May 19, 2025
From pitching to investors in timber building, to becoming NABERS-certified (almost), to plugging in global carbon data – it’s been a month of movement, milestones, and a mild obsession with people wearing tracksuits.
We've welcomed new users, shouted V-Quest across crowded rooms and added the word BLOODY to our vocabulary.
Read on!
Climate, Capital & Carbon Cuts – Aurora Pitch Night
We pitched V-Quest at the Aurora Climate Lab showcase to over 150 guests – a room thick with investors from Motion Capital, Ice House Ventures, Altered Capital, and Bridgewest Ventures. Climatetech / CleanTech was the theme for investors wanting Green!
Our message was simple: Designing Cost Effective Sustainable Buildings is bloody hard work. (Barry forgot his words and said bloody to buy time - it worked. The crowd loved the honesty.
Why? Architects are designing with bloody good experience and vision but not with data.
When you combine V-Quest data with their immense experience, they can make it easy– buildings that cost less, are better for the environment and still look bloody beautiful.
Our Co-founder Barry got the nights biggest laugh when he explained how one V-Quest user cut the carbon equivalent of planting 180,000 trees – all without putting their back out.
The room laughed. They clapped. They leaned in.
That night, we saw what we’ve always believed: data makes design stronger – and the market’s bloody ready (and hopefully the Venture Capitalists are ready to open their wallets).
Now we need to deflate Barry so that his head can fit through the door.
Tracksuits, Growth & The Gospel of Listening
This month we also visited Tracksuit (thanks to an event run by @ClimateHQ) – the fastest-growing, brand-tracking SaaS startup wearing… well, tracksuits. Literally wearing tracksuits. It’s a no suit office, where they thank their clients in the form of…. You guessed it…..tracksuits.
These folks did something most startups don’t: they sold to customers before writing code. Eleven companies bought into the vision, and in return, helped build the product. That discipline – listen first, build second – has turned Tracksuit into a $20M ARR rocketship with $143M valuation and global reach.
And what stuck with us most? Their relentless focus on the customer. Every decision runs through that lens. We left inspired – and slightly overdressed.
V-Quest is built the same way. Talk less. Listen more. Build exactly what our users need. And never underestimate the power of good branding and breathable fabrics.
We’re doing 15-minute discovery calls with architects and engineers. Not sales. Just research.
We’re hearing the similar themes but need more of you to confirm we are not dreaming!
Carbon compliance is coming.
Emission reduction has to be affordable.
Clients are asking for it.
Workflows need to be simple, integrated, and accurate.
Nobody has time for tools that make life harder.
One architect mentioned sick building syndrome, something Barry wrote his dissertation on back in 2003. Obviously we are still building poor performing buildings 22 years later and that's a little sad.
If you want to help shape V-Quest’s future (and get a free month to try it yourself), book a slot:
📅 Book here
Sydney Build Expo – The Demand is Real
Will Roberts (our CTO) attended the Sydney Build Expo, where the Aussie industry gathered in force – architects, engineers, builders, suppliers, and even a guy giving away coffee with a carbon footprint rating.
NABERS - spoke at the event, announcing that carbon compliance reporting was live now that their embodied carbon reporting tool has been released. If you are a commercial architect in Australian, listen up. Carbon Compliance reporting will soon be mandatory.
So, we shouted about V-Quest to anyone that wanted to hear! The reaction? One consistent line:
“When are you launching? This is needed now.”
We’re on it. V-Quest officially launches in Australia at the end of June, with a permanent Sydney presence to match. Because if you want to help a market decarbonise, you show up.
Check out Will's socials summary here.
Walk the Walk – Will’s NABERS Journey
We’re helping automate NABERS’ new embodied carbon tool (more on that next). But to truly understand our users' journey, Will decided to become a NABERS Accredited Assessor himself.
He’s completed the course and is now sitting the exam. We have every confidence in him (enough to say so publicly). He said, "The course was well structured, insightful, and… surprisingly user-friendly".
This isn’t just a badge for Will. It’s about walking the same path as the engineers and architects using V-Quest. Knowing their pressure points and deliverables.
Knowing what matters, and making V-Quest the best solution available for Australian professionals is our mission.
Because real product empathy doesn’t come from guessing – it comes from going through it.
Automating the NABERS Carbon Tool
In case you missed it: the NABERS Embodied Carbon tool is live – and we automate it.
