SewerAI Uses AI to Spot Defects in Sewer Pipes

TechCrunch reporter Kyle Wiggers spotlighted SewerAI in a June 18, 2024 feature, highlighting how the company is harnessing artificial intelligence to modernize one of the most overlooked corners of critical infrastructure: underground sewer systems.

A Growing Infrastructure Crisis

Climate change is dramatically raising the risk, rate, and cost of sewage failures across the United States. As floods become more frequent, wastewater treatment systems are increasingly overwhelmed by backups that strain aging infrastructure. The scale of the problem is staggering: the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that nearly $700 billion in investments will be needed over the next 20 years just to maintain existing wastewater, stormwater, and clean water pipelines.

Much of the country's underground infrastructure was constructed in the post-World War II era and is now reaching the end of its useful life. As SewerAI co-founder and CEO Matthew Rosenthal explains:

"Most infrastructure was built post-WW2 and is reaching the end of its useful life, leading to more frequent failures and increased costs. SewerAI revolutionizes underground infrastructure inspection and management with its AI-driven software-as-a-service platform."

How SewerAI Works

SewerAI was co-founded five years ago by Matthew Rosenthal and Billy Gilmartin with a clear mission: use AI to automate the slow, labor-intensive process of sewer inspection data capture and defect tagging. The company's platform serves municipalities, utilities, and private contractors — giving them the tools to identify problems faster and more accurately than traditional manual methods.

SewerAI's product suite includes two flagship offerings:

• Pioneer — A field tool that allows inspectors to upload inspection data directly to the cloud and tag issues in real time.
• AutoCode — An AI-powered tool that automatically tags inspections of pipes and manholes, and generates 3D models from GoPro or other camera footage.

To date, SewerAI has amassed footage from inspections covering 135 million feet of pipes — a dataset that continues to fuel the accuracy and performance of its AI models.

$15 Million Series B to Fuel Expansion

Innovius Capital led SewerAI's most recent fundraising round, contributing to a $15 million raise that brings the company's total funding to $25 million. The new capital will be directed toward go-to-market expansion, AI model training, strategic hiring, and broadening the product portfolio.

The funding comes at a time of accelerating demand for SewerAI's platform. Rosenthal noted:

"SewerAI is continuing to grow, and we're seeing an acceleration in demand for our platform as we enable people to do more with existing budgets, which has resulted in us closing our first seven-figure contracts."

A Platform Built for the Future of Infrastructure

As climate pressures mount and aging infrastructure demands more attention, SewerAI's AI-driven approach offers a compelling path forward for the water and wastewater sector. By enabling inspectors and asset managers to do more with existing budgets — and by turning raw video footage into actionable intelligence — the company is positioning itself at the center of a critical and underserved market.

Read the full article on TechCrunch, written by Kyle Wiggers and published June 18, 2024.