Eric Helitzer

This transcript has been edited for clarity, readability, and flow. Minor adjustments have been made to remove filler words and improve structure while preserving the original meaning and intent of the conversation.

Henry Harrison:
We’d like to welcome the founder of SubBase—an outstanding entrepreneur—to the show. Let’s welcome Eric Helitzer. Hello, Eric.

Eric Helitzer:
Hey, Henry. Thanks for having me on today.

Henry Harrison:
This is Entrepreneurs, Business and Finance. You’ve been an entrepreneur for a couple of years now, but that wasn’t your starting point.

Let’s go back. You have a strong construction background, and SubBase is a software platform for construction, so that experience matters.

You studied Construction Management at the University of Florida, worked for large companies, and about two and a half years ago launched this business. You already have revenue and clients, and while you’re based in Fort Lauderdale, you’re operating nationwide.

When you were younger, did you ever think you’d become an entrepreneur?

Eric Helitzer:
Not really—but I always knew I wanted to build.

I come from three generations of contractors, so I grew up around construction. That environment shaped my interest early on.

That led me to the University of Florida’s Rinker School of Construction Management. A lot of people don’t even realize construction is a formal career path, but it’s a great one.

When I graduated, it was around the end of the condo boom in Miami, so I stayed another year to complete a master’s degree.

My family business was doing well, but they insisted I learn the trade properly first—working in the field with real crews. That foundation was critical.

Henry Harrison:
And that experience eventually led you into technology.

Eric Helitzer:
Yes.

I started with internships at large firms, worked in preconstruction, learned estimating, and then moved into operations.

Around 2012–2014, construction technology started gaining traction.

When I joined my family business, one of my roles was evaluating new tech tools. One of those was Procore, which was just emerging at the time.

We were digitizing workflows—RFIs, documentation—and there was a lot of resistance. But it created transparency and efficiency.

That’s when the light bulb went off: technology could fundamentally improve construction.

Henry Harrison:
And that insight eventually led to SubBase.

Eric Helitzer:
Exactly.

Years later, I partnered with a technical co-founder who wanted to enter construction tech.

I had about 15 years of industry experience, so we understood the workflows and pain points.

We started building the platform while I was still running construction jobs—but I quickly realized I couldn’t do both well.

So I made the decision to go all in on SubBase.

Henry Harrison:
Why has construction been slower to adopt technology than other industries?

Eric Helitzer:
A few reasons:

• Every project is different

• There are many stakeholders with strong opinions

• It’s a highly relationship-driven industry

If a business is already profitable, there’s hesitation to change—because change introduces risk.

So technology has to fit into existing workflows without forcing people to completely change how they work.

Henry Harrison:
That makes sense—especially in an industry where mistakes can be costly.

Eric Helitzer:
Exactly.

That’s why we focus on improving workflows without disrupting them—and proving the value quickly.

Henry Harrison:
Explain SubBase in simple terms.

Eric Helitzer:
At a high level, SubBase digitizes the materials procurement process.

Traditionally, this involves:

• Field requests

• Quotes

• Purchase orders

• Invoice reconciliation

All of that happens across disconnected systems—emails, spreadsheets, paper.

We bring everything into one platform that connects:

• Field teams

• Project managers

• Purchasing

• Accounting

• Vendors

It creates a single source of truth and improves communication across all stakeholders.

Henry Harrison:
And vendors benefit as well.

Eric Helitzer:
Yes.

They get better visibility, faster response times, and improved service levels.

SubBase strengthens relationships rather than replacing them.

Henry Harrison:
Implementation is often the hardest part of software adoption. How do you handle that?

Eric Helitzer:
We designed SubBase to be implemented in one day or less.

We set up:

• Cost codes

• Materials

• Vendors

So teams can start using it immediately.

We also integrate with existing accounting systems—because companies aren’t going to replace those.

Henry Harrison:
What were some early challenges?

Eric Helitzer:
One mistake early on was giving the software away for free.

We got some adoption, but people don’t fully commit to something that isn’t fully built or that they don’t pay for.

Another challenge was vendor adoption—some worried about transparency.

We had to communicate clearly that we weren’t replacing relationships—we were enhancing them.

Henry Harrison:
And you’ve raised capital along the way.

Eric Helitzer:
Yes.

Early funding came from people in our inner circle—those who believed in the mission before we had traction.

Later, we raised an institutional round to accelerate growth.

Taking investment is always a responsibility—you’re accountable to execute.

Henry Harrison:
What’s your biggest competition?

Eric Helitzer:
Honestly:

• Excel

• Email

• Existing habits

The challenge isn’t just competing with other software—it’s convincing people to move away from systems they’ve used for decades.

Henry Harrison:
You’ve mentioned the idea of “10x improvement.”

Eric Helitzer:
Yes.

People won’t change for a 2x improvement. It has to be 10x better.

If someone has been using the same process for 20 years, the new solution has to:

• Solve the full problem

• Integrate seamlessly

• Be significantly easier and faster

Otherwise, they won’t switch.

Henry Harrison:
What does that look like in practice?

Eric Helitzer:
A good example is our invoice module.

We use AI to:

• Match invoices to purchase orders

• Extract data

• Populate logs

• Check line items automatically

Instead of manually reviewing everything, the system handles it.

That’s where you get real efficiency gains.

Henry Harrison:
And the business impact?

Eric Helitzer:
It leads to:

• Happier employees

• Faster workflows

• Fewer errors

• Better financial outcomes

It’s not just about saving time—it’s about improving profitability.

Henry Harrison:
Any final thoughts?

Eric Helitzer:
Many companies still view software as an expense rather than an investment.

We help them understand:

• What their current process costs

• How much time and money they’re losing

• What they gain by improving it

Construction is evolving quickly, and the next 5–10 years will bring major change—especially in back-office workflows.

Henry Harrison:
Eric Helitzer, founder and CEO of SubBase. The website is subbase.io.

If someone wants to connect?

Eric Helitzer:
Go to www.subbase.io and fill out the contact form.

You can also find us on LinkedIn or email me directly at eric@subbase.io.

Henry Harrison:
Fantastic. Thank you very much.

Eric Helitzer:
Thanks, Henry.