We Want Sablono to Become the Default Execution Platform for Complex Builds: Lukas Olbrich, CEO

Sablono GmbH is a Berlin-based ConTech company helping construction projects run with greater clarity and control. Since 2013, it has equipped contractors with a digital system to manage every stage of building work.

Sablono links thousands of tasks, trades, and timelines into one real-time plan. Instead of juggling spreadsheets and disconnected tools, project managers use Sablono to keep complex builds—airports, hospitals, data centers—on schedule, from start to finish.

Sablono is built around how construction actually works on-site. It doesn’t abstract or oversimplify the process—it makes it visible, measurable, and manageable.

In Conversation with Lukas Olbrich, Co-Founder & CEO of Sablono GmbH

Sablono isn't another generic project management tool. Let’s begin with what you set out to fix.

We built Sablono to address a glaring absence—clarity. Construction projects are chaotic not because people don’t work hard, but because no one sees the full picture. You have dozens of subcontractors, thousands of tasks, and no shared language or timeline that everyone can trust. Sablono creates that source of truth. It replaces static Gantt charts and siloed spreadsheets with a dynamic network of interlinked activities, each tracked in real time. This wasn’t about digitizing paper—it was about changing how people coordinate at scale.

Most ConTech startups either stay small or get swallowed by general-purpose tools. How has Sablono managed to avoid both?

We never built a feature; we built a system. Most tools start with a function—say, task tracking or reporting—and then try to scale from there. That approach breaks down when complexity increases. We designed Sablono from the start as a system of record for execution. It’s grounded in logic—dependencies, durations, real progress. That gives us an edge in enterprise settings. We didn’t chase mass adoption at the expense of depth. We chose to serve those who build airports and hospitals, not garages.

The industry is infamous for being slow to change. How do you drive adoption when tradition resists?

You meet resistance with results. We don't go in with hype or buzzwords. We go in with data. One client used Sablono to track over 100,000 individual activities across more than 30 trades. The delay risk dropped by 40%. That kind of outcome speaks louder than any pitch. Once site managers see they can actually measure productivity in near real-time—and that this data can protect them in claims discussions—resistance fades.

What’s your take on AI in construction? Substance or smoke?

It’s both. AI is only useful if the data feeding it is structured, complete, and contextual. Construction data, historically, is none of those things. Everyone wants predictions, but few have a reliable record of what actually happened. Sablono solves that first—establishing accurate data flow. Once that’s in place, you can start layering intelligent analysis. But we’re not going to sell dreams of autonomous sites while most projects can’t even tell you what’s behind schedule today.

You have expanded across Europe and the Middle East. Any distinct patterns in how regions adopt digital tools?

Absolutely. In the Middle East, there’s a top-down appetite for scale and standardization—clients demand digital accountability. In Europe, the adoption is more bottom-up. Site teams push for tools that make daily work less painful. But the common thread is this: every region has had enough of delays, claims, and disputes. They want control. That’s the entry point.

What’s your benchmark of success in the coming years?

We want Sablono to become the default execution platform for complex builds. When a contractor breaks ground on a 100,000-square-meter site, our software should already be in place—no debate, no RFP. Not because we marketed well, but because the industry finally expects accountability to be digital, precise, and shared. That’s the shift we’re betting on.

Any advice to fellow founders trying to survive in ConTech?

Solve a real problem, not just a visible one. Don't chase trends—chase friction. If you can remove friction in how buildings are actually made, the industry will find you. Eventually, substance rises.

Lukas Olbrich | Co-Founder & CEO

Lukas Olbrich is the Co-Founder and CEO of Sablono GmbH, where he leads the company’s mission to bring structure and precision to large-scale construction. With a background in engineering and a sharp understanding of site-level realities, Olbrich has shaped Sablono into a tool trusted by some of the world’s most demanding contractors. He combines technical fluency with a clear-eyed view of the industry’s inefficiencies, steering the company with a focus on practical value rather than hype. Under his leadership, Sablono has grown from a research project into a company delivering real impact on complex builds across Europe, the Middle East, and beyond.

We designed Sablono from the start as a system of record for execution. It’s grounded in logic—dependencies, durations, real progress. That gives us an edge in enterprise settings.

You meet resistance with results. We don't go in with hype or buzzwords. We go in with data.