Ghent-based start-up PermiPro is launching an AI platform designed to assist architects and environmental officials with the often complex application process for environmental permits. According to the company’s research, data collection via the platform is up to 90 percent faster, and the tool already has several hundred paying users.
PermiPro emerged from Start it @KBC and is the result of research by Corneel Pollefeyt and legal expert Ewout Van Betsbrugge, who developed the platform together with computer scientist Ludovic Verstraete. Through 200 interviews with architects, environmental officials, and legal experts, they found that regulations are constantly evolving and that relevant data is scattered across dozens of platforms, often in different versions.
Fragmented data as a bottleneck
According to the founders, this fragmentation causes frustration and loss of time for architects, who often start a permit process with incomplete information. Problems then emerge later in the process that could have been clear from the very beginning. Some architects even indicated they were leaving the profession because the legal and administrative burden became too heavy.
PermiPro aims to lighten that burden by centralizing all relevant data on a single platform. Using AI, users receive an analysis of what is possible on a plot within seconds, including potential risks. Through APIs, the information remains up-to-date, with references to the correct source. The platform also supports specific assessments, such as nitrogen tests or rainwater regulations, and allows users to ask questions within a closed AI model.
Freemium model and further expansion
PermiPro operates on a freemium SaaS model: part of the platform is free, while larger firms can opt for a pay-per-case or subscription formula. The founders are planning expansions such as visual volume studies, 3D models, and automated reasoned statements per dossier.
Dirk Mattheeuws, former chairman of Netwerk Architecten Vlaanderen, states that platforms like PermiPro allow architects to focus on design again instead of administration. PermiPro previously received an innovation grant from the Flemish government and intends to eventually grant private individuals access to plot analyses.