Josh Mackanic, a former engineer at Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), has secured $26 million in Series A funding to expand his startup, CivilGrid, which aims to provide a comprehensive mapping solution for underground utilities. This initiative addresses a significant gap in the utility sector, where companies often lack visibility into the extensive network of pipes and cables buried beneath the surface.

Mackanic’s interest in this area was sparked by a personal experience at PG&E, where a project was delayed for three days due to an unknown buried pipe, resulting in a cost of $60,000. He noted, “I had a job that got shut down because a pipe was in the excavation [that] we didn’t know about.” This incident highlighted the challenges faced by utility companies, which typically only have access to information about their own infrastructure, leading to approximately 200,000 utility strikes annually.

Innovative Mapping Solution

Founded in 2020, CivilGrid aggregates data related to utility assets, property ownership, and environmental regulations, presenting it in a user-friendly format that Mackanic describes as “Google Maps for what’s underground.” The platform is designed for use by governments, civil engineering firms, and utilities, including PG&E itself.

The recent funding round was led by Spark Capital, with contributions from Afore, A*, Ford Street Ventures, and SNR. Notably, Energy Impact Partners, which includes several utility companies as limited partners, also invested, indicating strong industry support for CivilGrid’s mission.

Christine Cowsert, senior vice president of enterprise business and technology modernization at PG&E, emphasized the importance of tools like CivilGrid, stating, “California’s energy needs are growing rapidly, and our customers expect us to deliver the infrastructure they need safely, reliably, and affordably.” She noted that CivilGrid helps identify risks earlier and avoid unnecessary costs, enhancing overall project efficiency.

Future Prospects and Automation

A case study conducted by PG&E revealed that using CivilGrid could save $60 million in avoidable paving costs across 1,600 planned gas distribution projects. Mackanic aims to expand CivilGrid’s customer base and tackle additional regulatory challenges that complicate infrastructure development in the U.S.

Currently, CivilGrid provides engineers with essential data for decision-making regarding infrastructure placement. Mackanic envisions further automation capabilities, stating, “Once I’ve given them the constraints, it’s not too hard for me to say, ‘Well, I would recommend that you put the pipe down right here, and oh, by the way, here are the permits you need in order to move to construction on this pipe.’”

Mackanic believes that while the concept of improving visibility into underground infrastructure is not new, the challenge has been in effectively collecting, sorting, and securing the necessary data. He left PG&E to pursue this venture, convinced that the problem could be better addressed from an external perspective.

Reflecting on his journey, Mackanic noted the high stakes involved in utility work, which ensures that everyday conveniences, like turning on lights or brewing coffee, remain uninterrupted. He remarked, “The reality is, unfortunately, we do ourselves a disservice in not championing the extent to which they work wonders every day.”

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