Introducing Matlas: The Construction Materials Operating System
New R-LABS partner company developing technology to unlock the value of existing construction materials
TORONTO, Nov. 5, 2026 /CNW/ -- Matlas, a newly established R-LABS partner company, is developing the Construction Materials Operating System, a digital platform connecting material supply and project demand across the construction industry. By improving how construction materials and equipment are identified, verified and managed across projects, Matlas aims to recover economic value from underutilized materials and create new opportunities for their reuse.
Backed by investment from R-LABS and established engineering and contracting firms, Matlas is drawing on their expertise to help shape the platform's development. This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to addressing construction material inefficiencies and developing technology that responds to real-world industry needs.
The Market Opportunity: Connecting Construction Materials with Demand
Across the construction industry, significant quantities of valuable materials remain underutilized. Surplus accumulates on construction sites and in contractor and manufacturer inventories, while buildings undergoing renovation or demolition contain products that could be recovered for future use. Yet the industry has no widely adopted, connected system for identifying these materials, establishing their suitability and matching them with new demand. As a result, recoverable materials are often discarded or written off while comparable products are purchased new, creating unnecessary cost and lost economic value. The gap is a systemic inefficiency in how the market handles existing materials, with consequences for procurement, cost and waste.
Matlas' Construction Materials Operating System is built around three core functions: Find. Trust. Move. The platform is designed to make available materials visible, provide the information and verification needed to establish confidence in their reuse, and facilitate the transactions and logistics required to connect supply with demand. By integrating material information, inventory and marketplace functionality, Matlas aims to give industry participants a coordinated approach to managing construction materials across projects and organizations.
"The circular economy is where some of construction's biggest problems and opportunities meet. Carly brings deep industry expertise, and through our venture-building process, we connected her with Tom Barker, a repeat founder. Together, their complementary expertise helped shape Matlas into a technology-driven solution that connects valuable construction materials with new opportunities for reuse. With industry partners investing alongside R-LABS, Matlas has what it needs to scale across the industry."
– George Carras, Founder & CEO, R-LABS
Matlas: Advancing Toward Commercialization
Matlas has completed the launch of its minimum viable product (MVP) and is progressively integrating the platform into contractor workflows as it expands its capabilities and user base. Development is focused on material inventory management, project-level tracking and connecting material supply with demand through transactions and logistics. The company is working toward the commercial launch of its full system in Q1 2027.
"Construction has established systems for managing projects and procurement, but no connected infrastructure for managing the value of materials beyond their original use. We're building Matlas with the industry, for the industry, bringing together the organizations that understand these challenges and have a direct interest in solving them. Having industry partners invest alongside R-LABS reinforces that commitment and will help us bring the technology to market."
– Carly Connor, Co-Founder & CEO, Matlas
Matlas was co-founded by Carly Connor and Tom Barker, the company's Chief Technology Officer. Connor also founded Green Salvaged Materials (GSM), where she developed expertise in material audits, salvage strategies and decommissioning that now informs Matlas' development. Matlas works with the ReUse Collective, an industry initiative that brings participants together to develop shared practices and advance material working groups.
About Matlas
Matlas is developing the data infrastructure for circular construction through its Construction Materials Operating System. Built around Find. Trust. Move., the platform is designed to make available construction materials visible, verifiable and ready for their next use, connecting material supply, demand and surplus across projects and organizations. https://app.matlas.ca/welcome
About R-LABS
R-LABS is The Real Estate Industry Venture Builder, established in 2018 as a partnership of innovative corporations, institutions, industry organizations and game-changing entrepreneurs to build and grow great companies that solve major problems in real estate and housing. Through its problem-centric venture process, R-LABS works with entrepreneurs and corporate innovators to create technology-enabled business models that can be piloted locally and scaled globally. https://rlabs.ca/
SOURCE R-LABS Canada
Media Contact: Stacy Piluk, R-LABS Canada Inc., [email protected]
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