Join the waitlist
← Blog
Building in Public

October 2026: 14,000 users, and we are opening our investment round

By Simon Lafortune, Co-founder and CEO · October 12, 2026 · 5 min read

In August, we promised to share our real numbers on a regular schedule. This is the second post in the series, a little under four months after our public launch. Buildsavr is the English name of Bâtir à Rabais, the same product, built in Quebec.

The short version: we have nearly doubled since the last post, growth is speeding up every month, we shipped several things you asked for, and we are officially opening our pre-seed funding round.

Alexandre Pelletier and Simon Lafortune standing in front of a house foundation under construction
Alexandre and Simon, on site
14,000+
users since the project started
800+
construction contractors signed up
+39%
daily signups in October vs September

The numbers, mid-October

On August 18, we had 7,800 users. Today, more than 14,000 people have created an account. Mostly homeowners renovating, plus self builders and more than 800 construction contractors who shop for materials every week.

That last number is the one we watch most. A homeowner does a big project every few years; a contractor buys materials all year long. They are the ones who turn a good tool into a habit.

  • More than 14,000 registered users since the project started.
  • More than 800 construction contractors among them.
  • 43 retailers compared, from the big chains to regional specialists.

Growth that speeds up every month

We committed to never inflate our numbers, so here is the full picture. July was our biggest signup month: that was the launch wave. After a wave, most products come back down and flatten out.

We did the opposite. Since the wave passed, every month has beaten the one before: about 90 new signups a day in August, 110 in September, and more than 150 a day since October began. The number of price comparisons follows the same curve.

New: our prices inside Claude

Do you use Claude, the AI assistant from Anthropic? You can now plug us in as a connector. Once your account is linked, you ask Claude for the price of your materials: it searches our catalogue, compares prices across retailers and answers with real numbers instead of guessing.

In practice, you can describe your deck project, let it work out the quantities, then ask where to buy it all. The connector is free, even with a free account: your comparisons simply count toward your plan, just like on the site. It also works in Claude Code and any other tool that supports the MCP protocol.

Setup steps are on our connector page, at buildsavr.com/mcp.

The connector install page, with the command to paste into a terminal
One line, the same for everyone, no key to copy

What else shipped since August

We shipped a lot in two months. The ones that matter most to you:

  • Contractor pricing: When a partner retailer offers a trade price, a contractor account sees it directly in its comparison and its buying plan.
  • Showcases: Tile, vanities, faucets, doors, panelling: finishing products can now be browsed in photos, filtered by colour, size and finish.
  • Order requests: With several partners, you send your order straight from your buying plan, without retyping your list.
  • More retailers: We now compare 43 retailers, from the big chains to regional specialists.

Next: AI mode, plan reading, mobile app

Three projects will keep us busy over the coming months.

  • AI mode: An assistant built into the app: describe your project in words, it builds your material list, compares prices and hands you your buying plan. What the Claude connector already does, without leaving the app.
  • Plan reading: Upload your house or addition plans, and we turn them into a material list to compare. For a contractor or a self builder, that is hours of quantity takeoff saved.
  • Mobile app: To compare a price standing in the store aisle, or add an item to your list right on the job site.

We are opening our pre-seed round

To move faster, we are officially opening our pre-seed funding round. The money will go to marketing, to accelerate growth already validated by our traction and a very low customer acquisition cost, and to expansion across Canada.

We are looking for people who believe buying building materials can be far simpler. Contractors, retailers and people from the construction industry are especially welcome: you understand the problem better than anyone.

If the project interests you, write to me directly at simon@batirarabais.ca.

Thank you

Thank you to the 14,000 people who trust us, to the contractors who write in to flag a price or a missing product, and to the partner retailers who chose to grow with us.

See you in the next post of the series, with new numbers.

Frequently asked questions

How many people use Buildsavr?
More than 14,000 people have created an account since the project started, including more than 800 construction contractors. The app has been open to the public since June 25, 2026.
Is Buildsavr raising money?
Yes. Buildsavr (Bâtir à Rabais in French) has been raising its pre-seed round since October 2026. To learn more, write to simon@batirarabais.ca and Simon Lafortune, co-founder and CEO, will answer you directly.
Does it work with Claude?
Yes. We offer a connector for Claude, the AI assistant from Anthropic, as well as Claude Code and any other tool that supports the MCP protocol. Once your account is linked, Claude can search your materials and compare their prices across retailers. The connector is free, even with a free account.
What is coming next?
Three projects: an AI mode inside the app that builds your list and buying plan from a project description; plan reading, which turns house plans into a material list; and a mobile app.

Want this where you build?

Buildsavr is live in Quebec and expanding. Leave your email and we will tell you the day it opens in your area. Free to compare, no credit card.