bidaya AI aligns perfectly with its thesis of supporting vertical AI and B2B SaaS startups that address operational inefficiencies in large, underserved industries.
“Bidaya AI is solving a high-impact problem for an industry ready for digital transformation,” said Bryan Slauko, Partner at Metiquity Ventures. He emphasized the startup’s fit within AEC workflows and its early data showing gains in proposal speed, compliance, and knowledge management.
This investment reflects growing venture interest in domain-specific AI, a segment increasingly seen as more practical and defensible than general-purpose AI tools — particularly in professional services and infrastructure sectors that depend heavily on documentation and compliance.
Founders’ Vision: Expanding Across North America
CEO Omar Sabbagh expressed optimism about the road ahead, calling Metiquity’s support “invaluable” as the startup moves from product refinement to scale.
“We’re delighted to welcome Metiquity Ventures as our lead investor,” Sabbagh said. “Their guidance will be instrumental as we enhance our platform and expand into new markets.”
With the pre-seed funds, Bidaya AI plans to advance its product roadmap, strengthen customer success capabilities, and grow its footprint across Canada and the United States.
Credits: Bidaya AI
Rising in Calgary’s Tech Scene
Earlier this year, Bidaya AI was recognized as one of Calgary’s 10 startups to watch in 2025, underscoring the city’s growing AI and SaaS ecosystem. The startup’s focus on an often-overlooked industry niche and its pragmatic approach to AI adoption have already begun turning heads among investors and AEC professionals alike.
As digital transformation accelerates in traditional industries, Bidaya AI’s blend of AI-driven automation and user-centric integration could position it as a key enabler for the next generation of AEC innovation — where winning proposals are not just written faster, but smarter.
