Nearly two decades ago, a young college student wrote his final thesis about software capable of generating design documents for school buildings. Now, that old idea has bloomed into Blueprints AI, a startup that uses AI to produce code-compliant and permit-ready architectural construction blueprints in minutes from a 2D sketch or PDF.

Within six months of the launch of Blueprints AI in 2025, in Santa Monica, with co-founder Coco Cao, the startup was selected for the 2026 Startup Battlefield 200, a cohort of promising early-stage startups. The software, which will unveil a more capable second-generation version of its software at Disrupt, aims to make better spaces for people by allowing architects to focus more on design.

According to the co-founders, the technology doesn’t replace licensed architects. Licensed professionals still review the documents and affix their seal before submitting them for permits. The judgment stays human, they say. But the time spared in repetitive drafting work could be monumental, flipping an architect’s workload to be 20% drafting and 80% design.

Early customers are already using the second version, and the startup is already working on a third version of its software that will add in structural analysis and electrical panel design. The technology is targeting two groups: professional architecture, engineering, and design firms, and developers and real estate owners. The startup offers its software as a subscription and may add a one-time flat-fee option for those who just want it for a single project.