When David Peters was 16, his dad told him they were going to build a house together.
Two years later, Peters realized he’d built much more than a home. He’d built the foundation for a career that would transform how thousands of construction crews around the world manage their time.
“I basically thought, well, I know a lot of areas of construction, because I just built a house from start to finish,” Peters said. “So I jumped into the trades. I got a tax number and started a construction business.”
Today, Peters is the founder and CEO of Construction Clock, a rapidly scaling construction technology company that helps crews automatically clock in on job sites — no manual entry, no missed punches.
From job site to startup : How to Start a Construction Tech Company in Canada
The idea behind Construction Clock came from a challenge Peters faced every day as a contractor: keeping track of his crew.
“What I found while growing my company is that I wasn’t able to manage my team effectively,” he said. “People would forget to clock in. It was all manual entry. I thought it would be so great if this stuff happened in the background, where you didn’t have to really think about it.”
That challenge sparked a business that would eventually serve over 3,000 construction companies across 24 countries. In August alone, Construction Clock onboarded a record 310 new companies in a single month.
Scaling a global team from Winnipeg
Founded in 2022, Construction Clock has grown from a simple idea to a global operation. For Peters, the biggest learning curve wasn’t the technology — it was trust.
“When I hired in construction, I knew exactly what people were doing,” he said. “In tech, you don’t really understand some of these roles, so you have to believe in the people that you’re hiring.”
Now leading a team of nearly 30 employees, Peters recently moved the company into a new Winnipeg office big enough for 150 people — a bold signal of confidence in Construction Clock’s future.
“It’s not possible without the right team,” Peters said. “We feel like we can basically do anything.”
Finding the right support through North Forge
Every startup story has a starting point, and for Peters, that was North Forge — a Manitoba-based not-for-profit incubator and accelerator that helps founders move from idea to investment readiness.
“When I started, I just had an idea,” Peters said. “North Forge gave us a place to feel like a startup when we really had nothing to show for it. If I was doing this in my basement, I never would’ve met the people I met at North Forge or had the mentorship. There’s an entire ecosystem there.”
That ecosystem connected him with mentors, investors, and employees who helped shape Construction Clock’s path. It’s a prime example of how to start a construction tech company in Canada — not through luck, but through community, mentorship, and the right resources.
From trades to tech — and paying it forward
As Construction Clock grew, Peters realized he wasn’t alone. Many others in the trades dream of moving into tech but aren’t sure where to start.
“The biggest thing is you’re going to start back at zero because you don’t know anything about tech,” he said. “You have to humble yourself to a point where you’re driven to learn instead of driven to make impact. It took us three years before we felt like we were starting to make a difference.”
Now, he’s eager to help others make that same leap.
“The one thing I’d like to become more now is somebody who is a mentor to anyone in the trades looking to transition to tech,” he said. “That’s kind of been a passion of mine — becoming that bridge between blue collar and tech.”
Those interested in connecting with Peters can reach him directly through LinkedIn, where he shares insights and supports others in the industry.
Looking ahead
As Construction Clock continues to grow, Peters says the company’s next stage isn’t about funding — it’s about people.
“We’re in a great position where we don’t need money,” he said. “What we’re looking for is exceptional people to join us. The thing that got us here was hiring amazing people, and that’s what’s going to allow us to scale to the next stage.”
About North Forge
North Forge is a national not-for-profit incubator rooted in Manitoba that offers Canada’s largest non-profit fabrication lab and a four-stage Founders Program. Our programs help founders move from idea to investment readiness through mentorship, resources, and connections.
If you’re ready to grow your startup or explore how to start a construction tech company in Canada, apply to the North Forge Founders Program today.
