Falmouth Tech Start Up Secures £60,000 Loan to Develop Construction Software

A Falmouth software start up is aiming to tackle the hidden chain reactions that can cause major delays on large construction projects, after securing a £60,000 loan through the British Business Bank’s South West Investment Fund.

Interface Insight, led by mechanical engineer James Croftson, has received the funding via SWIG Finance to help bring its software to market. The product is designed to improve the way complex, multi billion pound projects manage and communicate changes during planning and delivery.

Tackling the “Butterfly Effect” in Construction

James Croftson, who specialises in offshore wind farms, set up Interface Insight after seeing the same communication problems arise time and again on large scale projects.

Changes made by one organisation can have unexpected consequences for others, often leading to delays and rising costs. James explained how projects can involve multiple multinational organisations working across different countries and time zones, each managing their own contracts but effectively operating in isolation.

“During a particularly painful process, I thought, there has to be a better way of doing this,” he said.

“You’re talking about 10 multi-national organisations across as many countries, crossing several time zones, all working on the same project and each managing their own multi-million-pound contract within it, but essentially all working in silos. We were relying on glorified spreadsheets and emails, which weren’t cutting it.

“It meant projects took longer and cost more than they should, because a small change in one area can cause a ripple effect on everything around it – but someone elsewhere might not realise some hidden implications until four months later, which means redoing a lot of work carried out in that time.

“For example, even a subtle change in measurements can cause major issues with manufacture and transport, so other parties need to know. But structural engineers don’t always realise just how much their changes might affect electrical engineers, and so on. There are news stories all the time about delays – HS2 and Hinkley Point are prime examples.”

From Frustration to Software Solution

James said the idea for the software did not come from a single breakthrough moment.

“There wasn’t a single ‘Eureka moment’ as such: it was more a mixture of accumulating frustrations from observing similar problems over and over again on many different projects, and a series of mini-Eureka moments spread out over a long time, each one adding to the ideas about how we could approach things differently to unlock better outcomes,” he said.

“Eventually, I came to the conclusion that if no one else was going to make it, I’d have to do it myself”.

Interface Insight’s system is based on graph theory, a branch of maths that looks at the connections, or interfaces, between objects. The software creates a shared platform where users can input plans and identify where impacts might occur and who needs to be informed.

James compared it to using a map app on a phone.

“Zoom out, you lose detail; zoom in, you lose the wider picture. An ideal compromise to help you get from A to B efficiently might involve showing enough important detail in the places where you do need it, while not showing the same level of detail in the other places where you don’t need it.

“In an analogous way, that’s what our system allows you to see: just switch the ‘map of geographic places’ for a ‘map of all the inter-relationships between different aspects of a large and complex construction project’.”

The software can be used alongside existing project management packages. Initial trials have received positive feedback, and while it began in offshore wind farms, James said it could be applied across other sectors. He plans to create specific pilots in different sectors this year.

Funding to Support Commercial Launch

James first worked with SWIG Finance in 2024 when he secured a £25,000 Start Up Loan from the British Business Bank to develop proof of concept. He reduced his hours in his day job, with his employer recognising the long term potential of the product, and remains part time with plans to move into Interface Insight full time in the future.

The latest £60,000 loan from the South West Investment Fund will support early commercialisation and prepare the software for wider use. The funding is being delivered in two tranches of £30,000, with the first released in December.

“SWIG Finance was really good,” James said. “The two engagements were both extremely positive, and they remembered me when I reapplied. The application process was straightforward and clearly explained, with a quick turnaround.”

Rachel Thomson, business manager at SWIG Finance, said: “This was a well-thought-through product, with an owner who is keen and knowledgeable with good connections and experience in renewables.

“But James could also see how other businesses would benefit from this software, as could I. His enthusiasm for his business shone through and was infectious – I have no doubt it will be a success.”

David Tindall, Senior Investment Manager at the British Business Bank, added: “It’s been great to support James from the early stages with a Start Up Loan and to see the business now moving into its next phase of growth. This latest investment from the South West Investment Fund will help turn a strong proof of concept into a commercial product. Helping ambitious businesses like this to start, scale and stay in the region is exactly what the Bank is here to do.”

The £200m South West Investment Fund provides loans from £25,000 to £2m and equity investment up to £5m to help small and medium sized businesses across the region grow. SWIG Finance manages the smaller loans element of the fund and bases its lending decisions on potential rather than collateral.

📷Interface Insight MD James Croftson, a mechanical engineer specialising in offshore wind farms