How AI Maps the Earth Beneath Our Feet to De-Risk Megaprojects

What's Up with Tech?

Interested in being a guest? Email us at [email protected]

What if the riskiest part of a megaproject is the part you can’t see? We sit down with Jeremy Suard CEO and co-founder of Exodigo, to unpack how multi-sensor scanning and decision-support AI reveal the utilities and soil conditions that make or break billion-dollar timelines. Instead of relying on incomplete as-builts and sparse borings, Jeremy’s team stitches together an MRI/CT/ultrasound-style approach for the ground beneath our feet—then pairs it with human-in-the-loop engineering so owners get confident maps and actionable choices.
We dig into why underground uncertainty consistently ranks among the top causes of delays and overruns, how field data gets fused into rich 3D models, and why a service model—closer to an AI-enabled engineering firm than a pure software vendor—moves the needle on real projects. Jeremy shares a striking west coast story: a major water main bent six to seven feet off the plan right where a gas line relocation was slated, an invisible detour that would have blown up schedules if not caught early. We also break down the ROI: on a $1B job, each day of delay can cost millions, and contingencies for utilities and geotech often add up to 15–17% before work begins. As Jeremy puts it, owners aren’t buying maps—they’re buying quiet.
You’ll hear how Exodigo is scaling from underground data into engineering services, targeting heavy civil infrastructure like grid expansion, transportation, and data centers. We talk adoption hurdles, the flood of pilots, and why human QA/QC is non-negotiable in risk-intolerant domains. Looking forward, we explore adjacent frontiers—from mining to long-shot space resource exploration—while staying anchored to the near-term goals: better utility detection, smarter foundation design, and fewer conflicts in the field.
If you care about construction technology, infrastructure planning, geotechnical insights, or the practical edge of AI in the built world, this conversation is a must.

Support the show

More at https://linktr.ee/EvanKirstel

فصل ها

1. Mission: See Underground, Save Billions (00:00:00)

2. Why Underground Causes Delays (00:01:01)

3. Multi-Sensing + AI Mapping Explained (00:02:19)

4. From Data to Engineering Services (00:03:04)

5. Market Focus and Expansion Strategy (00:04:35)

6. Decision-Support AI, Not Pure Automation (00:05:14)

7. Field Story: The Rogue Water Pipe (00:06:58)

8. Pilots, Trust, and Adoption Hurdles (00:08:25)

9. Tech Stack Complexity and Scaling (00:09:15)

10. ROI: Contingencies, Delays, and “Buying Quiet” (00:10:18)

11. Beyond Infra: Mining and Future Frontiers (00:12:08)

12. What’s Next: Hiring, Growth, U.S. Push (00:13:10)

13. Closing and Where to Watch (00:14:06)