#269 The Unexpected Climate Agents: Why Insurance Companies are Driving Resilient Modular Homebuilding | Vikas Enti (Reframe Systems)
NOV 20, 202553 MIN
#269 The Unexpected Climate Agents: Why Insurance Companies are Driving Resilient Modular Homebuilding | Vikas Enti (Reframe Systems)
NOV 20, 202553 MIN
Description
<p><strong>JOIN US FOR THE HACK SUMMIT!</strong></p><p><em>The </em><a target="_blank" href="https://www.hacksummitny.com/"><em>HackSummit</em></a><em> returns to Newlab on December 10-11, bringing together 500 founders, funders, and industry leaders in Climate Deep Tech. Together we’ll explore abundance, alongside Founders and Investors at </em><strong><em>Andreessen Horowitz, Brimstone, Crux, DCVC, Durin, Earth AI, Endolith, Navier, Radical AI, Rainmaker, Voyager Ventures </em></strong><em>and</em><strong><em> SOSV</em></strong><em>. Sign up for 10% off </em><a target="_blank" href="https://www.hacksummitny.com/#pricings"><em>here</em></a><em>.</em></p><p><strong><em>What happens when an ex–Amazon Robotics leader looks at the housing crisis and says, “Yeah… I can fix that”?</em></strong></p><p>You get Reframe Systems. And honestly, this might be one of the boldest climate-tech swings happening right now.</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1kjjxt0KnA9KrpWp8lH3CKp6SqUxc-ltP?usp=share_link"><strong>Vikas Enti</strong></a><strong> </strong>joined me on the show, and within five minutes, it was clear: the home construction industry we have is broken. Slow builds. Sky-high costs. Massive waste. Homes are leaking energy like crazy. And absolutely zero scalability.</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.reframe.systems/"><strong>Reframe Systems</strong></a> is flipping the entire industry on its head.</p><p>They’re building homes like you’d build hardware: in micro factories, with robots, software, and tight quality control. Their houses use about <strong>80 percent less energy</strong>, slash embodied carbon, and cut the chaos of job-site construction. And they’re doing it with these insanely flexible robotic work cells that cost under $200k and fit inside a garage.</p><p>Here’s another thing that will blow your mind away.</p><p>They cracked the code on <strong>mass customization</strong>. Everyone else tries to copy-paste the same house. Reframe built the software that turns any custom design into robot-ready instructions.</p><p>The economics hit just as hard. Developers are paying $350 to $450 per square foot today. Reframe comes in at $275 to $325 — and builds faster. Their long-term target? Under $100 per square foot. If they get to hit that, game over. Housing changes forever.</p><p>Also… insurance companies are pushing this wave faster than anyone. With wildfire and climate risk exploding, insurers want buildings that actually perform. Reframe homes check every box: airtight, fire-rated, flood-resilient, and way cheaper to run.</p><p>Vikas and the team built their first full micro factory and delivered a permitted home in just 18 months. Now they’re scaling through joint ventures and laying the tracks for a network of small, fast factories that can pop up anywhere housing is needed.</p><p>If you care about climate tech, housing affordability, robotics, or the future of cities… this is really one of those episodes you should listen to.</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://cleantechies.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2">cleantechies.substack.com/subscribe</a>