UAE proptech start-up aims to boost developers’ profit by over 10%

UAE property developers could increase their profits by more than 10 per cent from projects, without making major changes to the designs from start-up Kaizen AI’s proprietary technology, which is entering the UAE and GCC real estate and construction sectors to help the industry.

As the GCC real estate landscape continues to evolve, one company is emerging as a game-changer — quietly, yet powerfully. Kaizen AI is an India-born proptech startup that is redefining the economics and sustainability of large-scale real estate development through Artificial Intelligence (AI). If deployed on time, this technology offers 10.27 per cent profitability in each project through optimisation - that has so far delivered $5.4 billion in added value across 150 projects optimised across seven countries in the last few years.

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More than Dh265.9 billion ($72.45 billion) worth of properties were sold or changed hands through 80,400 transactions between January and May 28 this year, according to Dubai Land Department data. Developers of all these properties could optimise their projects to book a 10.27 per cent additional profit by deploying Kaizen AI technology which allows developers to change internal arrangements in on-going projects without changing the overall project - to a certain extent.

An estimated $590 billion (Dh2.16 trillion) worth of projects are being constructed in the UAE, which is 15 per cent of the overall Middle East and North Africa total project pipeline value of $3.9 trillion (Dh14.31 trillion). At a rate of 10.27 per cent cost saving, Kaizen AI could help the industry save $400.53 billion (Dh1.47 trillion), if implemented properly.

Kaizen AI officials have already started meeting UAE developers, architects and designers to deploy the technology in projects.

The global real estate market is projected to reach $654.39 trillion by 2025, with residential real estate accounting for $534.37 trillion, according to market intelligence firm Statista. With a steady Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 2.69 per cent, the market is expected to surpass $727 trillion by 2029. 

In this massive and increasingly competitive landscape, Kaizen AI empowers developers and architects to unlock millions in added value — using advanced AI to optimise space planning, reduce costs, and improve project efficiency without compromising design intent.

The company’s expansion into the GCC region, including Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah, Muscat, and Riyadh, marks a new chapter for the firm, whose platform has already delivered an average 10.26 per cent increase in project value for leading developers. These results are achieved without altering the architect’s design intent, making Kaizen AI a seamless and scalable solution for design and planning optimisation. 

“Our goal is simple: to maximise profitability, enhance sustainability, and help developers and architects make smarter, faster design decisions using AI,” said Jay Shah, Founder and CEO of Kaizen AI.

Kaizen AI’s platform leverages multi-parameter optimisation to analyse and improve a wide range of design variables — from built-up area and efficiency ratios to cost and carbon footprint — delivering tangible ROI for clients. In one example, Kaizen AI helped Godrej Properties, India’s largest real estate developer, reduce costs by 15.4 per cent, while also unlocking significant environmental gains. In total, the company has helped reduce 5.67 million square feet of constructed area and saved 712 million metric tonnes of CO₂ — the equivalent of grounding all commercial flights globally for eight months. 

A Dubai-based property analyst said, “Property developers or project owners usually make anywhere between 25-35 per cent profit per project depending on the size, scale, location and other factors. If Kaizen AI could guarantee 10 per cent more profits, this translates to an overall profitability of 35-45 per cent per project - again depending on certain factors! This is huge gain for project developers, architects and designers. This could change the entire real estate and construction market.”

The firm is now working with multiple publicly listed companies across the US, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. With its entry into the UAE, Kaizen AI is targeting partnerships with developers, architects, and cost consultants who are ready to embrace data-driven efficiency and future-forward planning. 

Shah, who studied AI optimization during his graduate studies at Columbia University in New York, spent over a decade as an architect on large-scale global projects before founding Kaizen AI. This blend of technical expertise and real-world design experience sets Kaizen apart in a space often dominated by theory-heavy, impractical tools. 

“We’re not here to replace anyone — we’re here to amplify the capabilities of entire project teams,” says Jay Shah. “For developers, we unlock millions in hidden profitability by helping make smarter, faster decisions at the earliest stages — before a single brick is laid. For architects, we provide data-backed design scenarios that preserve creative intent while meeting commercial and environmental goals. The built environment is one of the largest contributors to climate change and capital expenditure. With Kaizen, we’re enabling stakeholders to build not just more profitably — but more responsibly.”

Somshankar Bandyopadhyay

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somshankar@khaleejtimes.com

Somshankar Bandyopadhyay is a News Editor with close to three decades of experience. Currently, he manages the business section, ensuring that the top economic and business news of the day reaches its readers.