Artificial Intelligence will eventually replace all human workers. Or will it? Two Israeli startups – SWAPP and BRIA – believe in combining human ingenuity with advanced technology in the fields of architecture and creative design, and claim that the way the world thinks, plans, and creates is about to undergo a complete transformation
The world is changing at an astonishingly rapid pace. A new technology, an upgraded AI model, or a startup promising to make our lives easier or better is born every minute. Yet, sometimes, beneath all the hype, lies a real, transformative change – one stemming from the heart of industry and providing a response to real, complex, and essential needs.
SWAPP and BRIA are two companies driving such a change. The first is revolutionizing how architects design buildings, while the second is driving change in the rapidly evolving world of generative content creation. Artificial Intelligence powers both.
Turning Architects into Superheroes
SWAPP focuses on the traditionally conservative world of architecture, making it faster, more innovative, more thorough, and more efficient – utilizing a technology that deeply understands both the construction industry and the way architects think.
Eitan Tsarfati, CEO and co-founder of SWAPP, knows a thing or two about combining construction and technology. With architectural experience and a serial entrepreneur background, Tsarfati also previously became the CEO of Autodesk Israel after he sold it his first startup. “I worked with construction technology back then too,” he says, “but at SWAPP, we’re taking it several steps further by helping architects become more efficient and more profitable.”
The challenge sounds simple: SWAPP develops Artificial Intelligence that helps generate detailed architectural plans, from the raw data to accurate construction drawings. In reality, this is a complex process that requires an analysis of both textual and graphical information. For example, an architectural plan might include an illustration of a wall cross-section, along with a written description, including information such as building materials, other qualities (thermal or acoustic), and other relevant details (such as its required degree of maintenance). The system can read and interpret a multilayered database, train an AI model accordingly, and generate precise technical drawings.
According to Tsarfati, SWAPP’s edge lies not only in its data, accumulated through years of collaboration with architectural firms, but also in its deep understanding of the architectural workflow that underpins the technology. “Our models aren’t generic, and our models can do things that generic models simply cannot. Our clients also understand that their data is protected and compartmentalized, with no “leakage” between different clients – and that encourages them to share information, which ultimately improves the output for everyone.”
Tsarfati doesn’t believe in magic solutions. “We are building AI that works with you, not instead of you. It asks questions, tests, and deeply understands each step of the process. We refer to it as an AI Reasoning Engine. This is a different mindset – viewing AI as a partner, not as a replacement, for human capital. The goal is not for the machine to do everything, but rather, to free us from mundane tasks so that we can focus on creativity. We’re here to give architects superpowers,” says Tsarfati.
So, how does it work? The client receives a complete set of construction documents – hundreds of sheets of drawings – produced through a collaborative process in which the architect is responsible for the design and planning. In contrast, automation completes the more “boring” technical tasks. Human support and advanced technology remain integral to the entire process, making them partners throughout. “Our clients realize that getting the most out of the technology requires the correct workflow – one that is extremely beneficial,” says Tsarfati.
The company’s clients are mainly midsize and large architecture firms in the United States. The technology is not intended to replace existing staff – it expands the team and its range of capabilities. “We help firms do much more with less effort and win projects they wouldn’t have been able to handle otherwise – without expanding their workforce,” says Tsarfati. “Each of our clients understands that we’re helping them streamline their operations, one step at a time.”
Tsarfati views this as a fundamental shift in the sector—one that’s just beginning. “Architecture is a tough industry with low profit margins, but with our help, firms are improving their profitability and efficiency, which, in turn, enhances the profession’s image and attracts more people to study and work in architecture. It’s a self-nourishing cycle.”
Nice to Meet You, PropTech
PropTech, short for Property Technology, is a general term that refers to a range of innovative technologies in the real estate sector, spanning from planning and construction to marketing, asset management, sales, and rentals. PropTech companies aim to streamline traditional real estate operations via automation and innovation.
Tsarfati was one of the first to identify the opportunity. Unlike just a few years ago, today, even traditional cyber and fintech VC funds are investing in PropTech, out of an understanding of its genuine need, even in an industry that still relies heavily on conventional methods. Tsarfati explains that the company is building a sustainable business – a living, growing company that generates revenue, that doesn’t rely solely on funding, and which is already working with clients to develop its next product.
That entrepreneurial spirit holds strong even in challenging times. During the war, the company’s revenue tripled. “Our team worked with a deep sense of purpose – in the IDF reserves, at home with their kids, and with full commitment to the product’s success,” says Tzarfati.
Tzarfati credits the Israel Innovation Authority as being a key factor in the company’s success. “Their early-stage investment is critical. The Innovation Authority’s support at the pre-seed stage provides a business with oxygen in the form of time, trust, and opportunity. That’s what enables growth. To a large degree, this is the foundation on which much of Israel’s venture capital ecosystem was built.”
So, what does the future hold? “In a few years, SWAPP will be present in every architecture firm. That’s when we’ll know we’ve succeeded – not just financially, but on a deeper level: we will have transformed the way an entire industry thinks, plans, and creates.”
“Artificial intelligence is not just a technological leap. It’s a disruptive technology on a historic scale – and a key factor in the global race for technological innovation. We see it as a growth engine that will impact all sectors: healthcare, transportation, education, and industry.”
