Josh Mackanic, a former engineer at Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), launched CivilGrid in 2020 to address the challenge of knowing and managing underground utility infrastructure. While working at PG&E, Mackanic encountered costly delays caused by undisclosed pipes during excavation, highlighting the fragmented and incomplete data utilities have about underground assets, which leads to approximately 200,000 utility strikes annually. CivilGrid aims to solve this problem by aggregating diverse data on underground utilities, property ownership, and regulations into a comprehensive platform described as a “Google Maps for what’s underground.”

CivilGrid provides its service mainly to governments, civil engineering firms, and utilities, including PG&E. Recently, the startup secured $26 million in a Series A funding round led by Spark Capital, with support from investors such as Afore, Ford Street Ventures, and Energy Impact Partners. These funds will expand CivilGrid’s customer base and enhance the platform’s capabilities. PG&E has reported significant savings using CivilGrid, identifying $60 million in avoidable paving costs for over 1,600 planned gas projects, as it improves risk identification and planning efficiency during infrastructure development.

Mackanic envisions CivilGrid evolving beyond data provision to fully assist in infrastructure project workflows, such as recommending optimal utility placements and automating the permitting process. By centralizing data and streamlining decision-making, CivilGrid aims to reduce the complexities and bureaucratic hurdles that slow down construction and utility work. This vision reflects Mackanic’s broader goal to tackle the systemic inefficiencies in U.S. infrastructure projects, leveraging the dataset CivilGrid has built to deliver actionable insights and services.

Although the concept of mapping subterranean infrastructure has existed for some time, Mackanic stresses that CivilGrid’s innovation lies in assembling, securing, and monetizing this data effectively while establishing partnerships willing to pay for it. He founded the company believing the problem required an external solution rather than efforts from within utilities themselves, which often operate under tight budgets. Mackanic’s work emphasizes the everyday importance of reliable utilities, transforming underground infrastructure management from an overlooked issue into a critical and tech-driven business opportunity.