H3 Zoom, a Singapore-based deeptech startup specialising in AI-powered inspection and asset management for critical infrastructure, has announced a US$1.8 million first close in its Series A funding round.
The investment was led by JRE Ventures, the corporate VC arm of JR East, with participation from SGInnovate and M7 Holdings.
The capital is earmarked to significantly expand H3 Zoom’s Asian footprint, with an immediate focus on Japan and Hong Kong, while simultaneously deepening current operations in Singapore.
The funding will also accelerate product R&D, as well as strengthen engineering and go-to-market teams.
Shaun Koo, CEO and founder of H3 Zoom, commented: “This funding allows us to turn building data into actionable maintenance decisions at scale — shortening inspection cycles, reducing rectification costs, and improving public safety.”
Founded in 2016, H3 Zoom combines proprietary vision language models and robotics-enabled data capture to help asset owners and operators transition from manual, labour-intensive inspections to scalable, data-driven solutions.
Through the use of drone capture and automated defect analytics, the platform delivers tangible efficiency gains. This includes lowering operational and access costs compared to traditional inspection methods, improving safety by reducing the need for prolonged work-at-height activities, and standardising reporting for the Building and Construction Authority’s Periodic Façade Inspection (BCA PFI) submissions with greater traceability.
Its technology has been deployed across multiple high-rise buildings, transport assets, and critical infrastructure within Singapore.
For the JR East Group, ensuring the safe and sustainable operation of diverse assets—including railways, stations, commercial facilities, and hotels—is a shared priority. JRE Ventures intends to accelerate H3 Zoom’s business expansion and proof-of-concept activities in the Japanese market, while actively exploring broader collaboration opportunities across Southeast Asia.
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Looking ahead, the startup is fast-tracking its AI roadmap, which includes launching the AI Engineering Co-Pilot, deepening multimodal workflows (360° imagery with voice notes), and strengthening enterprise-grade APIs. The company is also piloting robotics-assisted inspections to surface latent defects more safely.
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