Automax.ai

What do they actually do

Automax.ai sells a mobile and web “appraisal copilot” for residential appraisers. The mobile app uses LiDAR and computer vision to capture measurements, photos, and property attributes during a walkthrough; back-end AI then searches and ranks comparables, performs adjustments/analysis, and autofills UAD appraisal reports that can be exported or imported into common form‑filling software like TOTAL Automax.ai, YC.

They market USPAP compliance, UAD 3.6 support, encryption at rest/in transit, and a policy that models do not retain customer data for training. The company promotes “minutes” turnaround (examples around 20–24 minutes) and offers demos and pay‑as‑you‑go vs. high‑volume plans on its public site Automax.ai, YC, LinkedIn.

Who are their target customer(s)

• Solo/independent residential appraisers: They spend hours measuring, photographing, and manually typing details into UAD forms, which is slow and error‑prone; they want faster field capture and autofill to reduce tedious data entry.
• Small appraisal shops (2–10 appraisers): They juggle multiple assignments and reviewers and need faster, more consistent reports so a small team can handle more volume without additional hires.
• High‑volume appraisal teams / enterprise appraisal firms: Manual workflows break at scale; they need integrations, audit trails, and predictable throughput so reports pass lender reviews on time.
• Appraisal management companies (AMCs): Coordinating many contractors leads to inconsistent reports and rework; standardizing capture, comps, and UAD autofill would reduce rejections and simplify QC.
• Mortgage lenders and underwriters (near‑term): They require explainable, auditable, USPAP/UAD‑compliant valuations that can be ingested into underwriting systems; they look for tools with clear audit trails and lender‑readiness.

How would they acquire their first 10, 50, and 100 customers

• First 10: Run free, hands‑on pilots with local independent appraisers and YC/referral network contacts, with live onboarding to observe workflows and remove friction. Capture permissioned before/after artifacts to create 1–2 strong case studies for reference sales.
• First 50: Offer referral incentives and partner with appraisal schools/state associations for CE‑style trainings to reach small shops. Add a dedicated onboarding coordinator, standardize a one‑day setup checklist, and publish a playbook to reduce time‑to‑first‑report.
• First 100: Pursue reseller/integration deals with form‑filling vendors and regional AMCs to reach many appraisers at once, and run a paid pilot with a lender or large firm to validate compliance/auditability. Package these into an enterprise plan (integrations, SLA, audited workfiles) and hire a channel/institutional seller.

What is the rough total addressable market

Top-down context:

The US real estate appraisal market is roughly a $11.9B industry in 2024, and the US has on the order of 70,000 licensed or certified real estate appraisers IBISWorld, Appraisal Institute.

Bottom-up calculation:

Assuming ~5 million residential appraisals per year in the US and an average $25 per‑report software fee for capture/analysis/reporting, the immediate US TAM for per‑report pricing would be about $125M annually; enterprise integrations/audit modules could expand this.

Assumptions:

• ~5 million residential appraisals/year in the US (rounded, consistent with historical UAD‑tracked volumes).
• Average per‑report software fee of ~$25 for an AI appraisal copilot.
• Focus on residential appraisals; excludes non‑lender and commercial segments.

Who are some of their notable competitors

• Reggora: End‑to‑end appraisal workflow for lenders/appraisers (order management, automated review, LOS integrations); competes on speeding turn times and automating review/workflow tasks Reggora appraisal review.
• Clear Capital: AVMs and automated collateral review products (e.g., AURA) used by lenders/AMCs; overlaps with automated valuation, QC, and underwriting support ClearAVM AURA.
• HouseCanary: Data‑driven valuation tools and cloud appraisal workflow for appraisers and institutional buyers; competes on comps/analytics and desktop/mobile appraisal overview valuations.
• CoreLogic: Large incumbent with AVMs, appraisal platforms, and field capture tools (e.g., LiDAR/AR ScanToSketch) plus deep lender integrations and modernization features datasheet ScanToSketch.
• Anow: Practice‑level appraisal software with mobile capture, scheduling, and report/workfile management; targets solo and small shops seeking workflow automation product mobile walkthrough.