Smart sourcing: How our investment in Acelab will transform JLL’s material discovery and procurement

At JLL Spark Global Ventures, we’re constantly seeking innovations that can revolutionize how we serve our clients and empower our internal teams. Our recent investment in Acelab represents a strategic leap forward in enhancing one of our critical processes: material discovery and procurement. 

The construction and design industry is ripe with opportunities to modernize material sourcing processes. While the architects and designers at JLL’s Project and Development Services (PDS) group deliver exceptional results for clients, the underlying tools for material research and procurement haven’t kept pace with advances in technology. Traditional methods, while functional, leave room for improvement in terms of speed, comprehensiveness, and real-time market intelligence. There’s significant potential to enhance how we discover materials, evaluate suppliers, and make procurement decisions. 

Acelab, an all-in-one materials management platform called Material Hub, leverages AI to transform how we discover, evaluate, and procure materials. Their platform features the industry’s most comprehensive global database of suppliers, searchable through natural language queries that feel as intuitive as a conversation. Need materials with specific embedded carbon footprints? Looking for alternatives with better availability? Acelab’s AI can process these complex requirements instantly, delivering precise results that would take hours or days to compile manually. 

This investment aligns perfectly with JLL’s commitment to tech-enabling our core business functions. With up to 7,800 PDS employees globally who could benefit from Acelab’s platform, we’re positioned to achieve significant operational improvements: 

• Enhanced efficiency – Our architects and designers can dramatically reduce time spent on material research, allowing them to focus on creative problem-solving and client collaboration. 

• Superior quality control – Standardized sourcing processes will ensure consistent quality across all projects while providing access to the most current supplier information and material specifications. 

• Economic advantages – The platform’s comprehensive database and bulk purchasing capabilities help negotiate better terms and identify cost-saving opportunities at scale. 

• Sustainability leadership – With embedded carbon data readily available, we can make more informed decisions that support our clients’ (and JLL’s) sustainability objectives. 

Romeu Carpinteiro, JLL’s Global Design Operations lead explains how the investment aligns with his business line’s strategy: “As we navigate the AI revolution transforming professional services, Acelab represents exactly the kind of intelligent automation that will define competitive advantage in design. By partnering with Acelab to deploy AI for materials specification and procurement, we’re not just improving operational efficiency—we’re strategically repositioning our talent to focus on high-value design thinking and client partnership.” 

Ajey Kaushal, Investment Principal at JLL Spark, reflects on the investment: “When we first met Acelab and its founder Vardhan Mehta, we knew instantly they’d cracked the code on an industry-wide challenge. With marquee clients spanning architecture, design, and materials supply, Acelab is positioned to dominate this market. In working with PDS leadership, we uncovered immediate value creation opportunities— our teams leveraging their platform in North America (where they are currently live) while helping drive their expansion to our other core geographies in EMEA and APAC. Acelab represents exactly the kind of transformative investment Spark was built to capture.” 

Acelab’s Vardhan Mehta adds, “JLL’s strategic investment and partnership represent a pivotal milestone for Acelab. Their deep understanding of the built environment and global reach across owners, developers, and occupiers gives us invaluable insight into how material decisions impact building performance. At the same time, Material Hub brings JLL’s ecosystem a powerful tool to streamline specification workflows and improve sustainability outcomes across their portfolio. We’re excited to work with JLL to build the industry’s first truly integrated materials intelligence platform. ” 

Through this partnership, JLL continues to lead the industry’s digital transformation while delivering tangible value to our clients and communities worldwide. By modernizing material sourcing, we’re not just improving internal processes – we’re enhancing our ability to deliver projects faster, more sustainably, and more cost-effectively.  

Written by Arnaud Bouzinac, Growth Principal based in EMEA.

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