Nick Callegari ‘25 came to SOM in 2023 with an idea. Over the next two years, he and his team of dedicated interns, engineers, and operations managers built and launched Verustruct, a construction manufacturing startup producing novel, gantry-less 3D printing technology capable of producing affordable and sustainable housing units more efficiently than the current industry standard. A Princeton engineering graduate and former SpaceX engineer, Nick brought deep technical expertise to his startup, making use of SOM’s entrepreneurship curriculum, alumni network, and Yale’s entrepreneurial resources to turn his idea into a viable solution to sustainable construction and housing insecurity.
On September 24, Verustruct announced the closing of an over-subscribed, $2.44 million pre-seed fundraising round. The round was led by Necessary Ventures and Anorak Ventures, with additional support from Boost VC, Mana Ventures, and many others. In the announcement, Nick extended special thanks to the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Clinic at Yale Law School, the Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking at Yale, the Program on Entrepreneurship at the School of Management, and a team of valuable advisors – including PoE Associate Director Jennifer McFadden – for mentorship and support.
“Closing the round feels like we’ve just qualified to enter the race,” Nick says. “We’ve shown enough early progress and articulated the vision clearly enough to earn investor support – and now it’s time to focus on building what we set out to build, with the goal of making a meaningful impact in the world.”
Nick also noted that the community at SOM and the broader Yale entrepreneurial ecosystem has been instrumental in helping Verustruct reach this important milestone. Highlighting resources like entrepreneurial awards, fellowships, and one-on-one guidance from faculty and staff, Nick says, “that combination of mentorship, funding, and community played a key role in helping us successfully navigate the fundraising process.”
Read more about Nick’s journey and Verustruct here.