From a builder's idea to a branded AI product for residential builders
An AI platform built to handle a builder's office admin: talk to it on site and it prepares the diaries, delays, variations, EOT letters and client updates.
Learn how Devika and Devika Ventures helped take Nikolai from a builder's idea into real product development, from brand identity to the product build.
Services provided
Client overview
Builders don't get into the trade to do paperwork, yet every job creates it: site diaries, delay notices, variations, extension of time (EOT) letters and client updates. Much of it gets written up at night, after a full day on site, while the notice windows for delays and claims keep running.
Nikolai was founded by Anthony Awkar, a builder who was tired of writing it all up at night. His idea was an assistant you talk to on site: it turns what happened into the admin, flags what's due before the deadline and works alongside the software builders already use, at one price per business.
Nikolai is part of the Devika Ventures portfolio. With Devika Ventures backing the idea, Devika set out to give Nikolai a brand and a product built for other builders. Nikolai is now rolling out to residential builders, with walkthroughs booked through asknikolai.com.
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From brand to build, Devika has worked with Nikolai on two fronts.
Brand identity. Devika ran a branding kick-off and creative brief, then developed two stylescapes and two logo concepts. Anthony chose "Landmark": a solid triangular monument with the counter cut from its core. Devika then delivered the full brand package: logo suite, app icon, colour palette, typography and brand guidelines.
Product design and development. Devika's product team is building Nikolai as a web Builder Portal, an Admin Portal and a mobile app, with an AI assistant at the centre. The platform is designed around:
- Portfolio view: dashboards showing progress, current stage, alerts and blockers across every project.
- Site capture: voice, notes, photos and documents captured on site and turned into diaries and project records.
- Delays, variations and EOTs: tracked against the programme, with letters and client notices prepared for review.
- Inbox and programme awareness: Google and Microsoft mailbox connections match emails to projects, so what's due surfaces before the deadline.
- Client reporting: progress reports drafted from approved site records and photos, checked by the builder before they're sent.
- People in control: the assistant proposes actions, and people review, edit and confirm them before anything is saved or sent.
- Built for the whole team: role-based access for owners, project managers, supervisors, clients and subcontractors, on web and mobile.
Portfolio view
Dashboards showing progress, current stage, alerts and blockers across every project.
Week and month views
Whole-project, week and month views, Today navigation and critical/late/behind-baseline filters.
Scheduling and programme
Interactive Gantt/programme views showing planned, actual, forecast and baseline dates. Stage details, dependency navigation, linked delays/variations and full schedule-change history.
From brand to build, Devika and Devika Ventures took Nikolai from an idea into real product development.
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