Earlytrade, a fintech platform focused on working capital management for the construction industry, announced new funding that brings its total capital raised to $25 million. The Series A round was led by S3 Ventures and Brick & Mortar Ventures and will support U.S. expansion and the integration of agentic AI into the company’s marketplace infrastructure.
Founded in Australia in 2018, Earlytrade operates a subcontractor payments marketplace that enables general contractors to dynamically manage working capital with subcontractors. The platform is designed to improve supply chain resilience and help ensure projects are completed successfully.
Since entering the U.S. market in 2024, Earlytrade has reported sevenfold revenue growth, expanded its network to more than 211,000 subcontractors, and facilitated over $3 billion in early payments globally.
The company addresses a longstanding challenge in the construction industry, where subcontractors often wait between 60 and 90 days for payment despite performing most of the work. Earlytrade’s platform gives subcontractors greater control over the timing and cost of accessing capital that is already owed to them.
As part of its growth strategy, Earlytrade recently relocated its incorporation to the United States. The company said the move protects investors from a capital gains tax increase that would have doubled their tax burden.
The financing also brings several construction technology veterans to the board, including Levelset founder Scott Wolfe, Brick & Mortar Ventures’ Darren Bechtel, former PlanGrid executive Kevin Halter, and M&A advisor Ben Brahinsky.
Earlytrade said it is actively hiring across AI, product, and sales functions as it accelerates development of AI-powered capabilities within its construction payments ecosystem.
KEY QUOTES:
“Every dollar that flows through a construction project passes through a payment bottleneck that has never been solved at scale. Earlytrade has built the infrastructure layer that makes agentic AI in this space possible. That combination of a proven two-sided marketplace and a genuine AI deployment path is exactly what we look for when we back a category-defining company.”
Charlie Plauche, General Partner, S3 Ventures
“Subcontractors value having flexibility in how and when they access capital to support their businesses. Earlytrade’s marketplace allows us to invest in our trade partners’ growth in a way that is both disciplined and sustainable.”
Dave Anderskow, CFO, Power Construction
“Strong US growth has made one thing clear: the time is right to make a significant investment in agentic AI within our subcontractor payments marketplace. We’re actively seeking exceptional talent across AI, Product, and Sales. Visit our careers page to learn more.”
Guy Saxelby, CEO and Co-Founder, Earlytrade