Check it out here
For V-Quest users, this means:
- Seamless integration into existing workflows
- Instantly generated NABERS-compliant outputs
- No extra spreadsheets, no extra effort
It’s a huge moment. We’re simplifying one of the most complex aspects of carbon reporting – and doing it in a way that’s fully aligned with the regulatory frameworks of today (and tomorrow).
Application Updates on the Way!
Two big features in development:
Thermal Performance Metrics
We’re working on adding New Zealand H1 and Australian NCC (Section J/NatHERS) compliance to V-Quest.
That means:
- Material-linked thermal performance
- Easy visualisation of compliance
- And fewer surprises at code review time
EC3 Database Integration
Global embodied carbon data is coming to V-Quest Basics.
We’re integrating EC3 – opening up our tool to international datasets. That’s right: the entry-level version now packs global potential.
V-Quest isn’t just about measuring carbon. It’s about scaling building design efficiency across borders and baselines. Reducing construction costs and preventing carbon emissions.
Welcome JTB Architects
We’re proud to welcome JTB Architects to the V-Quest user base.
As we said on LinkedIn:
“Another forward-thinking practice proving that with the right data, decarbonisation isn't just possible – it’s commercially smart.”
They join a growing group of firms using V-Quest to leverage cost and carbon insights into efficient design – not as a compliance chore, but as a competitive advantage.
We’re excited to support their journey. And we’re even more excited about what their buildings will prove to the rest of the industry.
Fractal Climate – Strategic Advisors, Global Vision
We’ve teamed up with Fractal Climate – the US-based duo of Alice Havill and Jen Wagner – to help us sharpen our strategy around carbon, communication, and climate.
They’re not just advisors. They’re thought leaders in sustainable business. And they’re helping us navigate a world where policies shift, markets react, and only the clearest value propositions win.
With their help, V-Quest is tightening its message:
Design efficiency. Carbon prevention. Data that wins hearts, minds, and budgets.
WORLD CLIMATE & DESIGN NEWS
It's a bloody (there we said it again) confusing time.
Last month, New Zealand’s Environment Minister gave us a masterclass in commitment-phobia — claiming our Paris Climate Agreement pledges weren’t really commitments, more like… polite suggestions. Apparently, all we need to do is "put our best foot forward". (Left foot? Right foot? Who knows — just don’t trip on the way.)
This month, our Building Minister proudly announced we’ve signed the Déclaration de Chaillot — a global agreement to decarbonise the building sector in line with the Paris Agreement. Which would be great... if we weren’t still treating climate policy like a vision board.
Meanwhile, over the ditch in Australia, they’ve signed it and actually done something. They’ve got the Climate Change (Net Zero Future) Act 2023 and the Decarbonising Infrastructure Delivery Policy — real frameworks, real targets, and real accountability.
Turns out, it’s not just about saying the right things — it’s about doing them too. Wild concept.
Anyway, here is the major climate a design news from around the world.
Global Commitment: 70 Countries Sign the Déclaration de Chaillot - 70 countries, including New Zealand and Australia, endorsed the Déclaration de Chaillot. This landmark agreement aims to decarbonize the building and construction sector, promoting near-zero-emission and climate-resilient buildings as the global standard by 2030.
Harnessing Computational Tools for Sustainable Architecture - emerging technologies are revolutionizing sustainable architecture. By utilizing computational tools, architects can preserve embodied carbon and reduce operational carbon in existing and historic buildings.
Balancing Embodied and Operational Carbon in New Buildings - A report by Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF) examines the trade-offs between embodied and operational carbon emissions in new building designs.
Retrofitting Urban Buildings to Cut Carbon Emissions - MIT News discusses how cities can reduce their carbon emissions by retrofitting existing buildings. The article introduces online simulation tools developed by MIT researchers that enable urban policymakers to determine the most effective retrofit measures for their city's building stock, aiming to achieve targeted carbon reductions.
Exploring Sustainable Architecture Around the World - RMJM showcases ten examples of sustainable architecture globally, highlighting innovative designs that prioritize energy efficiency and environmental sustainability.
Ferrari's $200 Million Sustainable Factory in Maranello - Unlike typical car factories, this facility is clean, white, and environmentally friendly, resembling an exhibition space or museum. Spanning 42,500 square meters over four floors, it features internal gardens and is designed to be Ferrari's most efficient and sustainable factory.
The Inflation Reduction Act Accelerates Sustainable Design - he U.S. Inflation Reduction Act incentivizes sustainable building solutions, such as net-zero energy, decarbonization, and energy master planning. The legislation aims to accelerate the adoption of energy-efficient designs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the building sector.
That's it from the V-Quest team. See you all in June.