Dr. Alon Stopel, Chairperson of the Israel Innovation Authority
The Spotify of Generative AI
In a world where anyone can create an image, song, or video with the click of a button, who or what will ensure the creator gets credit? BRIA is building the infrastructure that allows content creation to thrive without compromising creators’ rights, providing full transparency and seamless integration into existing platforms.
Using technology that links Artificial Intelligence with creative responsibility, which is based on transparency, copyright protection, bias mitigation, and even revenue repayment to original influencers, BRIA aims to redefine the rules of generative content.
Yair Adato, BRIA’s CEO and co-founder, joined the Israeli startup Trax early in his career. Within seven years, the company expanded from 15 employees to 700. “It was my real-world university,” says Adato. “That’s where I learned what true transformation looks like – one that combines deep tech with an understanding of real market need.”
About a third of BRIA’s team came from Trax, including CTO Michael (Misha) Feinstein. Adato speaks proudly of belonging to Israel’s unique ecosystem: “If we need help, it arrives within 20 minutes. That kind of responsiveness just doesn’t exist in London or the US.”
BRIA was founded in 2020, at the height of the COVID pandemic, by investors who weren’t sure if Adato was a visionary or just crazy, but they believed in him and backed the idea, nevertheless.
“To borrow from Harry Potter, generative AI is a kind of bubble,” he admits, “but that doesn’t mean it lacks value. On the contrary – it’s an incredibly valuable technology. It will simply take time for people to learn how to use it properly. It will undergo a maturation process, much like the early days of the internet. BRIA is here to build the right infrastructure for that.”
What BRIA does sounds wonderfully simple: it has designed a platform that enables the creation of generative content (currently still images, and, in the future, video, music, and text) while protecting copyrights and ensuring fair remuneration.
When BRIA generates an image, the system can identify the content it is influenced by and pay royalties to the owner of its rights. “If a picture of a dog in the snow is generated based on 100 images, each original creator gets a share of the payment, according to their contribution. No-one has content stolen and everything is licensed.”
This may sound far-fetched to you, but not to Adato, who explains that streaming services such as Napster and Pirate Bay quickly collapsed because they lacked a business model. Then Netflix arrived, offering a model where everyone wins. That’s precisely what BRIA is doing now in the world of AI.
BRIA doesn’t develop products for end consumers. Instead, it provides an open API platform for developers. In other words, it doesn’t just offer “another image creation tool,” but rather enables organizations to integrate generative AI capabilities into existing systems, with an infrastructure built for safe, commercial use. It’s similar in concept to a Lego base with which clients can construct whatever they need.
“We’re not worried if clients use other tools as well. On the contrary, they can connect us to platforms like Photoshop, Canva, Adobe, or any other relevant tool. What matters to us is that the content is generated legally and safely,” says Adato.
BRIA’s platform, which already includes 14 registered patents with a further 16 pending, also enables organizations to train a personalized model that can understand a brand’s visual language, product style, and other elements, thereby constituting an infrastructure that facilitates control, precision, repeatability, and, primarily, security. The legality of the image generated by BRIA stems from the fact that it ensures that there is no unauthorized use of a celebrity’s picture, no reinforcement of stereotypes, and no creation of a deep-fake. “This is a responsibility we take very seriously,” emphasizes Adato.
Artificial Content Creation with a License
BRIA recently raised 40 million dollars and continues to benefit from investments from the Innovation Authority. “This is critical,” says Adato. “The grant we received in our initial stage gave us breathing room, recognition, and time. That’s exactly what startups need to compete with tech giants that enjoy endless funding.”
The company’s R&D center is based in Israel, while its sales and marketing operations are located in New York. Clients come from around the world – advertising agencies, global retail chains, game developers, and film studios.
At the same time, BRIA collaborates closely with industry giants such as NVIDIA and Amazon’s AWS. “They know that their developers need safe tools. We can show them exactly how to assimilate content without creating legal complications.”
Several products have already gone online, and Adato believes that within two years, movies, games, and brands will be built entirely on BRIA’s technology. Another goal is for the platform to enable legal use of premium content, like Disney characters or global brands, under a controlled legal framework. “It will be the ‘Spotify’ of visual content,” he says.
“I hear people claim that generative AI is going to replace all human workers. That’s nonsense,” says Adato. “However, the way we think about content is about to change. In a few years, content will be personalized and generated on demand. And it won’t stop at mere texts and images. If I can generate a game or a TV episode on demand, then maybe the entertainment and gaming industries will converge. The experiences of viewing, sound, pixels, marketing, and buying will all look different in ways we have yet to fully imagine.”
BRIA’s vision is to increase access to creative expression through AI while respecting all the parties involved – users, rights owners, and society at large. “We want our platform to be responsible, transparent, and fair. Anyone will be able to know where the content came from, and that’s how it should be.”
“I’m not afraid of robots with guns,” he says, “but I am afraid of manipulation. If we don’t think through the implications of what we’re doing, it could go horribly wrong. Technology is advancing quickly – an hour in this field feels like a week. But if we do it right, we won’t just be able to generate images. We’ll be able to generate a better reality.”