Layer

Active VC-backed

Revit-integrated field-data platform for architecture and engineering firms -- captures field data, photos, forms, punch lists, and room-data sheets on mobile/web/desktop, syncs two-way to Revit elements via a dedicated plugin, and generates PDF reports and schedules. Founded by Zach Soflin AIA from BVH Architecture (Lincoln, Nebraska) after a Nebraska State Capitol survey.

Founded
2018
HQ
Lincoln, US
Ownership
VC-backed

Ownership graph

No public ownership relationships listed.

Capital

No public capital data.

Market position

Markets
Architecture, BIM, Interior Design, Operations

Business

Sells a field-data-to-Revit workflow platform to architecture and engineering firms. Captures field data + photos on mobile, connects to PDF plans + Revit elements, and generates deliverables (room data sheets, FF&E schedules, punch lists, existing-conditions surveys). Pricing: quote-only -- https://layer.team/resources/pricing shows 'Request Quote' with no public tier pricing (RF1-class pricing opacity). SaaS subscription; no confirmed free tier. Source: https://layer.team/resources/pricing

Market & Position

Operates in the "structured data in and out of Revit, from the field" niche. One of the few tools in the bim-coordination catalog with a public REST API covering read AND write access, authed by a self-serve token (no OAuth required). Named customers include Amica Senior Lifestyles, Bryan Health, OPN Architects, BNIM, DMA Architects. Independent: no confirmed parent company or PE ownership. Autodesk's AEC Data Model API targets the same data substrate (granular Revit element/room data in the cloud, no plugin required). Source: https://aps.autodesk.com/blog/access-revit-geometry-aec-data-model-public-beta

Moat

Workflow/UX moat: mobile-first field-capture UX (photo + form + element mapping) sitting above the Revit data layer. Public REST API at api.layer.team enables custom integrations and AI-agent access. Two-way Revit plugin creates a stickiness loop -- data lives in Layer and Revit simultaneously, making migration require re-mapping Revit element parameters. Source: https://layer-api.readme.io/reference/getting-started-with-your-api

Agent drivability (C2) Public REST API at api.layer.team with full GET/POST/PATCH/DELETE (read AND write), self-serve Personal API Token auth, documented projects/categories/elements resources. No MCP/CLI/SDK confirmed. Source: https://layer-api.readme.io/reference/getting-started-with-your-api
Portability / lock-in (C4) Data extractable via API (JSON), Excel/CSV import and export; no hard lock-in. Two-way API coverage reduces but does not eliminate switching cost.
Stack embeddedness (C5) Revit add-in with two-way parameter sync is the primary integration anchor. Excel, PowerBI, and Google Sheets connectors deepen the stack embed for reporting workflows.
Switching cost Moderate: data lives both in Layer and in mapped Revit elements; migration requires re-mapping element parameters and re-creating templates. API access allows bulk extraction, reducing but not eliminating lock-in.

Thesis

Bull case The field-capture UX layer (mobile-first, photo + form + element mapping) remains attractive and differentiated even after Autodesk commoditizes the data substrate. Named blue-chip customers (Amica Senior Lifestyles, Bryan Health, OPN Architects) and a capital-light team suggest strong product-market fit without heavy sales spend. Open REST API enables a growing ecosystem of custom integrations.
Bear case Autodesk's AEC Data Model API exposes granular Revit element/room data in the cloud with no plugin required, and ACC already ships field capture and auto room-data-sheet generation -- the exact "structured data in/out of Revit" substrate Layer sells. Autodesk has distribution to commoditize the data layer faster than a 2-12 person team can differentiate the UX layer above it.
What has to be true The field-capture UX layer (mobile + photos + forms + punch lists) must remain differentiated enough that AEC firms pay a separate subscription after Autodesk's ACC ships comparable field-capture tooling -- OR Layer must successfully integrate with ACC as a complementary layer rather than compete with it as a substitute.

Catalysts & Risks

Catalysts
  • Slow Autodesk AEC Data Model API adoption: if ACC field-capture tooling matures slowly, Layer's Revit-plugin moat extends its runway (observable: ACC field-capture feature releases).
  • API-first integrations: customer-built or third-party integrations via the REST API expand the addressable workflow surface beyond Revit-centric firms.
  • Enterprise expansion: named blue-chip institutional customers (Amica Senior Lifestyles, Bryan Health) signal repeatable upmarket pull if the sales motion is documented.
Risks
  • Autodesk ACC field-capture feature parity: ACC already offers field documentation and room-data-sheet generation; Layer's differentiation narrows as ACC matures (observable: ACC release notes).
  • Platform commoditization: AEC Data Model API removes the need for a plugin to read/write Revit element data, directly attacking Layer's core moat (source: https://aps.autodesk.com/blog/access-revit-geometry-aec-data-model-public-beta).
  • Small team + unverified funding: 2-12 headcount and ~$2.19M algorithmic estimate (low confidence) limit capacity to respond to a platform shift from Autodesk.
  • Quote-only pricing across all tiers: no public pricing disclosed; all plans require a sales quote, which may slow adoption in cost-conscious public-sector and institutional clients (RF1-class opacity).

Analyst Scorecard (A1-A3)

Objective structured assessment -- axes: A1 Moat durability, A2 Market pull, A3 Capital efficiency / viability. Composite = mean of measured axes. No invest/acquire rating.

Axis Score Rationale
A1 Moat durability 2/5 Workflow/UX moat is real (mobile-first field capture, open API, Revit plugin stickiness loop), but Layer operates directly in Autodesk's commoditization path. The AEC Data Model API and ACC field-capture tooling target the same substrate Layer sells. A2-person-team cannot match Autodesk's distribution or development velocity. Source →
A2 Market pull unmeasured Demand-signal data for "revit data management" / "room data sheet software" not available from a verifiable third-party source. Render as unmeasured per G11 (no fabricated TAM/share number).
A3 Capital efficiency 3/5 Tiny team (2-12 headcount), ~$2.19M algorithmic funding estimate (low confidence, not disclosed by company). Named blue-chip institutional customers (Amica Senior Lifestyles, Bryan Health, OPN Architects) suggest capital-light product-market fit. Undisclosed traction metrics cap confidence. Source →
Composite (measured axes) 2.5 / 5

Verified 2026-09-02 — analyst: dim-factory/DIM-1752

Report sources

Provenance

Capital sources
Verified 2026-09-02