What if your graduation project was also the blueprint for your company? For Chris Aerts, founder of AplusV Solutions, that is exactly what happened. His thesis on digital value chains in construction became the starting point for Factor10, an online platform built to bring the construction industry into the digital age.
Chris graduated in June 2020 from TU Delft's Faculty of Architecture, within the Architectural Engineering studio. Fascinated by the pace of digitalisation across industries, he set out to explore what a digital value chain could look like specifically for the built environment. The result was a fully parametric housing concept: a design tool that could translate a configured layout directly into production instructions for the factory floor. It was both a graduation project and a proof of concept.
When Chris took his first steps as an entrepreneur, BK-Launch was just getting started too. He is, in fact, the very first venture to have been involved with the platform, making him something of a pioneer in more ways than one.
At that stage, BK-Launch was still finding its feet as a support structure for student entrepreneurs at TU Delft. For Chris, it provided exactly what he needed at the time: an inspiring environment, professional coaching, and a community of people who understood the ambition of building something from scratch while still being close to academia. It helped him make the transition from student to founder with more confidence and fewer wrong turns.
Armed with the experience and connections from his graduation project, Chris wasted little time. He founded AplusV Solutions, through which he advised construction companies on digitalisation and developed custom plugins for tools like Rhino and Revit. It was valuable work, but over time a clearer ambition took shape: bringing everything together in one integrated platform. The result is Factor10, an online platform that Chris describes as the "Digital Construction Street for Concept Providers."
The platform allows industrial builders and suppliers to digitalise their unique construction knowledge. Using parametric design, specific rules and constraints, such as maximum transport dimensions or material properties, are built directly into the software. This means every design that comes out of the platform is technically feasible from the start, reducing costly errors and saving significant time in the process. The name says it all: according to Chris, users can expect to work at least ten times faster and more efficiently with his approach.
Schematic visualisation of Factor10
Interface of the Factor10 online tool
Chris' story is a good reminder that studying architecture and building a company do not have to be separate pursuits. By connecting his thesis directly to a real industry problem, he laid the foundation for a venture that is now helping to industrialise the construction sector.
His advice to ambitious students is straightforward: start building your network early and make use of what platforms like BK-Launch have to offer. The resources, the community and the coaching are there. The question is whether you are willing to take the first step.
At AplusV Solutions, they are already looking ahead. The team is growing, and new talent is welcome. If you are curious about what they are working on, it is worth keeping an eye on Factor10. Visit his website for more information on current vacancies.
Are you a student or early-stage entrepreneur with an idea for the built environment? Find out what BK-Launch can do for you on our website.
"Start building your network early and make use of what platforms like BK-Launch have to offer. The resources, the community and the coaching are there. The question is whether you are willing to take the first step."
— - Chris Aerts, BK-Launch Alumnus
Category: Community
