Construction isn’t exactly known for being the most diverse or dynamic industry. But Julia and Maria, the co-founders behind factorymaker, are changing that narrative. Both civil engineers by training, they are solving the inefficiencies they saw in factory construction. Their journey was driven by a shared frustration with traditional construction processes, and it led them to create a solution that’s already turning heads in the industry.
In a recent conversation with these founders, they shared their story, their struggles, and their best advice for other female founders looking to carve their own paths.
Julia’s Path: An Architect’s Heart with an Engineer’s Mind
Julia’s story might resonate with many of us who’ve had to adjust childhood dreams to fit reality. Julia had her heart set on becoming an architect since she was little, but her knack for math and science led her down a different path: civil engineering. “Everyone told me, ‘You’re too good in math. You should study civil engineering,’” she shared. She went on to become a structural engineer, but her dream of architecture never left her. Over time, Julia found a way to bring together her skills in both engineering and design, leading her back to university to work on innovative projects that blended her architectural interests with her engineering skills.
Julia’s frustration with the industry’s wastefulness and inefficiency became a key motivation. “I was… really desperate. I was like, and this should I do all my life? It’s so boring; there must be something more,” she reflected. This determination to make meaningful change led her to quit her stable job and return to research, a decision that would eventually lay the foundation for factorymaker.
Maria’s Journey: Building Her Own Space in Construction
Maria’s journey also began with an early connection to construction, spending summers as a teenager at her uncle’s construction company. However, unlike her brother, she wasn’t allowed on the actual sites and was kept in the office. This initial exposure sparked her interest in civil engineering, and like Julia, she eventually felt stifled by the traditional roles and routines. “The pressure… every day there to deliver things… you have never the time or the chance to do anything better,” Maria explained.
Julia and Maria’s paths crossed at university, where Julia was leading a project and looking for a tutor. When she interviewed Maria, the two immediately clicked. “I have this master thesis going on in this project about the factory optimization… Are you interested in that?” Julia asked, and Maria was all in. What started as a collaborative university project soon evolved into something much bigger: factorymaker.
Taking the Leap with factorymaker
Like many successes we know today, factorymaker wasn’t an intentional startup idea at first. Julia and Maria were trying to address the real problems they saw in construction—that it was “so wasteful” and “not digitized,” to name a few. But as they developed their prototype, they started getting interest from companies who wanted to buy it. As Julia put it, “We’re really creating something great here, because companies are approaching us, they want to use it… they want to pay you.” This demand helped them realize they could create the real change in the industry they sought after.
Their Advice for New Founders
In their path so far, Julia and Maria have navigated both the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, and along the way, they’ve learned valuable lessons that they hope will resonate with other founders in our community.
1. The Right Network is Everything—Find Mentors and Communities That Get It
When it came to navigating the early stages, both Julia and Maria found tremendous value in building a strong support network. Maria reflected on how important it was to join programs with other startups, which allowed them to find shared understanding and support: “It was super important to have this startup network…seeing other founders communicating with other founders.” And Julia agrees, noting that being part of a network that includes other women founders was especially helpful: “It’s just another power, another spirit, and another power of network where you can always go back to if you feel insecure.”
Their advice to new founders, especially women, is to seek out these communities intentionally. Not only do these networks provide crucial support, but they also give founders the confidence to move forward with bold decisions.
2. Seek Out Programs, But Choose Wisely
Julia and Maria emphasize the importance of being strategic with time and resources. They participated in several startup programs and incubators, which provided both mentorship and guidance. However, they caution that participating in too many programs can be overwhelming and sometimes counterproductive. Julia advises, “You just don’t join these programs just because of the sake of the logo and the name…every program has this different focus…it takes a lot of time.” Her recommendation: pick programs that align with your startup’s immediate needs and avoid distractions that can pull you away from building your business.
PS: They just took part in our Grow F investment-readiness program!
3. Learn to Filter Advice—Trust Your Vision
Early on, they found themselves overwhelmed by advice from mentors and supporters, but they quickly realized that not every suggestion would be useful for them. Julia explained, “We thought every advice…had to be followed,” but eventually they learned to “sort out and filter” the insights they received. Now, they pick what resonates with their goals and keep other advice for later – when the time is right. For other founders, their advice is to focus on creating a clear vision and learn to navigate the influx of input by being selective. If something doesn’t fit the company’s immediate direction, it’s okay to make a note, and set some advice aside for when it can be later taken.
4. Build a Balanced Team with Complementary Skills
Both founders also are sure to credit their recent success to expanding their founding team with people who had different skills. Initially, they found themselves stuck in one place because of their engineering focus. After finding “a really good co-founder team—a business guy and informatics startup guy,” they were able to bring the business and tech skills they needed to propel factorymaker forward. Julia recommends building a team that balances strengths and fills gaps, noting that “once we found our co-founder team, everything was just like…floating.”
Shaping the Industry & Sharing Their Path
Julia and Maria’s journey with factorymaker is an impressive example of problem-solving, perseverance, and growth. They’ve leveraged each other’s strengths and sought out networks, mentors, and co-founders to build a company that’s pushing boundaries in the construction industry. Through their experience, they offer a roadmap for other founders—particularly women in male-dominated fields—on how to take big leaps, learn from setbacks, and ultimately, shape the future of their industry.
About factorymaker
The planning of industrial buildings and sites is time-consuming, complex, and filled with uncertainty, making it difficult for planners to balance cost, efficiency, and sustainability. Building owners face the challenge of ensuring their investments meet both financial and environmental goals while minimizing risks. factorymaker enables a future where every industrial project starts optimized for sustainability and cost efficiency from day one. Our AI-powered design agents automate the generation and optimization of master plans, process layouts and building designs, significantly reducing planning time while delivering data-driven solutions that cut costs and boost sustainability. Unlike humans, who can’t explore every design possibility, factorymaker provides comprehensive design variant studies, bringing transparency to design trade-offs and enabling informed decision-making.
– Co-Founder at factorymaker
Julia Reisinger – Co-Founder at factorymaker