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Nearly two decades ago, a young college student wrote his final thesis about software capable of generating design documents for school buildings. Al Dram was studying architecture — following in the footsteps of his parents and grandfather — but it was technology that really intrigued him. There was just one problem: The technology his idea required didn’t exist yet. “Then ChatGPT came along,” said Dram, recalling when OpenAI released the generative AI chatbot that uses large language models (LLMs) in November 2022. His old idea suddenly seemed a lot more possible. Within six months, he launched the concept of Blueprints AI, a startup that uses AI to produce code-compliant and permit-ready architectural construction blueprints in minutes from a 2D sketch or PDF. Blueprints AI, which Dram officially incorporated in 2025 in Santa Monica with co-founder Coco Cao, was selected for the 2026 Startup Battlefield 200, a cohort of promising early-stage startups that have earned a spot to exhibit at this year’s TechCrunch Disrupt, taking place this week from October 13 to 15 in San Francisco. During that 20-year lead-up to Blueprints AI, Dram earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture from the University of Tehran and completed two years of PhD coursework on digital design at the European Graduate School in Switzerland. He moved to the United States and opened an architecture firm in 2018 called Drams Design-Build. Then, after obtaining a general contractor’s license, he added a construction business in 2021. Dram should have been satisfied. He wasn’t. “I was saying, okay, maybe I can build new projects that change people’s life in that area, but it wouldn’t be a big impact,” he said. “What makes me very excited about technology is the impact, the hours saved, the energy saved of people doing the same thing over and over and over.” Blueprints AI will unveil a more capable second-generation version of its software at Disrupt. Dram and Cao say it will make a big impact because it takes over the repetitive drafting work that fills most of an architect’s day. “It will make better spaces for people because now architects have the time to design,” said Dram. He said architects spend about 80% of their time on drafting and only 20% on design. “I want to flip that to be 20-80.” Dram and Cao met at an AI conference several years ago and combined their skills to build the company. Cao, a data scientist from Hong Kong, handles sales and go-to-market strategy as chief commercial officer. The pair trained their models using eight years of approved drawing sets from Dram’s design and construction firm, which is still in business. Its first-generation software produces architectural construction documents and costs between $3,200 and $8,500 a month, depending on the plan. Custom pricing for enterprises is also available. The startup’s second-generation software will deliver a considerable upgrade. Customers can start with a description or sketch of a project and create blueprints for every aspect of a building at once, including architecture, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and interior design. Version 2 allows users to design and make changes to the project, an upgrade over the first iteration. Importantly, one design change updates the entire project and is checked against local building codes. Early customers are already using the second version, and Dram said it will become publicly available this week. The startup is already working on a third version of its software that will add in structural analysis and electrical panel design. The technology doesn’t replace licensed architects, according to the co-founders. Licensed professionals still review the documents and affix their seal before submitting them for permits. The judgment stays human, they say. Blueprints AI is targeting two groups with its new software. Professional architecture, engineering, and design firms make up one group, while developers and real estate owners make up another. The startup offers its software as a subscription and may add a one-time flat-fee option for those who just want it for a single project. To learn more about Blueprints, catch hundreds of other startups, and learn from headliners like RJ Scaringe of Rivian and Amjad Masad of Replit, join us at TechCrunch Disrupt, kicking off Tuesday in downtown San Francisco.
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