Bidflow
AI Copilot for Electrical Estimating
About
We help electrical contractors do electrical estimates way faster using AI. Electrical contractors submit RFPs (request for proposals) to win contracts to jobs like building the electrical infrastructure for a new data center, and they compete with other electrical contractors to win these jobs. The process of submitting these RFPs take a majority of an electrical contractors time, specifically in providing an estimate for the job, and Bidflow aims to optimize the redundant paperwork that goes into this process.
Founders
AI Research Report
Problem & Solution
Problem/Solution Report
Problem
Electrical estimating is labor‑intensive, error‑prone, and time‑consuming. Estimators must review hundreds of pages of drawings, count symbols, and manually enter thousands of line items into legacy systems. The process can take hours to months, and a single mistake can cost thousands of dollars, leading contractors to lose bids.
Solution
Bidflow offers an AI Copilot for Electrical Estimating that reads drawings and specifications, then automatically populates estimate tables. The system provides audit‑ready “proof of work” citations for every number, allowing estimators to verify AI‑generated data. For change orders, the platform automates drawing review, spec extraction, and labor calculations, delivering 4× faster processing.
Value proposition
- Accelerates bid throughput and change‑order turnaround.
- Reduces manual data entry and associated errors.
- Keeps estimators in control while off‑loading repetitive tasks to AI.
- Demonstrated time savings in a case study with Bass Electric, where PMs moved from hours to minutes.
Traction
Bidflow is YC‑backed, has early adopters among electrical contractors in the Northeast Corridor, and showcases a case study highlighting measurable ROI.
Market & Competitors
Market and Competitors Report
Market size & trends
Construction estimating software is a mid‑hundred‑million‑dollar U.S. market and a multi‑billion‑dollar global market, growing at high‑single to low‑double‑digit CAGR as firms shift to cloud‑based, AI‑enhanced tools. Electrical contractors represent a sizable specialty trade with substantial spend on estimating and change‑order solutions, as reflected by NECA’s $270 B industry valuation.
Competitive landscape – electrical estimating incumbents
- Trimble Accubid – full‑featured electrical estimating with extensive item databases.
- Conest IntelliBid – targeted at electrical, low‑voltage, datacom, and solar contractors.
- McCormick Systems – fast takeoffs and accurate bids for electrical (and MEP) trades.
Horizontal competitors – general estimating & bid management
- Procore Estimating (Esticom) – cloud‑based quantity takeoff and proposal generation integrated into Procore.
- Autodesk BuildingConnected – online bid board and management platform for subcontractors.
Change‑order specialists
- Clearstory (formerly Extracker) – purpose‑built change‑order platform with real‑time logs and digital T&M mobile app, targeting specialty contractors and GCs.
Bidflow differentiation
Bidflow combines AI‑first estimating with proof‑of‑work citations, addressing the trust barrier that hampers AI adoption in high‑stakes estimating. It extends automation upstream of change‑order tools, offering a unified workflow that speeds up both estimating and change‑order processing while keeping estimators in the loop.
Risks
As a small, early‑stage YC company, Bidflow must prove credibility, ensure data security, and deepen integrations with existing contractor software stacks to win broader market share.
Total Addressable Market
Quantitative TAM Report
Top‑down market sizing
- The U.S. construction estimating software market generated $410.6 M in 2024 and is projected to reach $657.3 M by 2030 (CAGR ≈ 8.8 %)【https://www.grandviewresearch.com/horizon/outlook/construction-estimating-software-market/united-states】.
- Globally, the construction estimating software market was $1.896 B in 2024 and is expected to grow to $5.288 B by 2034 (CAGR ≈ 10.8 %)【https://market.us/report/global-construction-estimating-software-market/】, with North America contributing ~36 % of revenue.
Vertical focus
NECA reports that the U.S. electrical contracting industry is valued at over $270 B annually and includes 70,000+ firms【https://www.necanet.org/】. This indicates a large pool of potential buyers for specialized estimating tools.
Bottom‑up TAM estimate
Assuming 20 % of the 70,000 firms (≈14,000) are active bidders with formal estimating processes and an average annual software spend of $3,000–$10,000, the U.S. electrical‑estimating TAM ranges from $42 M to $140 M, with a midpoint of ≈$70 M. A 30 % early‑adoption scenario (≈4,200 firms) at a $5,000 ACV yields a near‑term addressable market of ≈$21 M.
Longer‑term opportunity
International expansion, additional change‑order automation modules, and per‑seat pricing can raise the serviceable market substantially. As AI adoption accelerates in pre‑construction, Bidflow could capture a double‑digit share of the U.S. niche while scaling globally.
Founder Analysis
Founders and Background Report
Bidflow was founded by Jesse Choe (CEO) and Gautham Ramachandran (CTO), listed as active founders on the Y Combinator Winter 2026 batch profile. The company operates under the legal entity Ghostship AI Inc. as indicated in the website footer.
Jesse Choe has a strong competitive programming background, ranking in the top 1 % of U.S. programmers. He interned at Jane Street at age 18 and left college to build AI software. The YC profile describes him as a “college dropout” focused on AI for electrical contractors.
Gautham Ramachandran also ranks among the top 5 % of U.S. competitive programmers, authored three reinforcement‑learning preprints presented at ICML, and bootstrapped a venture that generated $120 K at age 16. He is listed as the technical co‑founder responsible for change‑order automation.
Both founders previously launched Ghostship, an AI QA‑agent platform, before pivoting to construction‑focused AI. Their deep technical expertise, early exposure to finance and engineering, and family ties to the electrical trade shape the company’s mission to accelerate electrical estimating.
The team is small (2‑10 employees), headquartered in New York, and was founded in 2025, as shown on LinkedIn and the company website.
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