The growing threat of climate change is putting a strain on sewage infrastructure, leading to more frequent failures and increased costs. With the Environmental Protection Agency estimating that nearly $700 billion is needed to maintain existing wastewater, stormwater, and clean water pipelines over the next 20 years, entrepreneurs Matthew Rosenthal and Billy Gilmartin saw an opportunity to use technology to help solve the problem. Five years ago, they co-founded SewerAI, which uses artificial intelligence to automate the capture and tagging of data during sewer inspections.
“SewerAI revolutionizes underground infrastructure inspection and management with its AI-driven software-as-a-service platform,” Rosenthal said. The company’s cloud-based subscription products are designed to streamline field inspections and data management for municipalities, utilities, and private contractors. One of its products, Pioneer, allows inspectors to upload data to the cloud and tag issues, while another tool, AutoCode, automatically tags inspections and creates 3D models of infrastructure.
SewerAI’s technology has gained attention from investors, who have poured $25 million into the company, including $15 million in its most recent fundraising round. The company plans to use the funds to expand its marketing efforts, continue training its AI models, and hire new talent. With its competitors including Subterra, Clear Object, and Pallon, SewerAI claims to stand out due to the quality of its data, with over 135 million feet of pipe footage used to train its AI models.
